ANTENATAL CARE
What is Antenatal care?
Antenatal care is the care you receive from healthcare professionals during your pregnancy. You’ll be offered a series of appointments with a doctor who specializes in pregnancy and birth (an obstetrician).
They will check that you and your baby are well, give you useful information to help you have a healthy pregnancy (including healthy eating and exercise advice) and answer any questions you may have. You will also be offered antenatal classes, including breastfeeding workshops.
Antenatal appointments
If you’re expecting your first child, you’ll have up to 10 antenatal appointments. If you’ve had a baby before, you’ll have around seven antenatal appointments. Under certain circumstances, for example if you develop a medical condition, you may have more.
Early in your pregnancy, your doctor will give you written information about how many appointments you’re likely to have and when they’ll happen. You should have a chance to discuss the schedule with them. If you can’t keep an antenatal appointment, let the clinic know and make another appointment.