Antenatal Care
Antenatal care is the care you get from health professionals during your pregnancy. It's sometimes called pregnancy care or maternity care. You'll be offered appointments with a midwife, or sometimes a doctor who specialises in pregnancy and birth (an obstetrician).
Before you get pregnant
There are things you can do to improve your chances of getting pregnant and having a healthy pregnancy.
Your pregnancy week by week
The NHS website has a complete guide to what happens in pregnancy week-by-week.
Carbon monoxide testing in pregnancy
You may be offered a screening test to assess your levels of carbon monoxide exposure, or you can ask the midwife at any antenatal appointment to test you. Carbon monoxide testing when you are pregnant could highlight a household problem and prevent further exposure. If your midwife doesn't offer you a test, then ask them for one.
Maternity Action - Health Inequalities Work
Maternity Rights Advice Service delivers advice on employment and social security to all parents, including health and safety at work, time off for antenatal appointments, maternity leave and pay, redundancy and benefits. Their primary objective is to support women to retain their jobs during their childbearing years, if that is what they want to do. The Maternity Care Access Advice Service provides advice on access to maternity care and charging for maternity care to migrant and asylum seeking women, many of whom are destitute or on very low incomes. The Migrant Women's Rights Service provides training and advice to midwives and frontline charity workers supporting migrant and asylum seeking women with income, housing and access to healthcare. They directly advise over 3,000 women annually and the online information is viewed over 1.6 million times each year. Their advice services are fully accredited and delivered by their in-house lawyers and advisers.
Information for women with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes
This leaflet has information for women with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes about contraception and pregnancy.
Flu vaccine in pregnancy
The flu vaccine is available between September and January or February every year, and it is recommended that pregnant women get it as early as possible during the season.
Perineal tears and episiotomies in childbirth – Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG)
For further information regarding the types of tears that can occur during childbirth, how to minimise your risk of deeper tearing, and what can be done to help your recovery if you do tear, please visit the RCOG website: