Choosing to go private gives you better continuity of care throughout your pregnancy. It allows you to get to know your obstetrician and this builds trust and confidence. It allows you to have a longer stay in hospital after your baby is born so that you can have support as you learn how to care for your baby. It means you are choosing to have a skilled and experienced doctor deliver your baby. Public clinics can be very busy and usually when you choose private care your waiting times will be shorter.

Calcium is essential to keep bones healthy and strong. During the third trimester of pregnancy, your baby needs a large amount of calcium as they start to develop and strengthen their bones. If you’re not getting enough calcium in your diet, the calcium needed by your baby will be drawn from your own bones. To prevent this and the risk of osteoporosis later in life make sure you are getting enough calcium in your diet for both of you. The recommended daily intake of calcium during pregnancy is 1000mg to 1300mg per day.

Two and a half serves of dairy foods, such as milk, hard cheese, yoghurt or calcium fortified soy milk, should meet your daily requirements. Pregnant women who are 18 years or under should aim to consume three and a half serves per day.

Pregnancy increases your need for iron. Your baby draws enough iron from you to last it through the first five or six months after birth so it’s vital that you consume more iron while pregnant. The recommended daily intake (RDI) of iron during pregnancy is 27mg per day. Taking a supplement may help to meet this recommended intake but you should only take iron supplements under your doctor’s advice

Iron-rich foods include:

• Lean beef and lamb
• Poultry
• Fish
• Breakfast cereals fortified with iron
• Eggs
• Cooked legumes such as chick peas, lentils, kidney and lima beans
• Dried fruits
• Green vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage and spinach

Eating foods high in vitamin C may also help you to absorb iron if you consume them at the same time. Try drinking some orange juice when eating green vegetables or legumes. You also need to watch out for tea, coffee and cola because caffeine reduces the body’s absorption of iron.

During pregnancy your body needs extra vitamins, minerals and nutrients to help your baby develop. The best way of getting most of these vitamins is though your diet. It is important to talk to your doctor or an accredited, practising dietitian before taking supplements. Some supplements (eg too much vitamin A) can be a risk to the baby.

Multivitamin supplements may be recommended for some groups of pregnant women, such as vegans and vegetarians, substance misusers (of drugs, tobacco and alcohol), pregnant women who are already very overweight and who are trying to prevent excessive weight gains. Always be advised by your doctor before taking vitamin or mineral supplements.

Many patients ask me what is safe to eat and what is not. This is natural, we all want the best for our growing baby. A healthy balanced diet is the best plan for any pregnant woman. The best way to meet you and your baby’s nutritional needs is to eat a wide variety of nutritious foods and be as healthy as possible as early as possible. These foods should include a variety of:

• Bread, cereals, rice, pasta, noodles and other grain foods—mostly wholegrain and/or high fibre
• Vegetables and legumes
• Milk, yoghurt, hard cheese and dairy alternatives with added calcium—mostly reduced fat
• Meat, fish, poultry, cooked eggs, nuts, seeds and tofu

There is no known safe level of alcohol consumption for women who are pregnant. Consuming alcohol during pregnancy increases the risk of miscarriage, low birth weight, congenital deformities and effects on the baby’s intelligence. The Australian Guidelines to Reduce Health Risks from Drinking Alcohol recommend that the safest option for pregnant women is not to drink alcohol at all. If you find it difficult to decrease or stop drinking alcohol during pregnancy talk to your Doctor.

If a mother is Vitamin D deficient (less than 75) the obstetrician will recommend Vitamin D replacement.  A common example is called ostelin. When the baby is born it will be recommended that it receives Pentavite (0.45mls daily) If the mother is very low in Vitamin D (less than 50) then an extra “catch up” dose of oral Vitamin D for infants is also recommended and usually is given during the hospital stay.