At Grace Bay Medical Maternity, we are passionate about providing excellent and quality prenatal (antenatal) and postnatal care. We put you at the centre of all we do, tailoring care around you and your needs. We provide you with continuity of care throughout your pregnancy and into the postnatal period. At each visit you will be supported by our highly experienced maternity team comprising of our midwife Emily, and by our medical doctors, Dr Alexis and Dr Jo. We aim to build trusting relationships with the families in our care and to offer you the widest choices throughout your maternity journey based on the best and most current available research and evidence to keep you and your baby safe throughout this precious journey.
We provide comprehensive care from preconception throughout the pregnancy period, including ultrasounds, laboratory tests, as well as support around nutrition, emotional wellbeing and bonding with your baby.
During pregnancy, you are advised to access antenatal care. This is to ensure that you and baby remain well and also to give you information about your choices and options for birth. We do understand that this can be both an exciting and anxious time for you, and so our aim is to give you expert care to ensure you have a positive pregnancy experience.
Pregnancy can be a worrying time and we want to help you feel relaxed and confident throughout. We will offer continuity of care from our maternity team, in order for you to feel relaxed and better supported. You are welcome to involve any of your chosen family members, friends or support team in your pregnancy care if you wish to do so. Each appointment with the maternity team will include a thorough holistic assessment of both mum and baby, including ultrasound scans and blood tests as required.
After your baby is born, we are here to help you adjust to life with a new baby, helping with feeding and baby care as well as caring for mum both physically and emotionally. We are here to support you.
After your baby is born, joy and excitement can be mixed with a lack of sleep and sometimes some worries about responsibilities of being new parents. We are here to support you through this new chapter, and provide you with reassurance, ensure physical wellbeing for mum and baby, assist with feeding and provide emotional support.
Breastfeeding is amazing! As well as offering the perfect nutrition for a newborn baby, breastmilk offers protection against infections and diseases promoting the best possible start for a baby. The World Health Organisation recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of an infant’s life, but advises that for maximum benefits breastfeeding should continue after six months alongside the introduction of complementary foods.
Breastfeeding offers many emotional benefits to mother and babies as it is a source of comfort and enhances bonding and attachment, knowing to lower the rates of postnatal depression in mothers. There are many benefits for mothers, such as lowering the risk of breast and ovarian cancer.
And in addition to all of this, breast milk is free, saving parents many hundreds of dollars over the course of their newborns and convenient, sterile and at the perfect temperature.
Breastmilk is a complete food that is designed by nature
As we all know Breastfeeding has many benefits to both mothers and babies.
Some of these benefits include:
If you are having problems breastfeeding, we can put together an intensive breastfeeding support package for you. Please contact us to discuss your individual needs and how we can help you.
Currently the hospital does not allow the midwife to attend your delivery.
We are not currently able to offer care during the actual birthing period, however, we do offer birth preparation services, and are able to offer advice in early labour. We offer birth preparation discussions to include relaxation techniques and tips for creating a positive birth environment. You are welcome to involve any of your chosen family members in your antenatal care if you wish.
In addition, we have a collection of birthing balls, TENS machines, massage oils and other resources that we can loan to help aid a more gentle, relaxing and satisfying birthing
experience.
We offer access to your midwife via telephone/text/email in between appointments for answers to any questions or concerns, so that you feel supported at all times.
At this time we cannot offer this service although we very much want to and we are looking into how we might be able to do so. Watch this space.
We are not currently able to offer care during the actual birthing period, however, we do offer birth preparation services, and are able to offer advice in early labour. We offer birth preparation discussions to include relaxation techniques and tips for creating a positive birth environment. You are welcome to involve any of your chosen family members in your antenatal care if you wish.
In addition, we have a collection of birthing balls, TENS machines, massage oils and other resources that we can loan to help aid a more gentle, relaxing and satisfying birthing experience.
We offer access to your midwife via telephone/text/email in between appointments for answers to any questions or concerns, so that you feel supported at all times.
Yes, our midwife is a specialist and international advocate for breast feeding.She can advise and assist you not only with routine breast feeding skills but also address any problems including mastitis.
Any fever or feeling unwell in the first 28 days post delivery is an emergency as it might mean that you have or are developing postpartum sepsis. This can be a life threatening condition and you should contact us immediately. Even if the midwife or one of the specialist trained doctors are not available the on-call doctor will advise you.
After you have had your baby, we provide postnatal care for mothers and newborn babies, and we can offer you breastfeeding support. We work closely with the rest of the team at Grace Bay Medical, making referrals to see other professionals such as a mental health therapist, physiotherapist, naturopathic doctor or paediatrician if needed.
Pregnancies vary but the vast majority are without complication. Monthly visits are the norm from 10 to 12 weeks post the last menstrual period. There are standard blood tests that are universal to all. Certain ultrasound exams are recommended to assess the babies growth and progress as well as for screening for the rare issues. There are specialist tests for some.
Routine pregnancy appointments will be scheduled for 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 28, 30, 32, 34 and 36 weeks. At this point your care will be transferred to the birth team at your preferred location either here in Turks and Caicos or abroad.
We are available if you have any concerns during your pregnancy or into the post birth period, and can offer a first point of contact and assess whether your care or the care of your baby’s need to be escalated to the obstetric/ pediatric team.
