May 12th, 2020

Working from home. Keeping our distance. Home schooling our children and hardest of all buying the right sized clothes on-line, we’ve all been doing our part to keep safe during this coronavirus pandemic, good on you!
 
ABC News have reported today that there have been no new cases of coronavirus for the first time since the outbreak of this pandemic, that’s great news but as we move towards our state relaxing the isolation restrictions Dr Holland encourages you all to remain safe and continue to make good choices.
 
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian is  asking any person who is displaying flu-like symptoms to be tested for coronavirus, “Please assume you have the coronavirus, don’t assume it’s just a cold and don’t assume it’s just the flu”.
“We know there will be people walking around today in the community that will have the virus,” she said.

For more information on coronavirus testing call the coronavirus helpline on 1800 020 080
 
Flu Vaccination
The 2020 flu vaccinations have been rolled out across the nation ready to be accessed. Dr Holland has a supply of vaccinations in rooms for all pregnant ladies and will offer this to you at your next appointment. While the flu vaccination won’t protect you from Covid-19, it will protect you from the influenza virus that can be especially serious for babies, people over 65 years of age and pregnant women.
 
For informed information about the flu vaccination follow this link to the Australian Health website https://www.health.gov.au/health-topics/immunisation/immunisation-services/flu-influenza-immunisation-service
 
Partners at Appointments
Over the coming weeks we will be opening the opportunity for some partners to attend appointments for pregnant women. This will be done in stages over time, firstly we welcome partners to your first appointment with Dr Holland. We also welcome partners to appointments where decisions around birth will be made which is generally from week 37. Dr Holland will guide you around when it would be appropriate to bring your partner along.
 
To continue to keep numbers of people down in our rooms (we are limiting to 6 patients maximum in rooms) we ask that if you will be bringing your partner that you let our reception staff know ahead of time and that you call our rooms 0249527409 when you arrive in the car park for your appointment, we will give you more instructions from there.
 
We are still unable to have children at your appointments. This does not include women who are coming for their post-natal appointments, feel free to continue to bring bub to this if you wish.
 
Support Person at Hospital
Newcastle Private Hospital are continuing to limit each patient to one support person at delivery and the following hospital stay. This will be the same one person for the whole time; however, they can leave the hospital and return throughout your stay. Each time your support person enters back into the hospital they will have their temperature taken but they won’t be refused entry if they are well. It goes without saying that your support person must be well at the time of your stay, perhaps another good reason for the whole family to have this year’s flu shot.
 
Health Questions
We have been contacting patients the day before their appointment to ask some brief health questions. Thank you to everyone for being patient with us as we do this each week. If you are sick at the time of your appointment, please do not attend. We are able to offer telehealth appointments to any patient who is unwell or who is unable to attend in person. We are also continuing to sterilise the waiting rooms and surfaces, minimising people in our rooms and keeping sick people at home, keeping us all safe.
 
Online Birthing Classes
We have had fantastic feedback around the Zoom antenatal classes provided by Midwife Karen Scanlon. These online birthing classes are a welcome alternative to the Newcastle Private Hospital birthing classes. Here is some information directly from Karen:
 
In light of current world events Embracing Birth has ceased face to face courses and is now delivering courses on-line using the Zoom platform in the comfort and safety of your home
The feedback has been reassuring and the quality of course has been maintained
Antenatal Courses that cover traditional hospital-based content will now be held over two Wednesday evenings from 6 pm until 9 pm and full day options on Saturdays from 9am until 4pm
Hypnobirthing Australia courses will continue to be held monthly on the same course timetable already published on this site
Private sessions for both courses are available by arrangement for those couples that are unable to attend a scheduled group course or choose not to
Please call to secure a booking or make an inquiry through website contact form as class times are been added daily to meet demand
Karen Scanlen
Embracing Birth
Mob 0407269920
https://embracingbirth.net.au/
 
Previous emails
A full version of our previous emails will be put onto our website for catch up and to refer to, here is a link to access that https://www.drmatthewholland.com.au/covid-19-blog
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