What is antenatal care?
How to Book Your Antenatal Care
It’s important to book your antenatal care as soon as you find out you are pregnant. This will ensure that you are offered screening tests early in your pregnancy to screen if your baby and your baby are healthy. These tests can help you make choices about further tests, care or treatment during your pregnancy or after your baby's born. All screening tests offered by the NHS are free.
Booking your antenatal care is easy to do. You can do this by popping along to your local Family Hub or by a self referral.
When making your appointment through your local Family Hub you will receive a free copy of our Bump to Baby magazine, which is full of helpful information throughout each stage of your pregnancy. If you haven’t yet received your copy of our "Bump to Baby" magazine you can view a copy here.
What are screening tests?
Screening tests are used to find people at higher chance of a health problem. This means they can get earlier, potentially more effective, treatment or make informed decisions about their health.
What do screening tests involve?
The screening tests offered during pregnancy in England are either ultrasound scans or blood tests, or a combination of both.
Ultrasound scans may detect conditions such as spina bifida.
Blood tests can show whether you have a higher chance of inherited conditions such as sickle cell anaemia and thalassaemia, and whether you have infections like HIV, Hepatitis B or Syphilis.
Blood tests combined with scans can help find out how likely it is that the baby has Down's syndrome, Edwards' syndrome or Patau's syndrome.
Screening tests in pregnancy - NHS
What Is Antenatal Care?
Antenatal care is the care you will receive during your pregnancy. You will be offered a series of appointments with a midwife, and if needed, a doctor. They will check that you and your baby are well, give you information about being pregnant and answer any questions you may have.
Antenatal care is generally divided into two categories:
- Low risk care is offered when your general health and/or any previous pregnancies and births have been problem-free. In this instance, all your care will be delivered by midwives. However, should a health concerns present in your pregnancy (either yourself or your baby), then you will be referred to your chosen maternity unit for shared care with the doctors (obstetrician).
- Shared care is provided where a medical condition exists or presents that may need additional monitoring in your pregnancy. The remainder of your care will then be planned and shared between a midwife and an obstetrician.
Your midwife
A midwife is the main provider of care for most pregnant women. Midwives are highly skilled, qualified professionals who care for women during normal pregnancy, childbirth and after the birth. You will be introduced to your midwife, who will care for you during your pregnancy and when you go home. You may meet different members of a team of midwives throughout your pregnancy. Midwives are trained to make sure everything goes as well as possible and to recognise any potential problems for you and your baby. Midwives work both in maternity units and in the community, often in a team system. The style of care may depend on where you live. Community midwives may visit you at home before the birth and will continue to care for you after the birth.
Obstetrician
A doctor who specialises in pregnancy and childbirth. You may see an obstetrician or another qualified doctor who is trained in obstetrics. Obstetricians are likely to be heavily involved if there is a problem with your pregnancy or birth but, if everything is fine, the chances are you may not need to see one.
Pregnancy week-by-week
Find out what to expect from every week of your pregnancy by clicking here.