Antenatal appointments and screening

Your community midwife will: 

• Review your history and plan of care 
• Book your dating scan and combined screening if you would like these tests 
• Check your blood pressure 
• Record your weight, height and body mass index 
• Make any necessary referrals to hospital or other specialist services 
• Offer carbon monoxide screening 
• Outline the plan for your antenatal care 
• Complete your personal handheld notes which are kept by you and in which your pregnancy care will be documented. 

A pregnancy scan or ultrasound scan uses high-frequency sound waves to create a moving image of your baby. You will be able to see the image on a screen. In most cases we can print out a photo for you to take away. Please note there is a £5 charge to cover printing costs. 

The scan takes only about 15 minutes. It is used to measure the size of your baby so we can accurately confirm the due date. It can also detect twins or more. 

Unfortunately, we sometimes detect a miscarriage at this scan, even though there may have been no signs beforehand. We also sometimes detect major abnormalities at this scan too. If we do detect a problem, we will refer you to a specialist midwife or doctor. 

Many pregnant women and people also choose to have a screening test for Down’s syndrome and some other chromosome abnormalities. The dating scan is an essential part of such tests. 

At this appointment, your community midwife will: 

• Check how you are feeling in your pregnancy 
• Review your plan of care 
• Review the bloods taken at your booking appointment 
• Ensure you have had your dating scan 
• Check your blood pressure 
• Dip your urine to check for protein 

A pregnancy scan or ultrasound scan uses high-frequency sound waves to create a moving image of your baby. You will be able to see the image on a screen. In most cases we can print out a photo for you to take away. Please note there is a £5 charge to cover printing costs. 

The anomaly (abnormality) scan is performed at around 20 weeks of pregnancy. This allow us to check your baby is developing normally. We check your baby’s growth, the position of the placenta and the amount of fluid around the baby. If the scan shows a possible problem, you will be referred to a specialist. It’s important to remember that not all abnormalities will be detected on an ultrasound scan.

At this appointment, your community midwife will: 

• Check how you are feeling in your pregnancy 
• Review your plan of care 
• Check your blood pressure 
• Dip your urine to check for protein 
• Measure your bump 
• Discuss baby movements 
• Discuss how you are planning to feed your baby 
• Discuss birth choices
• Give you your Mat B1 form, so you can claim Statutory Maternity Pay from your employer or Maternity Allowance if you don’t qualify for Statutory Maternity Pay. 

At this appointment, your community midwife will: 

• Check how you are feeling in your pregnancy 
• Review your plan of care 
• Check your blood pressure 
• Dip your urine to check for protein 
• Measure your bump 
• Discuss baby movements 
• Take your blood to check for anaemia (low iron level) 
• Discuss Whooping cough immunisation 
• If you haven’t already received it give you your Mat B1 form to claim Statutory Maternity Pay from your employer or Maternity Allowance if you don’t qualify for Statutory Maternity Pay. 
• Discuss birth choices

You can see your GP for this appointment. 

Your GP will: 

• Check how you are feeling in your pregnancy 
• Review your plan of care 
• Check your blood pressure 
• Dip your urine to check for protein 
• Measure your bump 
• Discuss baby movements 
• Review the bloods taken at your 28-week appointment.

At this appointment, your community midwife will: 

• Check how you are feeling in your pregnancy 
• Review your plan of care 
• Check your blood pressure 
• Dip your urine to check for protein 
• Measure your bump and check which way round your baby is 
• Discuss baby movements 
• Weigh you 
• Discuss: 

• Place of birth, labour and your birth plan 
• Caring for your newborn baby 
• Breastfeeding and hand expressing 
• Vitamin K 
• Discuss postnatal depression 
• Newborn screening 
• Caring for yourself after your baby is born 

At this appointment, your community midwife will: 

• Check how you are feeling in your pregnancy 
• Review your plan of care 
• Check your blood pressure 
• Dip your urine to check for protein 
• Measure your bump 
• Discuss baby movements 
• If not already done, review the bloods taken at your 28-week appointment 
• Discuss perineal massage and care 
• Discuss breast/chest feeding 

At this appointment, your community midwife will: 

• Check how you are feeling in your pregnancy 
• Review your plan of care 
• Check your blood pressure 
• Dip your urine to check for protein 
• Measure your bump and check which way round your baby is 
• Discuss baby movements 
• Discuss options if your pregnancy goes overdue

At this appointment, your community midwife will: 

• Check how you are feeling in your pregnancy 
• Review your plan of care 
• Check your blood pressure 
• Dip your urine to check for protein 
• Measure your bump and check which way round your baby is 
• Discuss baby movements 
• Discuss options if your pregnancy goes overdue 
• Offer you a membrane sweep

At this appointment, your community midwife will: 

• Check how you are feeling in your pregnancy 
• Review your plan of care 
• Check your blood pressure 
• Dip your urine to check for protein 
• Measure your bump and check which way round your baby is 
• Discuss baby movements 
• Offer you a membrane sweep 
• Offer and arrange an induction of labour