Dr Gillian Riley

Planning a pregnancy?

Women, or people planning to be pregnant I would love to see you before you start because there’s lots of things to chat about first!

It seems deceptively simple – stop your contraceptive – start trying, and, well basically – yes.  And if the first time I see you you are already pregnant – it’s ok.  Well sort it all out.  

But I’m a very finicky lady and if I can see you early and plan things out before you’re pregnant – thats so much better for you.  And for me.  (And let’s be honest it’s mostly about me 🤣).

A pre pregnancy check with a GP is a great time to:

• Review your health, including mental health, any chronic health conditions and make plans for how these will be managed in pregnancy if required 

• Go over any previous pregnancies and births and review any concerns, birth preferences, worries or traumas and what we can do prior to pregnancy to help maximise your sense of wellbeing and safety in your upcoming pregnancy

• Start thinking about a breastfeeding plan if that’s what your planning 

• Starting to think about maternity care options and what your “village” will look like. 

• Organise to remove or stop contraception if required 

• Review your medications and make plans for what will happen with your medications when you fall pregnant.

• Commence any required antenatal supplements 

• Organise any needed blood tests

• Organise any needed vaccinations 

• Discuss genetic carrier screening options

• Talk about cycles, fertility and when to seek help

• Consider getting a dental check up.  

• Talk about eating intuitively, exercising joyfully, adding some resistance training if possible, stopping smoking if applicable, reducing and  ideally stopping alcohol intake (definitely once pregnant), and thinking proactively about your pelvic floor!

And men or non birthing people you aren’t off the hook here hahah!  

Always keen to chat to you too!

For you  it’s great to see you for a general check up with your partner or on your own and it’s a great time also to 

• Organise any needed blood tests

• Organise any needed vaccinations 

• Check out any chronic illnesses or mental health and make plans for how these would be managed in circumstances where you might end up a little more time poor (like with a baby!) 

• Talk about your ideas around pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding and raising a baby and how they mesh with your partners, and make sure the two of you are aligned before pregnancy.  

• Optimise sperm health – eat intuitively, stop smoking, reducing and ideally stopping smoking intake and exercising joyfully (again ideally with some resistence training!)

Keen for a chat?

Book now at gunning – see the link in bio.

And soon in Canberra – hopefully news about this this week! 

I took this photo in the Picasso museum in Paris, Picasso painted this in 1971 – called motherhood with an apple, the slightly muddled feeling it gave me sums up my motherhood journey.  Perhaps not yours.  But definitely mine!