Obstetrics
At Highlands Healthcare, we focus on improving the long-term health of our patients. We want the absolute best outcomes and experience for you and your family, and we recognise that pregnancy can be an exciting and anxiety-provoking time. We’re excited too! It’s okay and normal to feel that way. We strongly believe in patient choice and autonomy. So, we like to fully inform patients about options and risks and help guide you to a decision that respects your lived experience. Delivery can be particularly nerve-wracking, so we want to give you as much information as possible to best prepare you for the day.
Having a baby is one of life’s momentous occasions. Though it is often a natural process without any need for intervention, some medical issues for mum or bub can occur along the way and are best addressed to maximise the outcome. Modern medicine has enabled wonderful results to be achieved in this regard.
An obstetrician’s role is to comprehensively look after a pregnant woman before, during and after the birth. They are on-call for your pregnancy issues 24/7.
The first visit occurs shortly after the diagnosis of pregnancy when the condition, location and number of pregnancies is verified using ultrasound scanning. Once the pregnancy is established, visits tend to be monthly until the third trimester. Specialist ultrasound appointments are utilised for prenatal diagnosis and morphology studies.
Gynaecology
At Highlands Healthcare, we focus on improving the long-term health of our patients. We want the absolute best for you and your family. We want you to live your best life and get past your gynaecological concerns. We feel it is vital for you to know that underlying causes for gynaecological problems can be varied and arise from any of the structures in the pelvis. Unfortunately, due to the sometimes-multi-factorial, complex nature of gynaecological problems, many people experience delayed and or suboptimal diagnosis and treatment. Sadly, this can lead to frustration, distrust, and disengagement with the medical system. We feel it is important for you to know that we believe in your problem and want you to get better. We look forward to getting the opportunity to listen to your concerns. We will work with you to do what we can to target and treat your underlying condition.
At Highlands Healthcare, we want you to know that after discussing your history and examining you, we will undertake a process that attempts to determine the cause or causes of your concern and treat that condition appropriately.
Issues we commonly deal with:
- Contraception – Oral or Implants (OCP, Depo Provera, Implanon, Mirena)
- Abnormal pap smears (Colposcopy)
- Ovarian cysts
- Fertility and infertility discussions
- Endometriosis
- Period Problems – too heavy (menorrhagia) or too painful (dysmenorrhoea)
- Fibroids
- Prolapse of the uterus and vaginal walls
- Pelvic pain
- Menopause – symptoms and how to deal with them
- Vulval rashes
- Urinary symptoms – difficulty emptying, leaking, recurrent urinary tract infections
Antenatal & Postnatal Care
The team at Highlands Healthcare look forward to providing you with supportive, collaborative, and safe ante- and postnatal care. To provide our patients with the most comprehensive care, Highlands Healthcare offers obstetrician and midwifery input for our patients throughout pregnancy and beyond. Antenatal visits give you time to discuss how you are feeling as your pregnancy progresses and a chance to check and order your routine and any additional investigations, as needed. In addition to addressing any of your concerns, we will examine Mum and Bub to ensure that things are progressing as expected and address anything unexpected. Antenatal visits also allow us to discuss what to expect as the pregnancy progresses and what to expect in labour. At Highlands Healthcare, we pride ourselves on giving you time to have all your concerns addressed. Both your physical and mental health are our highest priority. Postnatally, we like to take time to address both the physical and psychological aspects of your recovery.
Please feel free to ask any questions at both antenatal and postnatal visits- we are here for you to feel well-supported!
Physiotherapy
Highland Healthcare is excited to have Jane Thompson, B.Physiotherapy (Hons) as part of the team. Jane graduating from Charles Sturt University with Honours in 2015. She is passionate about rural practice and dedicated to ensuring people who live in regional and remote areas receive the highest standard of care.
Jane believes in working with the whole person and looking beyond the symptoms to treat the cause of patient’s presentations. Her aim is to work with people to improve their pain, function and enable them to live their healthiest lives.
Jane has worked as a musculoskeletal physiotherapist for the past 7 years and has developed a special interest in treating lumbopelvic issues and physiotherapy for women in the ante and post-natal period.
Common presentations include:
• Pain presentations: lower back, hip, pelvis, SIJ, thoracic spine, TMJ
• Recurrent hamstring issues
• Pregnancy and post- natal exercise, pain, rehabilitation
• Pelvic conditions: endometriosis, Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome, Interstitial Cystitis, incontinence, bowel issues, prolapse
• Post surgical rehabilitation for both Men & Women
Sleep & Nutrition
Annabel Grant is a Registered Nurse with 17 year’s experience, Baby Sleep and Wellbeing Specialist and Certified Nutrition Consultant for pregnancy and the post-partum period.
Annabel is passionate about helping mothers and families find confidence in their daily routines through an attachment and connection-based approach to sleep and evidence based nutritional foundations.
Annabel can assist you to navigate a healthy lifestyle for yourself and baby through compassion, knowledge, support and realistic expectations. Guidance is offered through gentle and thoughtful changes, slowly shifting and changing patterns that continue to support yours and your baby’s needs whilst maintaining connection and flexibility. Annabel will assist you with learning about sleep foundations, attachment and current research that will help you connect with your baby on a deeper level, while empowering them to sleep.
GP Psychotherapy
At Highlands Healthcare, we focus on improving the long-term health of our patients. We understand a holistic approach is needed to best support our patients which is why Highlands Healthcare have two dedicated GP Psychotherapists, Dr Claire Noonan and Dr Joanne Lawrence-Bourne.
Our therapists enjoy assisting people to optimise their emotional health with psychotherapy. During sessions, our therapists like to create a sense of grounding and safety, but also to equip patients with practical skills and strategies that they can go forward with and implement themselves. Through therapy you will be provided with targeted psychological support as you navigate pregnancy, post-partum health, chronic pelvic pain or other relevant issues. Psychotherapy modalities are drawn from Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Dialectical Behaviour Therapy depending on the patient’s individual needs.
Patients can see Claire and Joanne with or without a referral. The rebate from Medicare back to patients is variable, and is greatest for those eligible for a Mental Health Care Plan who choose to use their referred sessions with our therapists.