First Contact

 

Contact your GP or midwife as soon as possible after you find out that you're pregnant.

 

They should give you information about:

• folic acid supplements

• nutrition, diet and food hygiene

• lifestyle factors – such as smoking, drinking and recreational drug use

• antenatal screening tests 

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It's important to tell the doctor if:

• There was a complication in a previous pregnancy.

• You are being treated for a chronic condition disease or if there is family history of any disease

 

8-12 Weeks (Booking Appointment)

 

Your midwife or doctor should give you information about: 

• how the baby develops during pregnancy

• nutrition and diet

• exercise and pelvic floor exercises

• breastfeeding, including workshops

• your options for where to have your baby

 

Your midwife or doctor should:

• give you your handheld notes and plan of care

• see if you may need additional care or support

• offer you an ultrasound scan at 8-14 weeks to estimate when your baby is due

 

8-14 Weeks (Dating Scan)

 

This is the ultrasound scan to estimate when your baby is due, check the physical development of your baby, and screen for possible abnormalities including Down's syndrome.

 

16 Weeks

Your midwife or doctor will give you information about the ultrasound anomaly scan you will be offered at 18-20 weeks. They will also help with any concerns or questions you have.

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Your midwife or doctor should: 

• review, discuss and record the results of any screening tests

• measure your blood pressure and test your urine for protein

• consider an iron supplement if you're anaemic  

 

 

18-20 Weeks

You will be offered an ultrasound scan to check the physical development of your baby. This is also known as the anomaly scan. The main purpose of this scan is to check that there are no physical abnormalities.

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Screening for HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B will be offered again by a specialist midwife to women who opted not to have it earlier in pregnancy. These tests are recommended as they greatly reduce the risk of passing infection from mother to baby.

25 Weeks

You will have an appointment at 25 weeks if this is your first baby.

Your midwife or doctor should:

• use a tape measure to measure the size of your uterus

• measure your blood pressure and test your urine for protein

28 Weeks

Your midwife or doctor should: 

• use a tape measure to measure the size of your uterus

• measure your blood pressure and test your urine for protein

• offer more screening tests

• offer your first anti-D treatment if you are rhesus negative

• consider an iron supplement if you're anaemic 

31 Weeks

You will have an appointment at 31 weeks if this is your first baby.

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Your midwife or doctor should:

• review, discuss and record the results of any screening tests from the last appointment

• use a tape measure to measure the size of your uterus

• measure your blood pressure and test your urine for protein

 

34 Weeks

Your midwife or doctor should give you information about preparing for labour and birth, including how to recognise active labour, ways of coping with pain in labour, and your birth plan.

 

Your midwife or doctor should: 

• review, discuss and record the results of any screening tests from the last appointment

• use a tape measure to measure the size of your uterus

• measure your blood pressure and test your urine for protein

• ​Your midwife or doctor should give you information about caesarean section, as around one in four women will have a caesarean.

 

 

36 Weeks

Your midwife or doctor should give you information about:

• breastfeeding

• caring for your newborn baby

• vitamin K and screening tests for your newborn baby

• your own health after your baby is born

• the "baby blues" and postnatal depression

 

Your midwife or doctor will also:

• use a tape measure to measure the size of your uterus

• check the position of your baby

• measure your blood pressure and test your urine for protein

• offer external cephalic version (ECV) if your baby is in the breech position

 

38 Weeks

Your midwife or doctor will discuss the options and choices about what happens if your pregnancy lasts longer than 41 weeks.

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Your midwife or doctor should: 

• use a tape measure to measure the size of your uterus

• measure your blood pressure and test your urine for protein

 

40 Weeks

You will have an appointment at 40 weeks if this is your first baby.

Your midwife or doctor should give you more information about what happens if your pregnancy lasts longer than 41 weeks.

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Your midwife or doctor should:

• use a tape measure to measure the size of your uterus

• measure your blood pressure and test your urine for protein

 

41 Weeks

Your midwife or doctor should:

• use a tape measure to measure the size of your uterus

• measure your blood pressure and test your urine for protein

• offer a membrane sweep

• discuss the options and choices for induction of labour 

 

42 Weeks

If you have not had your baby by 42 weeks and have chosen not to have an induction, you should be offered increased monitoring of the baby.