UNDERSTANDING YOUR ANTENATAL CHECK-UPS

Medically reviewed by

3rd Oct 2022

Once you have had your BFP (big fat positive) on your pregnancy test, you should contact your local maternity services or GP’s surgery so that you can be referred for your maternity care. You will be asked to fill in a form and hand back to reception at your GP surgery. They will then pass it on to your local midwife who will call you for your first appointment.

All pregnant women should have midwife appointments at weeks; 10, 16, 28, 34, 36, 38 and 41. As well as ultrasound scans at (roughly) week 12 and week 20. If you are expecting your first baby, you will have extra appointments at week 25, week 31 and week 40. If you are under a consultant, you may have appointments with your obstetrician instead of your midwife for these weeks. Your obstetrician appointments usually come by letters in the post, as do your ultrasound appointments. However, your midwife appointments it is up to you to call and book these appointments through your GP surgery (or midwife clinic).

Here, we list the different antenatal appointments you can expect to have…

Your booking appointment (8-12 weeks)

Your booking appointment with the midwife should take place by 10 weeks. The midwife will review any past and current history that is relevant to your pregnancy and make a plan for your care. This will include arranging a ‘dating’ scan to confirm how many weeks pregnant you are and when your due date is.

You will be given information about:

Taking folic acid
Nutrition and diet
Lifestyle choices e.g. smoking, drinking etc.
The antenatal screening tests you’re entitled to have
Exercise and pelvic floor exercises
Your antenatal care
Maternity benefits you're entitled to
Your options of where to have your baby

Your midwife will ask you questions about your family history and previous pregnancies. Tell your midwife if:

You experienced any complications or infections during a previous pregnancy e.g. premature birth or pre-eclampsia
You are currently being treated for a chronic disease such as high blood pressure or diabetes
You or anyone in your family has previously had a baby with an abnormality, for example spina bifida
You have a family history of an inherited disease
You are aware you are a generic carrier for an inherited condition such as sickle cell – or your baby’s biological father is
You have had fertility treatment

During this appointment your midwife will do your first checks, this will include:

Measure your height and weight and calculate your BMI
Measure your blood pressure
Test your urine for protein
Take your bloods for your blood group, antibodies and iron level.
You may be offered a carbon monoxide test to check your level of carbon monoxide.

Remember, your appointment is your opportunity to tell your midwife if you’re in a vulnerable situation or in need of extra support.

Ask you if you need any additional care or support during your pregnancy
Identify any potential risks associated with the work you do
Ask you about your mood to identify possible depression
Ask you about any past or present severe mental illness
Ask you about your home life and family suppport

Find out more about your booking appointment, here...

Your dating scan: 8-14 weeks pregnant

This is the ultrasound scan to estimate your baby’s due date.

You can find out more about your dating scan here…

16 week antenatal appointment

During this antenatal appointment your midwife will give you information about the ultrasound anomaly scan that you will be offered at 18-20 weeks.

You can find out more about the anomaly scan here…

During this appointment your midwife will:

Review, discuss and record the results of your screening tests
Measure your blood pressure and test your urine for protein
Consider an iron supplement if you’re anaemic

18-20 week antenatal appointment

During this appointment you will be offered an ultrasound to check the physical development of your baby – this is known as an anomaly scan. The main purpose of this scan is to check there are no physical abnormalities with your baby.

From 20 weeks pregnant you will also be offered the whooping cough vaccination; the best time to have this is after your 20 week scan and before you reach 32 weeks pregnant.

Find out more about the whooping cough vaccination here…

Your 25 week appointment

You will have an appointment at 25 weeks pregnant if this is your first baby.

During this appointment your midwife should:

Use a tape measure to measure the size of your uterus and plot the measurement on a graph in your maternity notes
Measure your blood pressure and test your urine for protein
Advise to contact your maternity services at any time of day or night if you have any concerns about her baby’s movements or notices reduced fetal movements.

Your 28 week appointment

During this antenatal appointment at 28 weeks, your midwife may:

Use a tape measure to measure the size of your uterus
Measure your blood pressure and test your urine for protein
Take your bloods for your blood group, antibodies and to see if you are anaemic.
Offer you your first anti-D treatment if you are rhesus negative

Your 31 week appointment

At 31 weeks pregnant you will have an antenatal appointment if this is your first baby.

During this appointment:

Your Midwife will review and discuss the results of your blood tests and consider an iron supplement if you’re anaemic
They will use a tape measure to measure the size of your uterus
They will measure your blood pressure and test your urine for protein

Your 34 week appointment

During your 34 week antenatal appointment your midwife will…

In addition, your midwife should:

Review and discuss the results of any screening tests from your last appointment
Use a tape measure to measure the size of your uterus
Measure your blood pressure and test your urine for protein
Give you information about preparing for the labour and birth, including how to recognise active labour, your birth plan and ways to cope with pain during labour.

Your 36 week appointment

During this appointment your midwife should give you information about…

Breastfeeding your baby
Caring for your newborn baby
Vitamin K and screening tests for your baby
Your own health and wellbeing after giving birth
The baby blues and postnatal depression
Discuss your planned place of birth

In addition, your midwife will:

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 a referral for a scan if baby is thought to be breech. From here you will be offered and external cephalic version (ECV) if your baby is in the breech position

Your 38 week appointment

During this antenatal appointment your midwife will discuss the options and choice available if your pregnancy lasts longer than 41 weeks.

Your midwife should also:

Use a tape measure to measure the size of your uterus
Measure your blood pressure and test your urine for protein

Your 40 week appointment

You will also have an antenatal appointment at 40 weeks pregnant if this is your first baby.

During this appointment your midwife should give you information about what happens if your pregnancy lasts more than 41 weeks.

In addition your midwife will…

Use a tape measure you measure the size of your uterus
Measure your blood pressure and test your urine for protein
Offer you a stretch and sweep (aka. membrane sweep)

Your 41 week appointment

If you haven’t had your baby at 41 weeks, you will have an antenatal appointment. During this appointment your midwife should:

Use a tape measure you measure the size of your uterus
Measure your blood pressure and test your urine for protein
Offer you a stretch and sweep (aka. membrane sweep)
Discuss options and choices for inducing labour and book you in for an induction should you choose one.