Obstetric care with Dr Batool Nadimexperienced obstetrician in Bella Vista and Windsor

Why choose Dr Nadim as your obstetrician?

Obstetric Services

Preconception Care

Preparation for a healthy pregnancy starts before conception. Dr Nadim sees patients who have already started trying to conceive but also those who are looking to understand their fertility before they start trying for a pregnancy.

At your preconception consultation, Dr Nadim will help you to optimise your chances of a healthy pregnancy through:

• Ensuring your vaccinations are up to date, including chickenpox, rubella, measles, diphtheria, and others
• Screening for any infections, including sexually transmitted infections if necessary
• Discussing how diet, including supplements like folic acid, can impact your pregnancy and developing baby
• Suggesting positive changes to lifestyle factors, such as exercise levels, body weight, and smoking status or alcohol consumption
• Assessing your overall health for medical conditions that can complicate your pregnancy or put you and/or your baby at risk, such as diabetes or thyroid conditions

Studies have demonstrated that women (and their partners) who receive good-quality, compassionate preconception care tend to have healthier babies because they have a better understanding of the impact of their behaviours and choices on the pregnancy stage.

Infertility

Infertility is defined as being unable to fall pregnant after 12 months of trying to conceive for women who are under the age of 36. For women 36 years or older, the definition of infertility changes from 12 months to 6 months.

As an obstetrician, Dr Nadim can organise fertility testing for you and your partner. Depending on the results, she may refer you to a trusted fertility specialist who can perform surgery or prescribe medication to improve fertility, or to discuss assisted reproductive technologies such as in vitro fertilisation (IVF).

Antenatal Care

The antenatal period refers to pregnancy, from first trimester right up to just before you go into labour. Antenatal care during pregnancy prepares you for the birth of your baby as well as motherhood. Your first antenatal visit with Dr Nadim will usually be around 8 weeks from when you believe you conceived.

What happens during your antenatal appointments

The tests you have during your antenatal visits will depend on the stage of your pregnancy and whether you have risk factors for complications or an existing medical condition that can impact your pregnancy.

During your antenatal visits with Dr Nadim, you may wish to discuss various aspects of your pregnancy, including:

• Your pregnancy symptoms including morning sickness, swelling in your hands and feet, or fatigue
• The development of your baby, including when you should start to feel movement
• What to expect during labour and delivery, including your birth plan and preferences for pain relief
• What to expect in the early days of caring for a newborn

To keep watch on your health and your baby’s health, you will routinely have tests such as:

• Checking blood pressure
• Urine tests to check for preeclampsia (a serious pregnancy complication involving high blood pressure)
• Blood tests to check for gestational diabetes (high sugar levels in your blood caused by hormonal changes during pregnancy)
• A physical exam of your belly as a sign of how baby is growing
• Ultrasound scans to monitor baby’s growth and health

Dr Nadim is a qualified and experienced sonologist, meaning she is able to perform her own ultrasound scans during your antenatal appointments.

Birth and Delivery

Over the course of her career so far, Dr Nadim has delivered over 3000 babies! She passionately supports women planning on undergoing natural childbirth but will perform a Caesarean section whenever it is in the best interests of the mother and baby.

The idea of labour can be confronting for many women approaching their first childbirth. Dr Nadim is committed to making the experience as smooth and stress-free as possible. Preparing for birth and delivery begins during the antenatal period, where you will have the opportunity to talk about your birth plan and wishes during your labour. This can include:

• Who you want to be present during the birth, e.g. a doula, your partner
• Which options for pain relief you want to be offered, e.g. an epidural, gas
• What interventions you consent to during labour, e.g. forceps, vacuum
• What you want to happen immediately after birth, e.g. delayed cord clamping, immediate skin-to-skin contact with your baby

It’s important to understand that your birth plan is a list of preferences, but Dr Nadim will always place your safety and that of your baby over these wishes if the need arises. 

You may choose to have your baby personally delivered by Dr Nadim at the Norwest Private Hospital in Bella Vista or the Hawkesbury District Health Service in Windsor. She will organise the attending midwives and the anaesthetist if necessary. Immediately after birth, Dr Nadim will provide postnatal care and arrange your follow-up appointments.

Postnatal Care

The postnatal period refers to the time immediately after giving birth, usually the first 6 to 8 weeks. This time can be challenging for new mothers as you learn to care for a newborn while your body goes through some significant changes after childbirth. If even you’ve had a baby before, your experience of the postpartum period can be very different with your next child.

When providing postnatal care, Dr Nadim can provide guidance on:

• How to care for your body if you needed surgery during delivery
• Breastfeeding and where to find breastfeeding support
• What to expect from your body as it recovers from childbirth, and how to help it recover faster
• How to manage emotional changes and when and where to seek help if you suspect postpartum depression
• Contraception after pregnancy
• The paperwork involved after having a baby, such as registering the birth