A patient returned to see me for pregnancy management. Because she had discontinued her health fund membership, she told me this time I will not be delivering her baby, and she will be confined as a public patient. She will continue to see me throughout the pregnancy for antenatal care. It was reported in the […]
I am a solo obstetrician practitioner. By that comment I mean I have my own rooms (office), my own secretarial staff, I see all patients who book with me for pregnancy at each antenatal visit myself, I manage all patients who book with me in labour (with the support of hospital-employed midwives), deliver all my […]
I recently wrote an article titled ‘Caesarean section changes during my time as an obstetrician’ in which I mentioned that there had been an increase in the Caesarean section rate over more recent times. One reason for this is that there has been a corresponding decrease in the operative (also called assisted) vaginal delivery rate. […]
When I started my training as obstetrician Caesarean section deliveries were done much less frequently than today. There were various reasons for this including… Caesarean sections were considered more dangerous for the mother than vaginal deliveries and so vaginal deliveries were preferred. In the past obstetricians were better trained, more skilled and experienced at doing […]
Wendy had her first baby at a major public hospital as a public patient. She needed an emergency Caesarean section. She said the operation was done by a young female doctor who she had never met. She never saw this doctor again after the operation. Wendy said she had considerable postoperative pain. Pain continued as […]
Urinary incontinence is a common and distressing pregnancy and postpartum problem. It is usually urinary stress incontinence. Stress incontinence happens when the bladder sphincter muscle does not function well enough to hold in urine in the bladder. Recently I was called for a delivery. I arrived to find there was blood in the urinary catheter. […]
I first met Laura in 2013. She saw me for management of her third pregnancy. Her first two pregnancies had been unsuccessful. She had had two early first trimester miscarriages. She was not aware of a reason why she miscarried. Her third pregnancy was also not successful. There was foetal demise at nine weeks. I […]
When asked: “Can I have a Caesarean section?” I always answer: “YES”. There is an increasing number of women who choose to have an elective Caesarean section as the mode of delivery, rather than a vaginal delivery. The request is usually made at the first antenatal visit and usually of the first pregnancy. It is […]
My last blog It is good to be back prompted a Facebook comment from an old patient who moved overseas to live after her first pregnancy. I have Donna’s permission to repost her comment: “I love how dedicated you are Gary and it makes a huge difference to people. I found out at 39 weeks […]
My wife Robyn and I arrived home on Saturday night after a wonderful four-week holiday. We spent two weeks cruising in France and then almost two weeks visiting old friends in the United Kingdom. These friendships were kindled when we lived in the United Kingdom (two years in Cardiff and then five years in Oxford) […]
