St. Paul's Maternity Care Clinic

Your first visit will be over the phone with on of our doctors. The first visit typically lasts around 30 minutes. During this visit, we review your past medical history, your past pregnancy history, your family history and your social history. You also have a chance to ask any questions. Depending on how far along you are in pregnancy, we will order bloodwork, genetic testing and ultrasounds. You may have a second appointment to discuss genetic testing depending on how far along into your pregnancy you are. Prior to this visit you will get an intake questionnaire to complete either on your phone or the computer. This must be completed prior to your phone visit.

Most of your visits after your first visit will be in person. We do use phone visits for urgent questions to see if you need to come in and/or for follow-up of tests between your in-person appointments. We do not routinely offer video appointments at this time.

After 12 weeks, we will start to see you in person. Your first in person appointment will be a complete physical examination. During this appointment, our nurse or physician will teach you how to do your own weight and blood pressure. You will do this at the beginning of every visit. The complete physical exam may also include a breast exam (if you consent) and also an internal examination to conduct screening for cervical cancer (pap smear), if you are due. At this visit, we will listen to your baby’s heart beat for the first time.

Following your second in-person visit, we will see you:

• Every 4 weeks until 30 weeks
• Every 2 weeks until 36-38 weeks
• Every 1 week until you have your baby

This schedule can vary depending on how your pregnancy progresses.

All in person visits take place in our clinic. When you get to our clinic, our administrative staff will check you in and direct you to the waiting area. In the waiting area, if you are still pregnant, you will do your own weight and blood pressure and record this prior to seeing the doctor. We aim to see you as close to your scheduled time as possible, however, pregnancy is unpredictable and so we may be running late.

We have a nurse/lactation consultant who helps us to care for our pregnant or postpartum patients and your baby. You may have a visits with the nurse or lactation consultant scheduled either before or after your appointment with the midwife or doctor. This is in the same location as the doctor’s appointment.

If you have non-urgent questions between your clinic appointments, please call or email the clinic and we will do your best to have one of our midwives or family physicians respond to your question.

If your concern is urgent or emergent and you are fewer than 20 weeks pregnant, please call the clinic (604-806-9342) during opening hours. If after hours, please call 8-1-1 to speak to a nurse and if needed come to the St. Paul’s Emergency Department. Please let the emergency physician know that you are pregnant and being followed at the St. Paul’s Maternity Clinic. If your concern is urgent or emergent and you are more than 20 weeks pregnant, please call the maternity unit directly (604-682-2344, 62432) and speak to one of our specialized maternity nurses. They will be able to triage your concern and get in touch with the physician on call. Please let them know that you are a patient of the St. Paul’s Maternity clinic.