Pregnancy

If you are trying for a baby, you can learn about how to prepare you and your partner for pregnancy. If you are expecting, you can also find out the information and services which help you to go through pregnancy and give birth to a healthy baby.

Preparing for Pregnancy

Before trying for a baby, it is important for you and your spouse to have a thorough body checkup to ensure both of you are healthy for childbearing.

Fertility Treatment

If you experience difficulties in conceiving, i.e. you are unable to get pregnant after having sex without contraception for 12 months, you may need to consult a doctor and have a fertility test.

Antenatal Care

Once you get pregnant, you should go for antenatal checkup to ensure the health of you and your baby. The links below provide information on where to seek antenatal checkup and other services.

There is also a wide selection of maternity packages available in private hospitals, covering antenatal checkup and childbirth. The following link may provide some insights on how to choose a suitable maternity package.

Generally, antenatal care includes:

• antenatal checkup
• blood testing for blood group, haemoglobin, Rhesus factor, Hepatitis B Antigen, rubella antibody, syphilis, HIV antibody, etc.
• health education
• Down Syndrome screening (depending on gestation and individual condition)

Points to Note during Pregnancy

• Eat a nutritionally balanced diet in the right amount.
• Quit smoking if you are a smoker. Smoking in pregnant women can cause stillbirths, increase the risk of pre-term delivery and pass carcinogenic substances to the fetus.
• Eat good food, rest enough and do moderate exercise to relieve ailments in pregnancy, such as nausea, heart burn, leg cramp and constipation.
• Have regular dental checkup as hormones and appetites may change during pregnancy, which may cause oral health problems.
• You can still enjoy sex life during pregnancy, as soon as you adopt safe positions and take some precautions.

Your Rights as a Pregnant Employee

As an employee, you are eligible for 14 weeks’ paid maternity leave if you have been employed under a continuous contract for not less than 40 weeks immediately before the commencement of scheduled maternity leave, and you have given notice of pregnancy and your intention to take maternity leave to your employer. If so required by your employer, you also have to produce a medical certificate specifying the expected date of confinement.  Check out relevant employment rights under the Employment Ordinance here.

You should not be discriminated against on the grounds of your pregnancy. Learn more about pregnancy discrimination and its remedies here.

Preparation for Parenthood

If you are going to give birth to a new baby for the first time, you may need to learn how to care for a newborn as well as to embrace the challenges of parenthood.