Your first midwife appointment (also called the booking appointment) should happen around 7-10 weeks pregnant. The appointment usually takes around an hour.
At the start of your pregnancy, during your first visit your Midwife will make an assessment based on your previous and current medical history and pregnancy history, as well as any social and mental health needs.
You will be offered a blood test at this time to screen for infectious diseases and sickle cell/Thalassaemia. You can read more about the screening tests on offer clicking the Antenatal Screening link below.
Dependent on the outcome of your assessment, you will be allocated to either high risk or low risk care. Your care will be planned ensuring that you receive any additional scans or appointments with an Obstetrician if required. The Antenatal Pathways below show additional care you may require depending on your medical or pregnancy needs.
Throughout your pregnancy you will be offered regular appointments with your Midwife. Your care will be designed around your individual needs, although there are a minimum number of times it is recommended that you are seen. These appointments check that you and your baby are healthy and that any problems can be picked up as early as possible. Information about your appointments and what will be discussed can be found in the NICE Schedule of antenatal appointments.
For further information about your antenatal care visit: NHS Choices, Your antenatal care.
We understand that on some occasions you may wish to request a different Midwife to care for you. This can be accommodated by speaking to one of the Community Midwife Managers. Please e-mail wuth.communitymidwives@nhs.net with your contact details, asking to speak to a Manager.