Respecting that every woman has a unique story, women's healthcare deserves to be provided in a personalised way. 

At her practice TasWomen by TasOGS, Kirsten provides comprehensive antenatal, birthing and postnatal care for women who are planning to birth at Calvary Healthcare Private Hospital. Dr Connan's practice is located in the heart of Hobart, allowing ready and convenient access to both her outpatient consulting and in-patient care.

Dr Connan supports vaginal births, elective caesarean sections, and vaginal birth after caesarean section (VBAC). Kirsten only accepts 8 pregnant women per month. This ensures Kirsten has time for each woman and her family, and ensures she herself remains appropriately rested. This is essential to ensure clinical excellence and safety can be achieved for her women, and for her own self-care. 

Kirsten is on-call and available for emergencies 24 hours a day on weekdays, and for 1 in 4 weekends for her patients. During her weekend off, or her leave away from Hobart, Kirsten's patients are cared for by another TasWomen or Hobart obstetrician. All women are offered the opportunity to meet this alternate obstetrician during their pregnancy. 

Kirsten is committed to provide personal obstetric care that is:

• Open-minded toward conception, pregnancy and birthing preferences.

• Personable and non-judgemental towards women, their families and support networks.

• Sensitive to the physical, psychological and social impacts a pregnancy may have on a woman’s wellbeing.

• Provided collaboratively with the midwives from both TasWomen and Calvary Healthcare Private Hospital.

• Ensures her rapid presence at Calvary Healthcare Private Hospital in the event of an emergency.

Your GP or a Women's Specialist GP is often well placed to provide this pre-pregnancy consultation for you. Some women however benefit from seeing a Specialist Obstetrician for a pre-pregnancy review, particularly women who:

• Have a pre-existing medical disorder such as diabetes, epilepsy, hypertension or autoimmune disorders.

• Have previously had a pregnancy affected by a fetal or chromosomal abnormality.

• Have previously experienced a difficult or traumatic pregnancy or birth.

• Have a personal preference to have pre-pregnancy counselling provided by a Specialist Obstetrician.

A pre-pregnancy consultation enables your Obstetrician to plan the extra steps that may be required before conception in order to optimise the health of you and your pregnancy, such as:

• Optimisation of your health before pregnancy if you have a medical disorder.

• Stopping harmful medication.

• Fertility, dietary and vaccination advice.

• Addressing any concerns you have about the pregnancy and birth process.

Dr Connan provides antenatal care at her TasWomen at 25 Argyle Street, Hobart. This antenatal care includes regular antenatal appointments at key gestations during pregnancy, along with planning for the safe birth of your baby.  These will be discussed with your during your first antenatal appointments. 

Blood tests and ultrasounds during your pregnancy may be provided onsite or at recommended pathology and specialist obstetric ultrasound providers (Women's Imaging or Trinity Imaging). Dr Connan herself has an obstetric ultrasound qualification (DDU O&G), a valuable addition to the accuracy of ultrasound scans for all specialists. 

All of Kirsten's women are provided with additional and complementary antenatal appointments with the TasWomen midwives. These midwives provide a fabulous addition to your care and are often the first point of call with any antenatal questions. 

The antenatal period provides a valuable opportunity to meet with other health professionals that you may require, such as perinatal psychologists, physiotherapists, paediatrcians and obstetric anaesthetists. TasWomen works closely with perinatal psychologists, and womens health physiotherapists. Obstetric anaesthetic services are provided 24 hours/day by the Hobart Anaesthetic Group. 

Dr Connan's obstetric patients also commonly attend Calvary Healthcare Hospital antenatal classes, offering further valuable preparation for birth and parenthood.

In 2011 Dr Connan completed her Diploma of Diagnostic Ultrasound (Obstetrics & Gynaecology) through the Australian Society for Ultrasound in Medicine (ASUM), following training and work at East Melbourne Ultrasound under the guidance of internationally renowned specialist obstetric sonologist Dr Andrew Ngu.

Kirsten's additional ultrasound skills and qualifications beyond those of a general obstetrician help to guide her pregnancy care, particularly when managing women with complex and higher-risk pregnancies. She also routinely refers her women to Hobart's own Women's Imaging and Trinity Imaging for critical obstetric ultrasound examinations including the nuchal translucency scan (13 weeks) & the obstetric morphology ultrasound (20 weeks).

After birthing at Calvary Healthcare Hospital, immediate postnatal care is provided by Dr Connan and Calvary’s team of experienced midwives. Additionally Calvary provides ready access to experienced lactation consultants, specialist paediatricians, physiotherapists, physicians and anaesthetists, should their expertise be needed.

Dr Connan is a strong advocate for new mothers staying in the maternity suite after delivery for as little, or as much, time as needed to feel supported and confident at this important life event. 

During your first few weeks at home, the TasWomen and Calvary midwives are available for any concerns. You will have a minimum of one postnatal review with a TasWomen midwife 2-3 weeks after arriving at home. 

Six weeks after the birth of your baby Dr Connan provides a review back in her rooms at TasWomen. This is an important opportunity to discuss the challenges of new parenthood, post-obstetric recovery, plans for contraception and/or family growth, plus overall health and wellbeing. If you have any concerns or questions before this time, Kirsten strongly encourages you to contact the rooms for advice or an early review.