Our emergency departments are currently extremely busy, and you may face a long wait to be seen. More information is available on alternative services.
If you have any concerns around your pregnancy please call our Triage Helpline
Tel: 0300 131 5341
During your pregnancy, your labour and the birth of your baby, a multidisciplinary team of midwives, obstetricians, General Practitioners, maternity support workers, neonatologists and neonatal nurses will look after you and your baby.
While you are pregnant you will have regular appointments with a midwife and or your General Practitioner (GP), or one of our obstetricians.
Each month there are a significant number of women who do not keep their antenatal clinic appointment. Midwives spend a considerable amount of time trying to find out if these women are receiving maternity care.
So that we can provide you with the best possible care, we ask that you notify us if you wish to cancel or change a hospital appointment. We would also like to know if you have moved out of the area. Please use the contact number provided on this website or contained within your handheld notes.
If you need to cancel a community based appointment you can do this by contacting your midwife directly, the receptionist at the antenatal clinic or the community liaison office.
You will need to inform the receptionist in the clinic of your arrival; she will then confirm your personal details and make any changes that are needed. It is important that we keep up to date information of your address, phone number and GP so you can be contacted.
Your Hand Held notes will be given to the midwife running the clinic; if you need any advice please speak to the midwife in the clinic who will be happy to help you.
During your visit your urine, blood pressure, height and weight will be checked. You may also need to have a scan depending on your individual needs.
Depending on whether you are being seen in the hospital, GP surgery or other community location, you will be seen by your midwife, GP or a member of the Obstetric team providing your care. You will be examined to make sure your pregnancy is progressing as it should and a discussion will take place around your on-going care.
Antenatal clinics can be very busy, please be patient with us.
The midwife, GP or obstetrician who examines you and talks to you during this visit will write down the details of the examination and discussion in your hand held notes. These will be given back to you before you leave. It is very important that you bring these notes every time you attend clinic as this is the main record of your care. Any follow up appointment will then be made as needed.
If you are seeing a consultant you will still receive care from your Community Midwife and GP in between your consultant appointments.
Although we will try to see you within ½ hour of your appointment time, there can sometimes be delays.
This occurs when problems arise with women or their unborn babies which take longer to deal with than expected. On these occasions we ask for your patience – if you feel that you have been waiting an excessive period of time then please discuss with a member of staff.
With this in mind we ask that you allow two to three hours for your appointment particularly if you have appointments in both scan and clinic.
This is a blood test usually taken when you are 28 weeks pregnant, if you have had an abnormal blood sugar result (at booking or 28 weeks) or, if your BMI body mass index is greater than 30, or if your urine sample shows the presence of sugar, if you have had a previous large baby or a family history of diabetes.
The test is performed to see if you have developed diabetes in pregnancy (gestational diabetes). If the test confirms diabetes you will be seen in the specialist diabetic antenatal clinic.
If you have had gestational diabetes before you will need a series of Glucose Tolerance Tests.
We will send you appointments for these.
Women who have or have had problems such as severe Anaemia, Thrombosis or any Blood Clotting disorders may be referred to a Haematologist by your GP or Community Midwife.
A Haematologist will discuss and plan your care with you. Regular blood tests are often required and you will be kept informed of what tests are required and when they are due by the staff in this clinic. Although you will not see a member of your consultant team at this appointment, your named consultant will be kept informed of your condition.
Women with an under or over active thyroid gland or any other related endocrine problem. This combined clinic gives you access to both your Obstetrician and Endocrinologist (Thyroid Consultant) with whom you can discuss and plan your care.
Regular blood tests are required to monitor your thyroid function. If required a blood bag request form is given to you on leaving clinic so you can have the blood test taken at your GPs the week before your next appointment. The result will then be available at your consultation and the doctors can adjust any medication you may be on.
The clinic lead midwife is available for advice and support and your care is shared with your Community midwife and GP.
Your community midwife, GP or Consultant, will arrange for you to see one of our specialist obstetric anaesthetists.
These appointments are usually for an assessment by an anaesthetist prior to giving birth, for conditions such as:
You can also request to speak with an anesthetist if you have specific questions about epidural or spinal analgesia.
Additional information is available via the Obstetric Anaesthetists Association – www.oaa-anaes.ac.uk
