Ideally at about 8 weeks of pregnancy

Prior to 20 weeks:

• • At booking (7-8 weeks)
• • 16 weeks
• • 20 weeks.

Yes, for patients outside the Metropolitan catchment area (North of Palm Cove, South of Gordonvale and West of Kuranda). This would be "modified" shared care, and decided on a case-by-case basis.

We have recently changed our policy to include sharing care with Cairns Hospital - that is, you can have all your antenatal care in one place with Dr. Natalie, but book publically to have your baby. This means that the public hospital and their doctors and midwives would take over your care for the birth and if there were any complications antenatally.

From the 12th of December the Cairns Hospital have confirmed in writing their verbal instructions that none of the private obstetricians are able to access admitting rights for their patients. This means that obstetric patients under 34 weeks who require the Neonatal Intensive Care (NICU) support, will have no choice but to admit publically. This is disappointing, as it is physcially impossible for Dr. Natalie and the other private obstetricians to safely cover both hospitals "on call" and would be frequently called away from a booked clinic. However, this is the decision of the Cairns Hospital Executive. If a private patient in this situation is asked, and chooses, to admit privately to the Cairns Hospital, they will not have a choice of obstetrician and be nominally assigned to one of the public specialists, and their Health Fund billed. They will not necessarily be treated exclusively by this obstetrician. I would encourage patients with questions to approach the Cairns Hospital Executive Director of Medical Services for further clarification. 

This varies greatly depending on your health fund and Medicareentiltlement. Please contact the rooms to discuss your individual circumstances and come in for a quotation.

Yes. Details of this should be obtained by contacting reception staff, as this will vary depending on your circumstances and entitilements.

Broadly speaking however, after the PMF has been paid, then all visits at Cairns Obstetrics and Gynaecologyare bulk billed. This includes scanning for growth and well-being or surveillance, CTG's and Antenatal visits. Visits at the Hospital that involve one of the other Specialists who are “on call” for Dr. Kiesey-Calding may generate a fee however.

If you are Medicare eligible, then you will be entitled to a rebate. No Health Fund will cover antenatal care, they will only cover any hospital admissions antenatally and the delivery. Contact Medicare and your Health Fund directly for more information regarding this.

At your second visit, a portion of the PMF is due as a "booking fee" and will be held as a part payment against the total amount of the PMF. This cannot be paid until after 20 weeks. This deposit is non-refundable in the event that you seek care elsewhere and will cover the management of the pregnancy up to 20 weeks gestation.

The Pregnancy Management Fee has stayed the same since 2011, and offers a discount for previous patients of Dr. Natalie's, as well as a discount if it is a second or subsequent baby, regardless of where that baby was born. 

Either at the Cairns Private Hospital or the Cairns Hospital as a public patient - please see notes on "shared care" arrangements above. 

After baby is born, a Specialist baby doctor (the paediatrician) checks that baby is healthy. A similar check is performed prior to baby going home, and the paediatrician will also visit every day of your admission in hospital. This will occur at both hospitals. After your discharge from hospital, your baby will be checked at 6 weeks of age by their paediatrician. You will need to check with that particular paediatrician regarding an appointment, usually through their secretaries at their private rooms. Please see the "contacts" page for paediatricians telephone numbers and details. Unless you had a preference, you will be allocated to the paediatrician taking their turn to be the "paediatrician of the day".

"None" is the easy answer, as every ultrasound in pregnancy has to be referred by a doctor there are no "standard" scans. However, most people require a dating scan at 7-8 weeks, then a nuchal translucency at about 12 weeks, followed by a morphology scan at about 20 weeks. After this, scans for the growth and well-being of the baby are done on the basis of clinical need.

This is in accordance of the first principles of ultrasound; "use the least amount of ultrasound energy and only when clinically necessary". There have also been large studies done on the outcomes for babies who have been "routinely" scanned - these don't show any better outcomes for these babies, but does show an increase in unnecessary intervention in pregnancies. Finally, there have also been studies done showing that senior midwives and obstetricians are as effective as "routine" scanning in picking up babies that are either small or large for their dates.

Your baby will be assessed clinically by Dr. Kiesey-Calding at your antenatal visits, and you will be offered ultrasound scanning if it is deemed clinically necessary.

Pathology services are offered through private companies - namely Sullivan and Nicolaides Pathology (SNP) and Queensland Medical Pathology (QML). The government has stopped giving rebates to these companies for the pathology services that they provide to private patients. Out of pocket costs should be small and capped in the case of multiple tests. Any questions on this should be addressed to either SNP (1300 732 030) or QML (1800 350 046) directly, as Dr. Kiesey-Calding has nothing to do with this billing.

If in doubt, please call the rooms, as depending on what you're having done will depend on whether the appointment can take place as planned or not. For example, if you are booking for a hysteroscopy D&C , then it is very important not to be bleeding at the time, as the view obtained by the camera will just be blood.

No, the service offered at Cairns Obstetrics and Gynaecology cannot accommodate the Medicare scheduled fee as the only payment. It is just not financially viable.

NO - we would like you to be comfortable. When you arrive have some water if you are in the first 14 weeks of your pregnancy or a gynaecology patient, but not if you are later in pregnancy. If you need to go to the toilet prior to ultrasound, try to leave something in your bladder. Subsequently, we can either send you to the toilet after we have had a look on the ultrasound, or give you some more to drink.

No, this service does not attract an item number through Medicare, therefore no referral is necessary.

Yes, this is ESSENTIAL. Patients of Dr. Kiesey-Calding will be able to book a postnatal appointment as required and as available. Aspects of lactation will also be fully covered and discussed during routine antenatal visits. 

Our service is free for Dr. Kiesey-Calding's patients. It is just another example of the comprehensive antenatal, birth and postnatal care that is provided at Cairns Obstetrics and Gynaecology. 

Our experienced midwife who is also a lactation consultant, as well as Dr. Kiesey-Calding.

Travelling along Sheridan Street, turn right at the Shell service station traffic lights off on to James Street, go through the traffic lights then over the railway line and take the first turn left at the 5 way roundabout on to Martyn Street. Continue on, passing the netball courts on the left and Portsmith Fuel on the right. Just a little further on down the street on the right hand side are black wrought iron gates, this is our new office and is clearly signposted. You can park outside or inside the gates; there are three parking bays within the complex available for patients.

Travelling along Mulgrave Road, turn left at McDonalds traffic lights, this is Martyn Street. Follow the road to the third roundabout where you will see Phoenix Healthcare to your left. We are just past this on your left hand side with black wrought iron gates.