Having a baby means a lot of visits to the midwife and the hospital for various tests. In this article, we briefly explain what you can expect and also explain a bit more about the tests, what they do and why they are important. Most of these are done with your midwife.
Your midwife will see you regularly throughout pregnancy and more often if their are any concerns. Your first contact is when you first become pregnant.
The information below is taken from the NHS website and is both reliable and trustworthy. Always be cautious about health advice online and only use trusted sources.
8 to 12 weeks: booking appointment
It's best to see your midwife or doctor as early as possible to get the information you need to have a healthy pregnancy.
Your midwife or doctor should give you information about:
- how the baby develops during pregnancy
- nutrition and diet
- exercise and pelvic floor exercises
- antenatal screening tests
- your antenatal care
- breastfeeding, including workshops
- antenatal education
- maternity benefits
- your options for where to have your baby
Your midwife or doctor should:
- see if you may need additional care or support
- plan the care you'll get throughout your pregnancy
- identify any potential risks associated with any work you may do
- measure your height and weight, and calculate your body mass index
- measure your blood pressure and test your urine for protein
- find out whether you're at increased risk of gestational diabetes or pre-eclampsia
- offer you screening tests and make sure you understand what's involved before you decide to have any of them
- offer you an ultrasound scan at 8 to 14 weeks to estimate when your baby is due
- offer you an ultrasound scan at 18 to 20 weeks to check the physical development of your baby and look for 11 rare conditions
- ask about your mood to assess your mental health
This appointment is an opportunity to tell your midwife or doctor if you're in a vulnerable situation or if you need extra support.
8 to 14 weeks: dating scan
This is the ultrasound scan to estimate when your baby is due, check the physical development of your baby, and can also identify if there are any early issues or problems.
16 weeks pregnant
Your midwife 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 to 20 weeks
You'll be offered an ultrasound scan to check the physical development of your baby.
Screening for Hepatitis B, syphillis and HIV will be offered again by a specialist midwife if you opted not to have it earlier in pregnancy.
These tests are recommended as they greatly reduce the risk of passing infection from you to your baby.
From 16 weeks, you'll be offered the whopping cough vaccine The best time to have this vaccine is after your scan, up to 32 weeks.
But if for any reason you miss the vaccine, you can still have it up until you go into labour.
25 weeks pregnant
You'll have an appointment at 25 weeks if this is your first baby.
Your midwife 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 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're rhesus negative
- consider an iron supplement if you're anaemic
31 weeks
You'll have an appointment at 31 weeks if this is your first baby.
Your midwife 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 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 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
- offer your second anti-D treatment if you're rhesus negative
Your midwife or doctor should give you information about caesarean section. This discussion may take place at the 34 week appointment, or at another time during your pregnancy.
They'll discuss with you the reasons why a caesarean might be offered, what the procedure involves, the risks and benefits, and the implications for future pregnancies and births.
36 weeks
Your midwife 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 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.
Your midwife 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'll have an appointment at 40 weeks if this is your first baby.
Your midwife should give you more information about what happens if your pregnancy lasts longer than 41 weeks.
Your midwife 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 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 inducing 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.
