As soon as you know you are pregnant, we recommend you make an appointment to see your GP or a midwife and book into the hospital or Birth Centre you intend to give birth at. We recommend that you make your first GP appointment as early as possible and ideally book into the hospital from when you are 14 weeks pregnant. In Northern NSW we have many Choices for your Pregnancy Care including: Midwifery Group Practice, Obstetric clinics and Shared care between your GP and the hospital.

Before the birth of your baby

• check if you can get payments
• thinking of having a baby
• iodine supplementation
• Early Pregnancy Assessment Service (EPAS) is for women less than 20 weeks pregnant with threatened or actual early pregnancy loss or a pregnancy of unknown location.

Five hospitals provide maternity care in Northern NSW, these include hospitals and birth centres:

• The Tweed Hospital - Women's Care Unit
• Murwillumbah District Hospital
• Byron Central Hospital
• Lismore Base Hospital - Women's Care Unit
• Grafton Base Hospital - Women's Care Unit

Your pregnancy and birth choices

Deciding on who will care for you during pregnancy and where you want to give birth is an important decision you will need to make. Here you will find some information on what options are available to you.

• pregnancy care options
• parenting education classes
• Midwifery Group Practice
• close to home – pregnancy outreach clinics
• maternity care choices and services for Aboriginal families
• your next birth after caesarean section

Factsheets and resources

• Having a Baby book
• Sleep on your side while baby’s inside
• Your baby’s movements and what they mean
• Preventing blood clots in pregnancy and after birth
• Information for Rh (D) negative women – You and Your Baby: prevention of haemolytic disease of the newborn. 
• Pelvic floor - Continence Foundation of Australia
• MotherSafe is a free telephone service for women in NSW concerned about medication exposure during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
• Diabetes Services for pregnant women and new mothers
• Group B Streptococcus (GBS) in pregnancy Reducing the chance of infection in newborns.
• Nausea and Vomiting in Pregnancy and Hyperemesis Gravidarum
• Why your weight matters
• Perineal tears. What you need to know during pregnancy
• Third and fourth degree perineal tears video

Vaccinations during pregnancy and for your baby

• pregnancy – protection and vaccination from preconception to birth
• pregnant women – protect your newborn from whooping cough
• Save the Date to Vaccinate – immunisation app
• neonatal Hepatitis B Vaccination
• get the facts – Immunisation saves lives
• NSW Health Immunisation Schedule
• child care and immunisation

Tests during your pregnancy

• Pregnancy Screening for Group B Streptococcus (GBS)
• Screening for Gestational Diabetes Mellitus – glucose tolerance test

Decreasing the risk of stillbirth

Timing of birth – Every Week Counts your baby’s movements matter

• flyer movements matter
• foetal movements video
• you baby’s growth matters
• Sleeping on your side when baby is inside
  • Side sleeping brochure
  • Improving awareness of maternal safe going to sleep position in late pregnancy video
• Quitting smoking to reduce the risk of stillbirth

Get healthy in pregnancy

Get Healthy in Pregnancy is a free NSW Government service for all pregnant women in NSW.  Our health coaches are university qualified and offer support and tools to help you stay healthy during your journey from pregnancy, to birth and beyond.

Information on drinking alcohol during pregnancy and support services available to you

• drug and alcohol services for young people and their families
• alcohol during pregnancy and breastfeeding
• information you might not know about pregnancy and alcohol
• information for women about alcohol and pregnancy

Smoking in pregnancy support

• smoking in pregnancy support
• pregnancy and smoking
• smoking and pregnancy factsheet