Preparing For A Natural Delivery With Central Health Medical Practice Hong Kong

Hong Kong has one of the highest rates of Caesarean sections in the world. Dr Holly Lewis at Central Health discusses some great tips for increasing your chance of having a healthy pregnancy and the birth that you want. Read on for these tips from being prepared to fall pregnant to having the right delivery for you…

Pre Pregnancy Planning

Getting ready for a pregnancy through simple lifestyle changes can significantly reduce the risks of complications in pregnancy. Stop smoking, reducing your alcohol intake and ensuring that you have a healthy weight through diet and exercise are some of the most important things to focus on. If you are struggling to manage your weight, there are additional medical interventions and therapies which are worth considering.

Optimize any medical conditions you already have, as these can often deteriorate during pregnancy. Your long-term medications may require changing to ones that are safer to take in pregnancy. Check that your vaccines are up to date (Rubella, Varicella, Covid) to ensure you are protected from infections that might harm your baby

A pre pregnancy consultation is also a good time to meet and interview an obstetrician to ensure your views on labour and delivery are aligned. If you think you may be high risk, ask about their experience with your specific condition.

Early Pregnancy Check And First Ultrasound Scan

Hong Kong is a city where people tend to travel a lot. To reduce the risk of having to deal with a pregnancy emergency either on a long-haul flight or in a country with poor medical care we offer an early pregnancy visit. We want to establish that a pregnancy is both in the right place (not an ectopic pregnancy) and is healthy (less likely to result in a miscarriage) so we perform a first scan between five and nine weeks.

We now have early non-invasive tests that can screen for chromosomal problems in baby. There are also tests that can predict your risk of pre eclampsia, miscarriage and premature labour. Simple interventions for those at higher risk, if started early in pregnancy can significantly reduce the chance of these complications happening.

Antenatal Visits

The most serious risks to your pregnancy should be identified before 20 weeks. Provided all your tests have been normal and your 12 week and 20 week scans have been reassuring, the vast majority of our patients go on to have a healthy baby and delivery of their choice.

Antenatal visits in the second half of pregnancy are important to manage any risks already diagnosed and also identify problems that can develop later in pregnancy. At these appointments we will be checking your blood pressure, urine and ensuring baby is growing well.

By identifying problems promptly, monitoring them carefully and intervening proactively, most later complications can be managed in a way that protects your baby whilst maintaining your options for the delivery of your choice.

Getting Ready For Delivery

Attending antenatal classes is a good way learn about the birthing process and your options including pain relief. There are many different pain relief options in labour. Epidural is the most effective and can be managed so that you can remain mobile and push effectively. Other techniques that don’t involve drugs include mindfulness and relaxation techniques, TENS, massage and water births.

Writing a birth plan can help you think about what’s important to you during labour and birth. Childbirth can be unpredictable, and having a plan can provide a sense of control and help your obstetrician understand your goals and wishes during your delivery.

Have the delivery that you want. If a vaginal birth is important to you, there are very few reasons why this can’t be possible. Small baby, big baby, cord around the neck and high blood pressure are common reasons given for an elective caesarean section but these can be safely managed with a vaginal birth in the majority of cases.