0 – 12 weeks

Reminders:

Quick links:

Tell us you’re pregnant

If you’re 6 weeks or more pregnant and haven’t already registered your pregnancy with us you can do it online by completing the self-referral form. Once you have completed the online form a midwife from your local team will contact you within 10 days to arrange a booking appointment. Find out which midwife team will be looking after you.

Booking appointment

When the midwife first contacts you they will arrange a booking appointment with you. This is your first appointment where you will meet your community midwife and discuss you and your pregnancy and what you can expect etc.

You will be monitored throughout your pregnancy by your midwife, and other health professionals if they think this is necessary.

You will be seen by a midwife between 8-10 weeks for your booking appointment. Your midwife will ask you lots of questions about your health, your medical history, your lifestyle and any previous pregnancies, so that they can put together a suitable care plan for you.

At your booking appointment, you’ll be given a set of maternity notes (often referred to as “white notes”). You will need to take these notes to every appointment during your pregnancy. Your midwife will add to these notes, and reports from scans and other tests will be added as your pregnancy progresses.

Your midwife will also give you an application form for a maternity prescription exemption, which entitles you to free prescriptions and dental treatment until your baby is 12 months old.

At your booking appointment, your midwife will assign you one of two care pathways:

  • Midwife-led care: Women who are healthy and have a low chance of developing problems during pregnancy and birth will receive midwife-led care. This may change as your pregnancy progresses if you develop any complications, if you are having twins or more, or if you need closer monitoring.

  • Consultant-led care: Women who have certain medical conditions, or a higher chance of developing problems during pregnancy and birth, will be overseen by a consultant obstetrician. As well as the routine pregnancy appointments with your midwife, you will also have appointments with an obstetrician, and possibly other specialist appointments too. These will be tailored to your needs.

Don’t worry if things change during your pregnancy – your midwife will reassess your care as you go and will make changes to your care plan if they are needed.

Appointments, tests and scans

Within the first trimester of your pregnancy (0-12 weeks) you will normally have two or three appointments.

  • 8-10 weeks, booking appointment

  • 10-12 weeks, blood tests (if not taken at your booking appointment)

  • 12-14 weeks, dating scan and screening blood tests (one appointment)

10-12 weeks: Blood test

In the early stages of pregnancy, you will have a routine blood test to check for the following:

  • Blood group and antibodies

  • Anaemia

  • Human Immunodeficiency Viruses (HIV)

  • Hepatitis B

  • Syphilis

  • Sickle cell and thalassaemia

12-14 weeks: Dating scan +/- screening

This scan will check your baby’s development so far and give you an estimated due date.

You may also choose to have combined screening, which combines details from your scan and a blood test to assess the chances of your baby having Down Syndrome (also known as Trisomy 21 or T21), Edwards Syndrome (Trisomy 18 or T18) or Pataus syndrome (Trisomy 13 or T13). This is explained in detail in the screening tests for you and your baby document.

Remember to take some cash with you for any scan prints.

When will you be seen

Overview of appointments, tests and scans for women under midwife-led care:

Early pregnancy

Week What happens
8-10 weeks Booking appointment and blood tests
11-14 weeks Scans and blood tests

Mid pregnancy

Week What happens
16 weeks Follow up with midwife to check scans and blood tests and glucose tolerance test if needed
18-20 weeks Detailed scan (Anomaly)
25 weeks Routine pregnancy appointment*

Late pregnancy

Week What happens
28 weeks Routine pregnancy appointment and blood tests – Maternity Certificate (MAT B1) given

Anti-D given/organised if required
28 – 34 weeks Health visitor visit
31 weeks Routine pregnancy appointment*
34 weeks Routine pregnancy appointment
36 weeks Routine pregnancy appointment – birth plan should be completed by now
38 weeks Routine pregnancy appointment
40 weeks Routine pregnancy appointment*
41 weeks Routine antenatal and induction of labour arranged

*First time mums or enhanced care only

Please note: visits may be made by a midwife or a maternity support worker.

To make sure that you receive the best possible care, children will no longer be able to attend antenatal scans. If you are concerned about this, please discuss it with your midwife.

Quick links: