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 (for example, about a healthy pregnancy diet or antenatal screening) 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 women who already have 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
Antenatal screening tests include the early pregnancy dating scan, screening for sickle cell disease and thalassaemia, communicable diseases, blood group and antibodies, screening for Down’s syndrome, Edwards’ syndrome and Patau’s syndrome and the anomaly scan. . You will find more information on these screening tests here.
You should have a discussion with your midwife about the risks, benefits and limits of these tests.
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.
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 maternity record 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 8 to 14 weeks to estimate when your baby is due
- offer you an ultrasound scan at 18 to 20 weeks to check the physical development of your baby
- ask about your mood to identify possible depression
- 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 mother and baby.
It's important you tell your midwife or doctor if this has happened to you.
8 to 14 weeks: early pregnancy dating scan (around 12 weeks pregnant)
This is the ultrasound scan to estimate when your baby is due, check the physical development of your baby, and screen for possible abnormalities. If you have accepted screening for Down's syndrome, Edwards’ syndrome and Patau’s syndrome this scan will need to be carried out between 11-14 weeks pregnant.
16 weeks pregnant
Your midwife or doctor will give you information about the ultrasound scan you'll be offered at 18 to 20 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 the anomaly ultrasound scan to check the physical development of your baby. This is also known as the 20-week scan.
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
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 some screening tests
- offer screening for blood group and antibodies
- reoffer screening for HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B to women who opted not to have it earlier in pregnancy. These tests are recommended as they greatly reduce the risk of passing infection from mother to baby
- offer your anti-D treatment if you're rhesus negative mother to baby.
- consider an iron supplement if you're anaemic
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
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
Your midwife or doctor should give you information about caesarean section, as around 1 in 4 women will have a caesarean.
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
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
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.
Time off for antenatal appointments
Find out more about rights to time off for antenatal appointments at the GOV.UK page on working when pregnant: your rights.
You can find more information on pregnancy in the 'Your Pregnancy and Birth book'.
Last Updated: 21/07/2023 11:00:14
The information on this page has been adapted by NHS Wales from original content supplied by
NHS website
nhs.uk