A virtual early pregnancy information event series, from the RCSI Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and The Rotunda Hospital, will run from 20-24 March, with a diverse range of experts on hand to provide advice about early pregnancy. The project is co-funded by the Health Research Board and The Rotunda Hospital.

This event will be hosted on the Rotunda Hospital Instagram and YouTube channel. The multidisciplinary team behind the event are encouraging expectant parents or anyone considering family planning to submit their questions ahead of the event via Rotunda Hospital’s Instagram or via the event website.

Leading RCSI and Rotunda Hospital based experts in the fields of obstetrics and gynecology, midwifery, nutrition, physiotherapy and more will answer some of the questions that may come to mind during the early stages of pregnancy, including:

• Professor Fionnuala Breathnach, Consultant Obstetrician Gynaecologist and Maternal Fetal Medicine Specialist with Special Interest in Gestational Diabetes
• Dr Karen Flood, Consultant Obstetrician Gynaecologist and Clinical Lead at the Recurrent Pregnancy Loss Service
• Professor Fergal Malone, Consultant Obstetrician and Professor and Chairman of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the RCSI School of Medicine in Dublin
• Ciara McNulty, Registered Dietitian with Special Interest in Obstetrics
• Dr Vicky O’Dwyer, Consultant Obstetrician Gynaecologist

The topics that you can expect to hear about through this week-long event include: testing to monitor fetal well-being; morning sickness and hyperemesis; multiples (twins, triplets and more); gestational diabetes; early pregnancy loss: miscarriage and ectopic pregnancy; nutrition; and exercise.

Speaking on this pilot event, Zara Molphy, Head of Research Programmes, RCSI Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, said: “The first trimester of pregnancy is a very important time not only for the development of a baby, but also for the family that is adjusting to this big change. The idea of this informative event is to hopefully provide some answers to your questions about your health and your baby's health in the first trimester of pregnancy.

“We encourage any expectant parents, as well as those commencing their family planning journey, to reach out with any questions or concerns, so that we can address them during this event and hopefully, with our combined experience, put your minds at ease.”

Find out more about the event at earlypregnancyevent.com.