Your antenatal appointments
You'll have a number of antenatal appointments during your pregnancy, and you'll see a midwife or sometimes an obstetrician (doctor specialising in pregnancy).
They'll check the health of you and your baby, give you useful information and answer any questions.
Pregnant employees have the right to paid time off for antenatal care.
This page lists the appointments you'll be offered and when you should have them.
If you're pregnant with your first baby, you'll have more appointments than those already with children.
First contact with midwife or doctor
Contact a GP or midwife as soon as possible after you find out that you're pregnant.
They should give you information about:
- folic acid supplements
- nutrition, diet and food hygiene
- lifestyle factors – such as smoking, drinking and recreational drug use
- antenatal screening tests
You should be told about the risks, benefits and limits of these tests.
Screening for sickle cell disease and thalassaemia should be offered before 10 weeks.
This is so you can find out about all your options and make an informed decision if your baby has a chance of inheriting these conditions.
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 long-term condition, such as diabetes or high blood pressure
- you or anyone in your family has previously had a baby with a health condition (for example, spina bifida)
- there's a family history of an inherited condition (for example, sickle cell or cystic fibrosis)
- you know that you're a genetic carrier of an inherited condition such as sickle cell or thalassaemia – you should also tell the midwife if you know the baby's biological father is a genetic carrier of these conditions
- you have had fertility treatment and either a donor egg or donor sperm
8 to 12 weeks: booking appointment
It's best to see your midwife or doctor as early as possible to get the information you need to have a healthy pregnancy.
Some tests, such as screening for sickle cell and thalassaemia, should be done before you're 10 weeks pregnant.
Your midwife or doctor should give you information about:
- how the baby develops during pregnancy
- nutrition and diet
- exercise and pelvic floor exercises
- antenatal screening tests
- your antenatal care
- breastfeeding, including workshops
- antenatal education
- maternity benefits
- your options for where to have your baby
Your midwife or doctor should:
- give you your handheld notes and plan of care
- see if you may need additional care or support
- plan the care you'll get throughout your pregnancy
- identify any potential risks associated with any work you may do
- measure your height and weight, and calculate your body mass index (BMI)
- measure your blood pressure and test your urine for protein
- find out whether you're at increased risk of gestational diabetes or pre-eclampsia
- offer you screening tests and make sure you understand what's involved before you decide to have any of them
- offer you an ultrasound scan at 11 to 14 weeks to estimate when your baby is due
- offer you an ultrasound scan at 18 to 21 weeks to check the physical development of your baby and look for 11 rare conditions
- ask about your mood to assess your mental health
- ask about any past or present severe mental illness or psychiatric treatment
This appointment is an opportunity to tell your midwife or doctor if you're in a vulnerable situation or if you need extra support.
This could be because of domestic abuse or violence, sexual abuse or female genital mutilation (FGM).
FGM can cause problems during labour and childbirth, which can be life threatening for you and your baby.
It's important you tell your midwife or doctor if this has happened to you.
11 to 14 weeks: dating scan
This is the ultrasound scan to estimate when your baby is due, check the physical development of your baby, and screen for possible conditions, including Down's syndrome.
16 weeks pregnant
Your midwife or doctor will give you information about the ultrasound scan you'll be offered at 18 to 21 weeks.
They'll also help with any concerns or questions you have.
Your midwife or doctor should:
- review, discuss and record the results of any screening tests
- measure your blood pressure and test your urine for protein
- consider an iron supplement if you're anaemic
18 to 21 weeks
You'll be offered an ultrasound scan to check the physical development of your baby. This is also known as the 20-week scan.
Screening for HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B will be offered again by a specialist midwife if you opted not to have it earlier in pregnancy.
These tests are recommended as they greatly reduce the risk of passing infection from you to your baby.
From 16 weeks, you'll be offered the whooping cough vaccine. The best time to have this vaccine is after your scan, up to 32 weeks.
But if for any reason you miss the vaccine, you can still have it up until you go into labour.
25 weeks pregnant
You'll have an appointment at 25 weeks if this is your first baby.
Your midwife or doctor should:
- use a tape measure to measure the size of your uterus
- measure your blood pressure and test your urine for protein
- talk about your baby’s movements. If you have any concerns or your baby is moving less than usual, you’ll be advised to contact maternity services straight away.
28 weeks
Your midwife or doctor should:
- use a tape measure to measure the size of your uterus
- measure your blood pressure and test your urine for protein
- offer more screening tests
- offer your first anti-D treatment if you're rhesus negative
- discuss how to prepare for your labour and birth
- talk to you about active labour
- discuss what happens after the birth, including how to care for your new baby and feed them
- tell you about about the vitamin K injection your baby is recommended to have
- ask about your baby's movements
31 weeks
You'll have an appointment at 31 weeks if this is your first baby.
Your midwife or doctor should:
- review, discuss and record the results of any screening tests from the last appointment
- use a tape measure to measure the size of your uterus
- measure your blood pressure and test your urine for protein
- ask about your baby's movements
34 weeks
Your midwife or doctor should give you information about preparing for labour and birth, including how to recognise active labour, ways of coping with pain in labour, and your birth plan.
Your midwife or doctor should:
- review, discuss and record the results of any screening tests from the last appointment
- use a tape measure to measure the size of your uterus
- measure your blood pressure and test your urine for protein
- offer your second anti-D treatment if you're rhesus negative
- ask about your baby's movements
Your midwife or doctor should give you information about caesarean section. This discussion may take place at the 34-week appointment, or at another time during your pregnancy.
They'll discuss with you the reasons why a caesarean might be offered, what the procedure involves, the risks and benefits, and the implications for future pregnancies and births.
36 weeks
Your midwife or doctor should give you information about:
- breastfeeding
- caring for your newborn baby
- vitamin K and screening tests for your newborn baby
- your own health after your baby is born
- the "baby blues" and postnatal depression
Your midwife or doctor will also:
- use a tape measure to measure the size of your uterus
- check the position of your baby
- measure your blood pressure and test your urine for protein
- offer external cephalic version (ECV) if your baby is in the breech position
- ask about your baby's movements
38 weeks
Your midwife or doctor will discuss the options and choices about what happens if your pregnancy lasts longer than 41 weeks.
Your midwife or doctor should:
- use a tape measure to measure the size of your uterus
- measure your blood pressure and test your urine for protein
- continue to discuss your labour and birth options with you
- ask about your baby’s movements
40 weeks
You'll have an appointment at 40 weeks if this is your first baby.
Your midwife or doctor should give you more information about what happens if your pregnancy lasts longer than 41 weeks.
Your midwife or doctor should:
- use a tape measure to measure the size of your uterus
- measure your blood pressure and test your urine for protein
- ask about your baby's movements
41 weeks
Your midwife or doctor should:
- use a tape measure to measure the size of your uterus
- measure your blood pressure and test your urine for protein
- offer a membrane sweep
- discuss the options and choices for induction of labour
- ask about your baby's movements
42 weeks
If you have not had your baby by 42 weeks and have chosen not to have an induction, you should be offered increased monitoring of the baby.