Your pregnancy and baby guide

Welcome to the pregnancy and baby guide

Am I pregnant? What should I be eating? Is it normal to be this tired? Whatever you want to know about getting pregnant, being pregnant or caring for your new baby, you should find it here.

There are more than 200 easy-to-read pages, detailed week-by-week guides and lots of expert videos, parents' tips and interactive tools to explore.

Before you start, why not:

• work out 'B-day' with our due date calculator   
• log in to create your own personalised birth plan 

Finding your way around

Use the big blue tabs at the top of the page to see a full menu for each section of the pregnancy and baby guide. Just hover over them and our mega menus will appear.

If you can't find what you are after, try the 'search' box at the top of the page – it covers everything on the NHS Choices site.

When you are on a page you like, be sure to check out the useful links and tools promoted on the right hand side. There is so much great stuff that would be a shame to miss.

Popular subjects and pages 

Explore the Pregnancy and baby guide to find all the topics you're interested in and more, including:

Eating, drinking and keeping well

• everything you need to know about a healthy pregnancy diet and supplements in pregnancy
• smoking and drinking can harm an unborn baby: read our stop smoking and alcohol pages for help trying to quit 
• if you’re having problems getting pregnant and you’re worried, you can find out where to go for help and what kind of infertility support is available

Antenatal care and the baby's development

• find out as much as you can about what's happening inside you in the first few weeks of pregnancy
• how to cope with all those common pregnancy problems, like morning sickness, tiredness and headaches 
• find out all about the ultrasound scans and checks and tests you’ll be offered as part of your antenatal care, including screening for Down’s syndrome

Labour, birth and your new baby

Find out all you need to know about labour and birth, including where you can have your baby, for example in a hospital, a midwife-led unit or at home, and what pain relief is available, such as gas and air (entonox) and epidural. 

When your baby arrives, you can find advice on all the essentials of baby care, including breastfeeding, bottle feeding, changing nappies, and washing your baby. Plus:

• find out how to cope with a crying baby and get tips on settling them into a good sleep routine
• as a new mum, find out about the possible changes to your body and your relationships, and know how to spot the symptoms of postnatal depression
• if you have twins or multiples, find out about feeding, getting out and about, and sleep issues

Feeding, teething and tantrums

• find out about all aspects of parenting, including support and services, keeping fit, and going back to work
• know the signs of serious illness in babies and the symptoms of infectious illnesses such as chickenpox
• find out how to keep your baby safe, and what to do if they have an accident
• at six months old your baby will need to start solid foods, so be prepared with our weaning tips and first food ideas
• as your baby becomes a toddler, get tips on teething, the importance of play, temper tantrums and potty training