Antenatal care: the basics

Antenatal care is the care you receive from healthcare professionals during your pregnancy. You'll be offered a series of appointments with a midwife, or sometimes with a doctor who specialises in pregnancy and birth (an obstetrician). 

They will check that you and your baby are well, give you useful information about being pregnant, and answer any questions you may have. You will also be offered antenatal classes, including breastfeeding workshops.

How to start your antenatal care

As soon as you know you're pregnant, get in touch with a GP or midwife (your GP surgery or a Children's Centre can put you in touch with a midwife) to organise your antenatal care. It's best to see them as early as possible. This is so that you can start your antenatal care and to make sure that you receive maternity health care that takes account of all your health needs and preferences. Let your midwife know if you have a disability that means you have special requirements for your antenatal appointments or for labour. If you don't speak English, let your midwife know and arrangements will be made for an interpreter.

Tell your midwife or doctor
It's important to tell your midwife or doctor if:

• there were any complications or infections in a previous pregnancy or delivery, such as pre-eclampsia or premature birth
• you're being treated for a chronic disease, such as diabetes or high blood pressure
• you or anyone in your family have previously had a baby with an abnormality, such as spina bifida
• there's a family history of an inherited disease, such as sickle cell or cystic fibrosis

An important part of antenatal care is getting information that will help you to make informed choices about your pregnancy. Your midwife or doctor will give you information in writing or some other form that you can easily use and understand. They can provide you with information in an appropriate format if you:

• have a physical, learning or sensory disability
• do not speak English

Antenatal appointments

Your first visit with your midwife or GP is the appointment when you tell them that you're pregnant. They will give you information on keeping healthy, and ask whether you have had any previous health or pregnancy issues, such as complications in pregnancy. Your next appointment, sometimes called the booking appointment, will be longer and should happen when you are 8-12 weeks pregnant. Find out more about the first visit and booking appointment.

If you're expecting your first child, you'll have up to 10 appointments. If you've had a baby before, you'll have around seven appointments. Under certain circumstances, for example if you develop a medical condition, you may have more. Early in your pregnancy, your midwife or doctor will give you written information about how many appointments you're likely to have and when they'll happen. You should have a chance to discuss the schedule with them. If you can't keep an antenatal appointment, let the clinic or midwife know and make another appointment.

Your appointments can take place at your home, in a Children's Centre, in your GP surgery or in hospital. You may be asked to go to hospital for your scans. Your antenatal appointments should take place in a setting where you feel able to discuss sensitive problems that may affect you, such as domestic violence, sexual abuse, mental illness or drug use.

Later visits

From around 20-24 weeks, your antenatal appointments will usually become more frequent. However, if your pregnancy is uncomplicated and you are well, you may not be seen as often.

Later visits are usually quite short. Your midwife or doctor will:

• check your urine, blood pressure and sometimes your weight
• feel your abdomen to check the baby's position
• measure your abdomen to check your baby's growth
• listen to your baby's heartbeat if you want them to

You can also ask questions or talk about anything that's worrying you. Talking about your feelings is as important as all the antenatal tests and examinations. You should be given information about:

• your birth plan
• preparing for labour and birth
• how to tell if you're in active labour
• induction of labour if your baby is late
• the "baby blues" and postnatal depression
• feeding your baby
• screening tests for newborn babies
• looking after yourself and your new baby

The NICE antenatal care guidelines give valuable information on the timing of visits during pregnancy and what will happen each time.

Checking your baby's development and wellbeing

At each antenatal appointment from 24 weeks, your midwife or doctor will check your baby's growth. To do this, they'll measure the distance from the top of your womb to your pubic bone. The measurement will be recorded in your notes.

In the last weeks of pregnancy, you may also be asked to keep track of your baby's movements. If your baby's movements become less frequent, slow down or stop, contact your midwife or doctor immediately. You'll be offered an ultrasound scan if they have any concerns about your baby's growth.

Your maternity notes

At the booking appointment, your midwife will put your details in a record book and add to them at each visit. These are your maternity notes, sometimes called hand-held notes. 

You should be asked to keep your maternity notes at home with you and to bring them along to all your antenatal appointments. Take your notes with you wherever you go. Then, if you need medical attention while you're away from home, you'll have the information with you.

Find out about choosing where to have your baby.