Ante and Post Natal Care

Normally, when you discover you are pregnant, your first visit will be to the GP or nurse practitioner. This is called your Booking Appointment. From the information you provide, your GP or nurse practitioner will calculate how many weeks pregnant you are and give you an estimated date of delivery (EDD). Your GP or Nurse practitioner will also discuss with you a care plan for your pregnancy and they will answer any questions that you may have at this stage with regard to your pregnancy.

At this stage your GP or Nurse Practitioner will make two referrals, one for your first scan and the other to the midwife. The GP or Nurse Practitioner will send your referral for a scan to the Fetal Medicine Unit at St Thomas’ Hospital.

You should hear back from the hospital after a couple of weeks, giving you an appointment date. If you have not heard after two weeks please contact us at the surgery and ask to speak to the practice secretary.

The GP or nurse practitioner will discuss the first scan with you at your booking appointment and will give you some written information about it which you should read before you attend for your scan.

The Midwife and Pregnancy Services are based at St Thomas’ Hospital. However the Midwife will send you appointments to see her here at the Health Centre.

Midwife appointments are currently on Wednesdays. Your first appointment with the midwife should generally take place between 8-12 weeks of pregnancy. If you have not received a date for your first midwife appointment after two weeks, you should contact us at the surgery and ask to speak to the Practice Secretary.

At your first appointment with the midwife, you will probably cover:

• Discussion about the place of birth. Hospital births are at St Thomas’. You can also discuss having your baby at home.
• Further discussion about your first scan
• Smoking in pregnancy
• A discussion about ‘shared’ care. Shared care describes the combined care you will receive from different members of the health centre and hospital team
• How to contact various members of the team
• Leaflets about how to stay healthy in pregnancy
• Blood tests

If the midwife thinks it is appropriate she may refer you to an Obstetrician (hospital doctor specialising in pregnancy). Most women will not need to see an obstetrician in pregnancy but if you have had pregnancy problems in the past or have underlying medical problems you may need to discuss this with a specialist. You may also want to meet with a Health Visitor at this time. (Health visitors are trained nurses who specialise in family health, nutrition, child development and public health). However if you don’t meet with one at this time you will be invited to do so at a later stage.

You will be invited to attend for more appointments during the course of your pregnancy:

20-22 weeks Second scan at hospital

20-22 weeks Midwife
General discussion about health and physical check. Checking blood and scan results.
Discussions about ante natal classes

26 weeks GP
Physical check. Blood tests.

28 plus Health Visitor
You should receive an invitation from the health visitors.

30 weeks Midwife
General discussion about health and physical check.
Blood tests

34 weeks GP
Physical check and blood test if necessary.

36 weeks Midwife
General discussion about health and physical check
Preparation and discussion about having the baby.
Blood tests.

38 weeks GP
Physical check and discussion about the birth

40 weeks Midwife
Physical check. Discussion about birth.

41 weeks Midwife
Physical check. Discussion about possible induction of labour.

After the birth of your baby

Whether you have had your baby at the hospital or at home, the midwife will continue to look after you at home until 10 days after birth. You may find that the midwife you have at your birth and afterwards may be different to the one you saw at ante-natal clinics.

The Health Visitor will visit you at home to see you and your baby for the first time between 10-14 days after birth. They will tell you about the clinics which are run here at the surgery for routine checks and about mother and baby groups.

The GP or Nurse practitioner can see you at any time after the birth if there are any problems with you or your baby.

You will be invited to attend for a post-natal appointment with a GP at around 8 weeks. The GP will check to see you are well after the birth and will discuss any problems and general health matters such as contraception. The GP will also give your baby a full examination to make sure everything is developing normally. There will also be the opportunity for your baby to have their first primary vaccinations.

Please click here to find our more about your child's immunisations.

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