Pregnancy is a special time in every mum’s life, but it’s also the ultimate stress test for their bodies.
Now a new clinic at Mater Mothers’ Hospital is aiming to safeguard the health of up to 2000 vulnerable Queensland mums a year – and save lives in the long term – by monitoring their wellbeing in the first nine months of motherhood.
The 4Her Clinic is the first of its kind in Australia and supports women who developed high blood pressure or diabetes during their pregnancy.
Mums-to-be diagnosed with high blood pressure are up to six times more likely to die from cardiac issues in the medium to long-term, while mums who have gestational diabetes have a 50 per cent chance of developing Type 2 diabetes.
Associate Professor Jo Laurie, Mater’s Clinical Director – Obstetric Medicine, said the clinic assessed each woman’s health at three and nine months after birth, providing expert advice and connecting patients to specialist help and services as necessary.
“In the months after birth, the baby is the focus of everything and mums make their own health a low priority,” Assoc Prof Laurie said.
“Until now there has been a glaring gap in the health services provided to new mums, which is a concern as we know many acute risks become apparent during pregnancy.
“People assume a woman’s health returns to normal after birth, but that’s not always the case. Around one in five face elevated risks of diabetes and obesity, as well as heart and metabolic disease.”
The clinic launched at the start of the year and is available to both public and private patients.
The clinic and an associated research project were funded thanks to a $100,000 grant from the 9Telethon supporting Mater Little Miracles.
Assoc Prof Laurie hopes the 4Her Clinic model will eventually become standard across Australia, with several interstate hospitals already planning to launch their own versions.
New mum Lauren Walsh, from The Gap, was referred to the clinic after she developed preeclampsia (high blood pressure) while carrying her now three-month-old baby son, Roy.
“I want to reduce my cardiovascular risk in the long term, for my sake and for Roy’s,” she said.
“It’s so important that mums look after themselves and the clinic has been so helpful.”
