Airdrie Briar Hill Midwives help mothers-to-be in all locations in and around Airdrie, Alberta.

FIRST TRIMESTER

Airdrie Briar Hill Midwives is looking forward to helping you through your pregnancy journey. We offer information and resources to help you navigate the process.

Initial Visit

An initial visit will be booked for around 10 weeks of pregnancy. This visit will be 1 hour long.

Initial Visit

The one hour long first visit will include the following steps:

Overview of Midwifery Care
Completion of the prenatal record
Personal medical and surgical history
Medications and Allergy review
Family medical history
Ethnic and Hereditary Risk Factors
Physical examination
Blood Pressure
Weight
Fetal heart may not be heard during this visit
Review of nutrition and exercise
Requisitions for blood work, ultrasounds
Booking of next appointment

Nausea

Nausea and vomiting in pregnancy affects many pregnant women and can occur at any time of day.

Nausea and Vomiting

Nausea, bloating and vomiting are unfortunately common symptoms of pregnancy that are often caused by hormonal changes, especially during the first trimester. Nutrition is really the key to combating nausea in pregnancy.

Lily Nichols is a Registered Dietician who has written Real Food for Pregnancy, which is an excellent resource for pregnancy. She also has a blog with a lot of valuable information. Another great resource is her book Real Food for Gestational Diabetes if you had GDM in a previous pregnancy.

If your nausea is preventing you from doing your daily activities, please page your midwives for suggestions and resources.

Quick Tips to Help:

Have some nuts or protein snacks beside your bed to eat as soon as you wake up.
Drink 2-3 litres of water a day. Filtered water may taste better and electrolytes will help you absorb the water.
Eat every 2-3 hours with a source of protein and good fat in each snack/ meal.
If your prenatal vitamins cause nausea, please call your midwives – we can help!
Platinum prenatal anti nausea supplements help many pregnant people.
Take a Vitamin B Complex in the morning.

Airdrie Briar Hill Midwives, ultrasound and genetic screening.

Ultrasound Options / Genetic Screening

Families face many choices in pregnancy, including options for prenatal ultrasound and genetic screening.

Ultrasound Options / Genetic Screening

Ultrasound Options & Genetic Screening

The decision to proceed with any prenatal ultrasounds and genetic testing is personal and we encourage each family to review all options so that they can make informed choices. The standard of care for prenatal ultrasounds and genetic screening options in the Calgary Zone includes a dating ultrasound, combined first trimester screening (FTS) and a detailed ultrasound. A third trimester ultrasound will be completed when indicated. If you would like a brief summary, please click the buttons below. Your midwife will review the information with you so that you can choose the option(s) that best fit your family.

Prenatal Testing Option

Click on the buttons below for more information on each option.

Dating / Detailed Ultrasound

Dating ultrasound - completed after between 7-10 weeks to determine your expected date of delivery (EDD). This ultrasound is required if you would like to have the Combined First Trimester screen (see Genetic Screening Options).

Detailed ultrasound - completed between 18-20 weeks of pregnancy. This ultrasound examines your baby from the top of their head to the tips of their toes and all things in between.

Genetic Screening

Genetic Screening Options
This testing requires collection of a blood sample.

Harmony Non-Invasive Prenatal Screening - this screening is completed in Canada with results available in approximately 14 days. Blood can be collected at or after 10 weeks of pregnancy.
Midwives can complete requisitions to have this screening completed and will give them to you at your initial visit.
If any of the genetic screening tests come back positive, you will be referred to a Maternal Fetal Medicine (MFM) doctor who specializes in ultrasound in pregnancy. This specialist will review your screening test and provide you with information for further testing including chorionic villus sampling or amniocentesis. Genetic counseling is available to review the results, answer your questions and ensure you have sufficient information to help you make a decision.