pregnancy
Most pregnancies go smoothly but it's natural to feel anxious. Here's a handy reminder of all the health checks you'll be offered over the full nine months.
At each antenatal visit, your midwife or GP will check:
As well as your GP, here are some of the other people involved in your care:
first trimester
As soon as that positive symbol appears on your pregnancy test, make an appointment with your midwife or GP to start your antenatal care
Your first antenatal check, or booking-in appointment, usually takes place with your midwife at your local maternity hospital. As well as having routine health checks, you'll discuss where you'd like to give birth. Your midwife may also offer to book you in for ultrasound scans and screening tests.
Your first ultrasound may be a dating scan, to give an indication of how far along you are. An accurate due date will make later screening tests more reliable too. The sonographer will also check things like your baby's heart and spine, but a more detailed scan will follow at around 20 weeks.
A screening test called a nuchal scan may be discussed, along with a blood test, to calculate your baby's risk of rare conditions such as Down's syndrome. If you're in the small percentage deemed 'high risk', you may be offered another test, CVS (chorionic villus sampling), to give you a definitive result.
Your GP and midwife are there to help, so don't be afraid to ask questions. And for more information on all aspects of antenatal healthcare,click here
Your local health authority may run differently from the guide given here - so check with your midwife or GP.
second trimester
You'll be offered an AFP (alpha-fetoprotein) blood test around now. Also known as the double, triple or quad test, this checks for signs of the rare conditions Down's syndrome and spina bifida. You should get your results within 10 days; again, if you're one of the few women who are at 'high risk', you may be offered another test such as amniocentesis for a firm diagnosis.
At this antenatal appointment you may have a blood test to check your iron levels (if they're low, you'll be prescribed supplements). It's a good idea to ask about antenatal classes now - they're normally held in the third trimester, but often have waiting lists. Your next routine appointments take place at around 25 and 28 weeks.
At your second scan, known as the fetal anomaly scan, the sonographer will check your baby's heart, organs, brain, spine and facial features, as well as the position of your placenta.
third trimester
You and your partner can now start going to NHS antenatal classes, usually a set of six weekly sessions, one of which will include a tour of the hospital's labour suite. Some women also choose to attend privately run classes with the National Childbirth Trust, or there may be others in your area.
Your next antenatal appointments will take place at 31 weeks, 34 weeks, and then every two weeks until your baby is born. During these checks, you'll be given information to help you prepare for labour, as well as advice on caring for your new baby.
If you go overdue, you'll have another antenatal appointment, when the issue of induction (where labour is artificially started) may be discussed.
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