Hi, I'm Andrew

As an Obstetrician, I’ve been fortunate enough to help welcome over 3 thousand babies into the world. As a person, there’s nothing that makes me happier than to see the smile on your face when you meet your little one for the first time.

The coming months are a very special time for both you and your partner. I’ve written the following words to help you get a better idea about who I am and my approach to helping you over the very important coming months.

If you have any further questions, please phone the office on 02 9526 7477 to arrange an appointment.

It’s your pregnancy and birth!

Every pregnancy is different, so your pregnancy care should be tailored to you, based on both what you want and need, as well as what’s best for your baby. Throughout your pregnancy we will regularly talk about your wishes and goals, and work together towards these goals. I believe in ‘informed choice’, and I will always provide you with the information you need, in language that makes sense, and is easy to understand.

This is really important as you’ll be fully informed about benefits, risks and likely outcomes of any given course of action, which will help you make decisions confidently. And so you’ll receive this personalised care, the number of pregnant patients I care for each month is limited.

Early on in the pregnancy, we’ll meet monthly, then more often as you get beyond 30 weeks. If you’re worried or if we’re monitoring a variance, I’ll see you as often as needed. At each of your appointments I will check you and your baby’s progress, we’ll perform an ultrasound to check on your baby, and ensure that everything is progressing as it should be.

Please call me Andrew

In my practice, I like to have a relaxed consulting and communication style. You won’t see me wearing a tie, and I prefer to be called Andrew, not Dr Zuschmann. I want you to feel comfortable, and I encourage you to ask me any questions you may have about your pregnancy (trust me, I’ve heard them all!).

My consulting rooms are a very short walk from both Kareena Private and Sutherland Hospitals, which is where my patients will be admitted. Unlike many doctors, I don’t travel to other hospitals and therefore it is easier for me to keep to my schedule, which means less waiting time for you. And in the event that I have been called into the hospital for a birth, my office staff will phone you to let you know that I’ve been delayed.

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Joanne
Jane

Meet my team

I am supported in my practice by my friendly staff, Joanne, our practice midwife, and Jane, our receptionist. They will be your first point of contact to help you scheduling your appointments, ultrasounds and organising any tests that you many need along the way.

Joanne, our practice midwife, provides patients with an educated and experienced insight into pregnancy, birth and breastfeeding. Jo and I have worked together for 20 years. You are welcome to call Jo during office hours for advice by calling the practice phone number.

It’s the little things…

Convenience and comfort are so important when you are expecting or if you have just given birth. We have undercover parking with lift access, so you wont need to drive around the block looking for a parking space. If you have other children with you it’s easy to get them in and out of the car for your appointment and we have a kids corner set up in our waiting room with books and toys to keep them amused. If you do need to wait a few minutes for your appointment, we’ve got the latest editions of your favourite magazines (including some for the Dad’s too!).

Choosing
Private

I believe in public health - it’s the training ground for the next generation of Specialist Obstetricians and midwives under experienced (but often offsite) medical supervision. This may mean that there is a varying degree of experience in the team looking after you. Statistics from a major public hospital in NSW have shown that, on average, a pregnant woman having her first baby has a 1 in 5 chance of giving birth by caesarean, and a 1 in 3 chance of having their baby with the assistance of either vacuum or forceps. That means a 50% chance of significant intervention when giving birth to your first baby.

I have worked in maternity and women’s health for 20 years, and have been a specialist for over 12 years. During this time, I’ve cared for a broad spectrum of both normal and complicated pregnancies. Not everyone has the option, but choosing me as your Obstetrician means that you have an experienced practitioner working with you throughout your pregnancy, to make decisions and perform any necessary procedures for the safe birth of your baby.

“Continuity of care” means having the same person, or small group of people, looking after you during your healthcare journey.

During your pregnancy, being cared for in a continuity of care model has been shown to be beneficial. Private Obstetric Care is the largest continuity of care model in Australia, with around 1 in 3 women choosing to birth under the care of a Specialist Obstetrician.

In my practice, Continuity of Care means looking after you within a collaborative framework involving:

  1. regular face to face contact with me,
  2. contact as often as you like with Joanne (my practice midwife who is available by phone during office hours);
  3. as well as back up support from the hospital midwives out of hours.

If you need help outside hours, the hospital has a direct line to me if needed.

It’s important for you to know that as a patient of mine you’ll always have 24-hour a day, 7-day a week access to a specialist obstetrician.

It's your choice

Private obstetricians are often criticised for high rates of caesarean sections. I’m proud that, in my practice, over 90% of women who choose to birth vaginally end up doing so.

I am a strong advocate of respecting a woman’s choice, and I will do whatever is safe and whatever I can to facilitate and uphold that choice. This includes your choice to birth by caesarean section, which around 7% of the women I care for elect as their preferred option.

My overall caesarean section rate is 35%, which is around the current state average. 1 in 5 of these women make an informed choice to give birth by caesarean section. Of the remainder, 1 in 5 attempt vaginal birth, but end up needing an emergency caesarean, and 3 in 5 have a caesarean either because they’ve given birth by caesarean before, or because medical or obstetric factors make a caesarean birth the safest option.

Booking your first
appointment

In order to commence a personal approach to your pregnancy, we want to hear from you as soon as you find out you are pregnant. This will enable us to talk to you about everything you need to know, answer any questions you may have and book your first appointment. I like to see you quite early in your pregnancy, ideally between 6-10 weeks, especially if you have had previous medical issues, pregnancy problems, or miscarriages in the past.

At your first appointment

  • I will review your medical history
  • check your blood pressure
  • listen to your heart and lungs
  • and perform an ultrasound to confirm how far along your pregnancy is

...and check that your baby is developing well.

Following this we will schedule your next visits and talk about the various standard and optional tests that are available.
That’s about all for now – I look forward to having a conversation with you soon.

If you have any questions, please call! +61 2 9526 7477