Throughout your pregnancy, you'll have regular antenatal
appointments to check you and your baby are well, and to spot
potential problems before they become serious.
You'll probably have between eight and a dozen appointments; most
of them will take place in the midwives' or GP's clinic, or at
home. If you're having your baby in hospital you'll have some
appointments at the antenatal clinic there.
Getting booked in
The booking appointment is the first major appointment, usually at
about eight to 12 weeks.
You'll be asked about your health and where you want to have your
baby (so a place can be booked for you). You can change your mind
later. This is a good chance for you to ask questions too.
Sometimes, the booking appointment takes place at your home, with a
community midwife (a midwife who doesn't work in a hospital).
Testing time
The tests and checks you are offered in your antenatal care
include:
- Blood test: this will identify your blood
group, and see whether your blood is Rhesus positive or negative
(if you are Rhesus negative and your baby is Rhesus positive, this
might mean you or your baby need treatment), and check for
illnesses or conditions that could affect you, or your baby's
health. Blood tests are quick and easy, and don't involve more than
the equivalent of a spoonful of blood taken with a syringe. You may
have blood tests later to check you are not anaemic, and to check
for a substance called AFP which may indicate a raised risk of your
baby having spina bifida.
- Blood pressure: checked at most antenatal
appointments, with a fabric cuff wrapped round your arm, which is
then inflated with a little pump. The cuff is linked to a device
that measures the blood pressure. Using a stethoscope, the midwife
also listens to the changes in the sound of your pulse while the
cuff is deflating. The test checks your blood pressure isn't too
high, which could affect your health and your baby's (the placenta
doesn't work as efficiently if blood pressure is too high). High
blood pressure is also one of the signs of pre-eclampsia, a
disorder of pregnancy which can be serious for mother and baby, and
which needs monitoring.
- Urine test: your urine is tested for protein
and sugar. You'll be asked to provide a sample at the time of the
appointment, or you can bring it in with you in a bottle. Sugar in
the urine can mean gestational diabetes, a particular sort of
diabetes that occurs in pregnancy. Protein can mean
pre-eclampsia.
- Palpation: all this means is your tummy is
felt to see what size the baby is, and how he is lying in the
uterus. Other tests Different health authorities
test for different conditions. Some areas offer a mouthwash test to
see if you are a carrier of the condition cystic fibrosis. Or you
may be offered a blood test to check your risk of having a baby
with Down's syndrome. Older mothers are usually offered
amniocentesis, for the same reason; this test involves taking a
sample of the amniotic fluid surrounding the baby. Weighing
in Most mothers are weighed at the start of their
pregnancy, but these days you're less likely to be weighed every
time. This is because we now know the information doesn't really
say much about the baby's growth and health, and the weighing
itself can make some women anxious.
- Ultrasound An ultrasound scan uses
high-frequency sound waves which bounce off solid objects - like
your baby - to create a picture on a screen of what's inside your
uterus. You may be offered a scan between 14 and 16 weeks, though
different areas have different policies. The procedure is painless,
and over with in a few minutes. You have to lie down with your
tummy exposed. The technician - usually a radiographer, sometimes a
midwife or doctor - spreads some gel on your tummy and then passes
a hand-held instrument over your tummy. This transmits everything
inside to a screen, where it forms a picture. If you have a scan in
early pregnancy, you'll be asked to drink a lot of water so the
bladder can push the uterus up a little. This helps the scan
operator get a better picture. The scan can show:
- your baby's size
- the way your baby is lying in the uterus
- how many babies there are!
- your baby's organs, and bones It can also show:
- your baby's sex, if he or she is lying in the right way for the
sex organs to be scanned
- some types of abnormality
- the exact position of the baby and placenta (to enable needles
to extract amniotic fluid for amniocentesis)
- where the placenta is lying - in late pregnancy, a low-lying
placenta might cause severe bleeding