If you are ever concerned about your pregnancy, contact:

  • your healthcare provider (midwife, obstetrician or GP)
  • your local hospital (e.g., Women’s Assessment Service)
  • Virtual Women’s Assessment Service provided by the Women’s and Children’s Hospital, 8:00 am to 4:00 pm, 7 days a week.

Antenatal care

Throughout your pregnancy, your chosen healthcare provider(s) will help look after the health of you and your baby.

You will be offered ultrasound scans, regular checkups and tests, and appointments with health professionals like midwives, general practitioners (GPs), and obstetricians.

The timing and number of visits and tests listed below may change slightly depending on the type of pregnancy care you choose, and your health needs.

Routine tests and assessments offered in pregnancy

  • Health checks: blood pressure, weight, body mass index (BMI), medical history
  • Blood tests: blood group, blood group antibodies, full blood examination, iron, rubella, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B & C, syphilis and Omega-3 screening
  • Urine test for infection
  • Screening: mental health, family violence, smoking/alcohol
  • Optional genetic carrier screening
  • Dating ultrasound if needed

  • Morphology ultrasound (18 to 20 weeks), including cervical length check

  • Blood tests: full blood examination, iron, syphilis, blood group antibodies
  • gestational diabetes test
  • mental health check

  • Group B Streptococcus swab
  • Repeat blood tests if needed, including syphilis

  • Anti-D injections at 28 and 34 weeks if you have a negative blood group and your baby’s blood group is positive or unknown
  • Birth planning from 32 weeks

For more information, please speak to your healthcare provider or go to the Pregnancy Birth and Baby website.

Vaccinations

It is important for pregnant women and those planning pregnancy to be protected from vaccine preventable diseases, which may cause birth defects and miscarriage if infected when pregnant. Immunisations offer protection for both the mother and baby before, during and after pregnancy. For more information visit the Pregnancy and immunisation web page.

Medication safety in pregnancy

While many medicines are safe to take during pregnancy, some may cause harm to your baby. Before taking medicines during pregnancy, you should get advice from your doctor, midwife, or pharmacist.

If you are taking a prescription medicine, your doctor may change your dose or stop your medicine while you are pregnant. Do not stop any medication you use to manage a health condition before speaking to your doctor or midwife.

For more information about managing your medicines or medication safety call the SA Pharmacy Medicines Information Service on (08) 8161 7555 (available 9.00am to 5.00pm, Monday to Friday).

Your baby’s movements

You will start to feel your baby move between 16 and 24 weeks of pregnancy, regardless of where your placenta lies.

Every baby is different. They have rest times and active times, just like newborns. It is easier to feel your baby’s movements when you are sitting quietly or laying on your side, especially at night.

You should spend time getting to know your baby’s movements. If your baby’s movements stop or slow down, contact your maternity healthcare professional right away. You are not wasting their time. It is important for your maternity healthcare professional to know if you’re concerned about your baby’s movements.

Side-sleeping from 28 weeks

Going to sleep on your side from 28 weeks of pregnancy can halve your risk of stillbirth, compared to going to sleep on your back. After 28 weeks of pregnancy, lying on your back presses on major blood vessels which can reduce blood flow to your uterus and the oxygen supply to your baby.

You can go to sleep on either your left or right side - either side is fine. It’s normal to change position during sleep and many pregnant women wake up on their back. If you wake up on your back, that’s okay - just roll over onto your side.

The important thing is to start every sleep lying on your side (both for daytime naps and at night).

Alcohol, smoking and vaping, and other drugs

There is no safe amount of alcohol during pregnancy. At every stage of pregnancy, any alcohol consumed passes directly to the developing baby, which creates a range of increased risks, including risk of:

  • miscarriage
  • stillbirth, premature birth, and low birth weight
  • damage to the baby’s developing brain, body, and organs, and
  • Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). 

To prevent harm from alcohol to their unborn child, women who are pregnant or planning a pregnancy should not drink alcohol.

Alcohol also crosses over into breast milk. The amount of alcohol the baby receives is approximately the same level that is present in the mother’s bloodstream. For women who are breastfeeding, not drinking alcohol is safest for their baby.

For information and support:

If you smoke or vape, quitting is one of the most important things you can do for you and your baby. Smoking, vaping and breathing second-hand smoke during pregnancy can harm your unborn baby and increase your risk of preterm and early term birth, as well as stillbirth.

Speak to your healthcare provider about ways to quit smoking and vaping.

For more information, visit Be Smoke Free, Quitline or watch the following videos:

Drug use (e.g. Marijuana, methamphetamine) in pregnancy can cause harmful effects for both you and your baby. Support is available at various locations, including specialist services during pregnancy at each of the metropolitan hospitals. Talk to your healthcare provider about what support is available to you. You can also find a local service on the drug and alcohol services web page.

Mental health and wellbeing

Pregnancy can be an overwhelming time, it’s important to take care of yourself and recognise when to seek help if you are struggling with your mental health. For information about mental health support, visit the Perinatal mental health or the COPE. Partners may need support for their mental health too. Information and tips to support dads can be found on the SMS4dads website.

Domestic and family violence

Domestic and family violence can affect a baby before birth. If a pregnant woman is injured, the baby can also be harmed. The stress of living with violence also has a major impact on pregnant women that can affect how the baby develops.

If you are concerned for your safety, call the police, talk with a health professional or someone you trust, or call the Domestic Violence Helpline for free on 1800 656 463 (24 hours a day, 7 days a week).

Preterm birth prevention

Every week your baby grows inside you makes a difference to their health. Babies born too soon can be at risk of short-term and long-term health problems. Find ways to reduce your chance of preterm and early term birth.

Stillbirth prevention

The loss of a baby through stillbirth is devastating for families. General information on ways to help reduce the risk of stillbirth can be found on the Safer Baby website.

If you have had a stillbirth in the past and are pregnant again, talk with your healthcare provider about care and support to help reduce the risk of stillbirth in this pregnancy.

If you have recently experienced a stillbirth, information and details for support services are available on the Stillbirth web page.