Pregnancy

If you're thinking about having a baby or you just found out you're pregnant, it's okay to feel all sorts of emotions. This page is here to support you through it all. Whether you're looking to find out where to go for your pregnancy care, general tips to keep both you and your baby healthy during pregnancy, or information about all your options, including if you're thinking about not continuing the pregnancy — we're here to help. This page has information and support to help you make the best decision for you.

To book an appointment to start your pregnancy care, call your GP or the Pregnancy SA Infoline on 1300 368 820, available Monday to Friday, 9:00 am to 4:00 pm, excluding public holidays.

Pregnancy care appointments

It is best to have your first antenatal (pregnancy) appointment by 10 weeks into your pregnancy. This is to check your health, give you important information and plan the care for you and your baby.

To book an appointment to start your pregnancy care, call your GP or the Pregnancy SA Infoline on 1300 368 820, available Monday to Friday, 9:00 am to 4:00 pm, excluding public holidays.

The Pregnancy SA Infoline provides a single point of contact for booking your first antenatal appointment in metropolitan hospitals as well as Gawler, Mount Barker and Victor Harbour regional hospitals.

The Infoline connects you to your closest public maternity service where an appointment can be made. At this first appointment, antenatal staff will discuss suitable birthing options with you.

Country residents who plan on birthing in the country should continue to contact their local GP or health service to make their first antenatal appointment.

Alternatively country residents who plan on birthing in a metropolitan public hospital should contact their GP or the Pregnancy SA Infoline to book their first antenatal appointment.

If you require specialist perinatal care, you are not required to call the new service. Referral to specialist services can be done in the usual way.

Maternity hospitals

Families can access high quality public maternity care at a number of locations in both metropolitan and regional South Australia. For a list of maternity hospitals, see the Maternity hospitals page. 

South Australian Pregnancy Record

The South Australian Pregnancy Record will be given to you at your first antenatal visit. You are required to take this to all your appointments during your pregnancy. This Record helps ensure continuity of care as it is the only complete medical record maintained during your pregnancy.

This book is designed to allow all your health care providers to share information with other providers. There is also space for you to add your own notes, reminders, comments or questions. 

After your birth, this Record is retained by the hospital. To request a copy of your record, speak to your midwife or doctor after birth.

Pregnancy and parenthood information

To help protect you and your baby see the following information available on the SA Health website: 

• alcohol and pregnancy
• immunisation during pregnancy and after birth
• heatwaves during pregnancy.
  

Information and tools are also available on the national Australian Government's Pregnancy, Birth and Baby website. This service supports parents on the journey from pregnancy to preschool. Discover more about pregnancy, birth, being a parent and raising a child.

Unplanned pregnancy services

If you're unsure about continuing a pregnancy, want to know about your options, and how you can access the right service for you, visit:

• Unplanned pregnancy services
• abortion and unplanned pregnancy information

Art work

Artist: Elizabeth Close, Aboriginal Visual Artist, Pitjantjatjara, Yankunytjatjara

This art work celebrates the role of mothers, families, and the integral role that the multidisciplinary care team have in pregnancy, birth, and the care of new lives. It is a celebration of the dedication of the teams that help create miracles daily - their genuine love and compassion for those in their care - the babies, and by extension, families. I have been there. I have been one of those mothers with a baby in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) for an extended stay. Without the empathy, kindness and support of the multidisciplinary team, our journey would have been so much more arduous. This artwork is for everyone who has gone through a journey of loss, love, connection, recovery, adulation, sadness and everything in-between; both for families and carers and for staff. Staff carry your families in their hearts long after you’ve left and continue to strive for the best care for families going forward.