-Information
-Logistics
-Resources
-Advice (and ridiculous musings)

INFORMATION

It is annoying and worrying that we are once again in serious lockdown.

Things change daily so please keep up to date on Facebook and Instagram.

No excuses! We need you to stay alert and informed.

I am planning to do an Instagram ‘live’ tomorrow night at 18:00 hours. More details to come.

LOGISTICS

Here are the essential notifications:

I am away this week on ‘holiday’ (yeah…having a great time…sure am…carefree…party time!*)
Dr Suzana Kotevska is coving me this week and Dr Claire Francis will be on call from Friday night to Sunday night.
I will be back on call 20:00 Sunday night.

Despite having a fancy-free, exotic holiday* (*yes, sarcasm), I am monitoring the situation daily and will keep you as informed as possible.
Try not to call my office with procedural questions – watch FB and IG instead – but by all means call my office if you need to. I am in contact with the office daily (woo-hoo!)

For all of you that have an appointment next week I will be conducting telephone appointments WHEREVER POSSIBLE.
However, pregnancy care demands face-to-face appointments are still necessary.

You will be advised no later than THE DAY PRIOR whether I wish to see you in person or by telephone.

I will be making these recommendations on the basis of your individual situation. This takes into account your gestation and your personal medical situation.

If I have made a recommendation for Telehealth or face-to-face and you feel this is not appropriate for you, please just let us know. My recommendations are just that – a recommendation – but there are no hard rules. Let me know what you need.

Any face-to-face will be alone – no partner/ support person – unless you REALLY need your partner present. If this is the case you MUST let us know they will be coming with you.

If you live in a higher risk area/ postcode please let us know if you are coming in.

You MUST wear a mask at appointments and keep it on in the waiting room and during your appointment. I will be posting a video on how to wear a mask.

You MUST both wash your hands in the bathroom outside my office and ASLO apply hand sanitiser on arrival in the rooms BEFORE you take and don the mask.

Women in labour will STILL have a partner present (or support person if your partner is not well or not available). You partner may be required to wear a mask during the labour. Labouring women are not likely to be required to wear a mask unless they wish too.

Babies will NOT be separated from mothers.

Make sure you have a BP machine (see prior post)

RESOURCES

Keep up to date with the Victorian government website
https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/coronavirus

and the hospital websites

www.svphm.org.au
https://www.svphm.org.au/important-information-about-novel-coronavirus-covid-19
and
www.epworth.org.au
https://www.epworth.org.au/who-we-are/coronavirus-update

ADVICE

These rules are to protect YOU, your baby, my staff, hospital staff and me. We have families too.
The reason we are in this situation is due to people disregarding the guidelines and being complacent. (Grrr)
Trying to bend the rules because you feel like it (ie bringing in a partner who is not well) or being dishonest about your risk in order to get what YOU WANT puts others at risk – their life, their health, their families, their livelihoods.
I will always see women to care for them whether they have COVID or are at risk of COVID – it is my job, my vocation and my ethical responsibility.
However, knowing if there is a risk means I can wear appropriate PPE (personal protective equipment) to reduce my risk of contracting COVID-19.
You may not be aware that I am personally on medication that suppresses my immune system such that I am more at risk of serious disease or death if I am infected (then I will never see who wins Big Brother!).

Being honest and upfront about your situation allows me to protect myself and my staff and other women and their babies. So please let us know if you are potentially at risk.

This is a really, really, really difficult time for everyone and to be pregnant and a new mum at this time is the pits.
So keep communicating with us! Be confident I will be staying COVID-free to make sure I remain THERE FOR YOU!

Keep things in perspective.

Keep your sense of humour – hence I will post a stupid video on stretcher epic-fails that is possibly more dangerous than COVID ( I nearly swallowed my own tongue from laughing so much….)