Routine antenatal care, screening and ultrasound scans

Booking appointment

Your first pregnancy appointment is known as the booking appointment.

At your booking appointment your community midwife will ask you about your medical, pregnancy and social history and discuss your antenatal care plan with you. This appointment normally takes about an hour and is a good opportunity for you to ask any questions.

Your midwife will provide health information on a number of topics to help you have a healthy pregnancy and prepare yourself for birth.

Routine blood screening tests

We will ask your permission at your booking appointment to take some blood samples for routine screening. This is so that we can check your blood group and test for a variety of conditions. A further blood test will be offered at 28 weeks.

For more information, visit the NHS screening tests in pregnancy page.

Ultrasound scans

You will be offered two scans, one early in pregnancy at approximately 11–14 weeks and another at 18–21 weeks (anomaly scan) to check the growth and development of your baby.

You are welcome to bring someone with you when you come for your scan. 

You may be offered additional scans as needed, your doctor or midwife will explain if this is required.

Antenatal screening tests

Screening for chromosomal anomalies such as Down’s , Edwards' and Patau's syndromes  is offered to all pregnant women of all ages. The screening tests provide information about the chance of your baby being affected. These tests use blood samples taken from you and measurements taken from ultrasound scans. 

If you do receive a higher chance result from a screening test, your midwife or doctor will give you further information and support. You will be offered further testing which can confirm any diagnosis. 

For more information, visit the NHS syndrome screening page.

Further appointments (follow-up appointments)

After your booking appointment, future antenatal appointments will be booked with your community midwife, or at the hospital if these are required.   

Maternity notes

At Sherwood Forest Hospitals we have digital maternity records on a system called Badgernet. Badgernet has a patient facing app called Badger Notes, where you can access your pregnancy notes from your mobile phone, iPad or computer.

Midwives and doctors will write about each appointment visit within the Badgernet system and publish this into your Badger Notes app for you to see. For more information visit our Badger Notes page.

Your pregnancy 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. Request to access your health records.

Postnatal screening tests

Following your baby’s birth, we recommend several screening tests for your baby such as a hearing check, newborn examination and bloodspot screening.

Further information is available from the screening tests for you and your baby website. It is important that you read information and discuss these screening tests with your midwife, GP or obstetrician. 

Cervical screening

The Department of Health recommends that all women should have a cervical smear every three years. If your smear is due, we recommend you wait until at least 12 weeks after you have given birth unless advised otherwise. Read more on the NHS cervical screening page.