If you have found out you are pregnant please ask your GP surgery if they can arrange for a midwife to see you in your local surgery, if that is not possible they will send us your details and we will contact you to arrange your booking appointment. Alternatively, you can use the triage line 0114 226 8091 option 2 to speak to one of the community midwives. We like to see you for this initial appointment between 8-10 weeks of pregnancy.

Community care is delivered by over 50 community midwives across the city in a variety of settings including GP surgeries and Family Hubs. All women will have a named midwife and will be cared for by them and their team, alongside any necessary care from your GP or at the Jessop Wing Antenatal Consultant Clinics, Ultrasound Department or Fetal Medicine Unit. Referral will be arranged as required to the Midwife Sonographers, Daycare or Maternity Assessment Centre/Triage.

At your first pregnancy appointment (your ‘booking appointment’) the midwife will ask you about your medical, pregnancy and social history and discuss with you the type of care you want during pregnancy and birth. This appointment is a good opportunity for you to ask any questions and normally takes about an hour.

We will ask your permission at your booking appointment to take some blood samples for routine screening. This is so we can check your blood group and test for a variety of conditions including anaemia, sickle cell and thalassaemia disease, diabetes, hepatitis B, syphilis and HIV.

Appointments and scans

A partner or a nominated support person can attend all scan appointments and antenatal appointments, including 12 and 20 week scans and growth scans, and all follow-up antenatal appointments as long as you or your birth partner do not have any symptoms which would be COVID-19. (we would be grateful if children were not present at the scan appointments, please speak to the midwife in charge if this will be an issue.)

Midwife Led

During pregnancy most of your contact will be with your community midwife who will see you regularly to ensure that both you and your baby are healthy and to answer any questions you may have.

As soon as you have a positive pregnancy test your GP surgery will provide you with the information you need to access the care of one of our community midwives. 

A booking appointment is then planned to discuss these decisions and your care during your pregnancy and after you have your baby.
You will be offered two ultrasound scans. The first scan, in early pregnancy, is to confirm the expected date of delivery and the second scan is to assess your baby’s development.

Throughout your pregnancy, information and advice is available to you from all the health professionals involved in your care. We have many leaflets readily available which may help you understand, and make decisions on, your care and treatment. The information most appropriate to you will be provided to you throughout your care and you can talk to your midwife or health professional at any point for more advice.

Straight forward pregnancies or those without complexities do not generally require a consultant appointment, the midwife is responsible for your care.  Your health, and your baby’s development will be reviewed at each appointment during your pregnancy.  Additional appointments or a change to your pathway of care may be recommended if there are any concerns.

Consultant Led Care

Should you require any extra care (or you are deemed additional complexities) your midwife will refer you to the hospital to see a consultant or specialist midwife.

Antenatal clinics are held at the Jessop Wing to give you a choice of time and location that is most convenient for you. Your community midwife will provide you with the information you need to decide where to have your antenatal care, including those clinics run by our specialist midwives.

Further appointments (follow-up appointments)

After your booking appointment, you will be asked to make future antenatal appointments. If for any reason you cannot make an appointment or want to change the time, it is very important that you call the antenatal clinic or your midwifery team to rearrange your appointment and offer the original time to someone else.

Maternity handheld records

You will be given these at your booking appointment to keep with you during your pregnancy. Please always bring them with you when you go to see your midwife, GP or attend the hospital for any reason. Midwives and doctors will write about each visit you have and ensure your test results are available to you.

Your notes are a confidential record of your care and we are more than happy for you to write in them to comment on aspects of your pregnancy and treatment. After your baby is born, your notes will be retained by our Trust. A photocopy of your maternity records can be obtained for a small administrative fee. 

In your handheld records you will find:

This is your Personalised Care Plan booklet for you to complete and use as a prompt for discussions with your care givers about your pregnancy, birth and postnatal journey.

It includes:      

• My Pregnancy Plan
• Place of birth choices
• My Choices for birth
• Feeding, comforting and getting to know my baby
• My Postnatal choices and ICON discussion
• Keeping my baby safe at home

Further information about types and locations for birth can be Found Here.