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Please email the scanning department if you have any questions about scans: uhsussex.imagingsecretaries@nhs.net.
After finding out you're pregnant, you should contact your GP or local children's centre to arrange your first community midwife appointment. You should also book your birth with us, using our online booking form.
When you meet your named midwife, together you will both plan your on-going care.
See below for what to expect at each appointment throughout your pregnancy.
Your community midwife will:
- Review your history and plan of care
- Ensure your dating scan and combined screening are booked if you would like these tests
- Check your blood pressure
- Record your weight, height and body mass index
- Make any necessary referrals to hospital or other specialist services
- Offer carbon monoxide screening to all pregnant women and people
- Outline the plan for your antenatal care
- Complete your personal hand held notes which are kept by you and in which all of the care you receive during your pregnancy will be documented.
A pregnancy scan or ultrasound scan uses high-frequency sound waves to create a moving image of your baby. You will be able to see the image on a screen. In most cases we are able to print out a photo for you to take away but please note we do make a £5 charge to cover printing costs.
The dating/combined ultrasound scan is usually offered at around 11 to 14 weeks. It is quick and takes only about 15 minutes. The purpose of this scan is to measure the size of your baby to accurately confirm the due date. It can also detect twins or more.
Unfortunately we sometimes detect a miscarriage at this scan, even though there may have been no signs beforehand. We occasionally detect major abnormalities at this scan too. If we do detect a problem we will refer you to a specialist midwife or doctor.
Many pregnant women and people choose to have a screening test to assess the likelihood of Down’s syndrome and some other chromosome abnormalities. The dating scan is an essential part of such tests.
At this appointment your community midwife will:
- See how you are feeling in your pregnancy
- Review your plan of care
- Review the bloods taken at your booking appointment
- Ensure you have had your dating scan
- Check your blood pressure
- Dip your urine to check for protein
A pregnancy scan or ultrasound scan uses high-frequency sound waves to create a moving image of your baby. You will be able to see the image on a screen. In most cases we are able to print out a photo for you to take away but please note we do make a charge of £5 to cover printing costs.
The anomaly (abnormality) scan is performed at around 20 weeks of pregnancy. This will provide a detailed examination to check the baby is developing normally. We also check your baby’s growth, the position of the placenta and the amount of fluid around the baby. If the scan shows a possible problem, you will be referred to a specialist to confirm findings and where necessary discuss the options available to you. It is important to remember that not all abnormalities will be detected on ultrasound scan.
At this appointment your community midwife will:
- See how you are feeling in your pregnancy
- Review your plan of care
- Check your blood pressure
- Dip your urine to check for protein
- Measure your bump
- Discuss baby movements
- Discuss how you are planning to feed your baby
- Discuss birth choices
- Give you your Mat B1 form, which enables you to claim Statutory Maternity Pay from your employer or Maternity Allowance if you don’t qualify for Statutory Maternity Pay.
At this appointment your community midwife will:
- See how you are feeling in your pregnancy
- Review your plan of care
- Check your blood pressure
- Dip your urine to check for protein
- Measure your bump
- Discuss baby movements
- Take your blood to check for anaemia (low iron level)
- Discuss Whooping cough immunisation
- If you haven’t already received it give you your Mat B1 form, which enables you to claim Statutory Maternity Pay from your employer or Maternity Allowance if you don’t qualify for Statutory Maternity Pay.
- Discuss birth choices
You can see your GP for this appointment.
Your GP will:
- See how you are feeling in your pregnancy
- Review your plan of care
- Check your blood pressure
- Dip your urine to check for protein
- Measure your bump
- Discuss baby movements
- Review the bloods taken at your 28 week appointment
At this appointment your community midwife will:
- See how you are feeling in your pregnancy
- Review your plan of care
- Check your blood pressure
- Dip your urine to check for protein
- Measure your bump
- Discuss baby movements
- If not already done, review the bloods taken at your 28 week appointment
- Discuss perineal massage and care
- Discuss breast/chest feeding
- See how you are feeling in your pregnancy
- Review your plan of care
- Check your blood pressure
- Dip your urine to check for protein
- Measure your bump and check which way round your baby is
- Discuss baby movements
- Weigh you
- Discuss:
- Place of birth, labour and your birth plan
- Caring for your newborn baby
- Breastfeeding and hand expressing
- Vitamin K
- Postnatal depression
- Newborn screening
- Caring for yourself after your baby is born
At this appointment your community midwife will:
- See how you are feeling in your pregnancy
- Review your plan of care
- Check your blood pressure
- Dip your urine to check for protein
- Measure your bump and check which way round your baby is
- Discuss baby movements
- Discuss options if your pregnancy goes overdue
At this appointment your community midwife will:
- See how you are feeling in your pregnancy
- Review your plan of care
- Check your blood pressure
- Dip your urine to check for protein
- Measure your bump and check which way round your baby is
- Discuss baby movements
- Discuss options if your pregnancy goes overdue
- Offer you a membrane sweep
At this appointment your community midwife will:
- See how you are feeling in your pregnancy
- Review your plan of care
- Check your blood pressure
- Dip your urine to check for protein
- Measure your bump and check which way round your baby is
- Discuss baby movements
- Offer you a membrane sweep
- Offer and arrange an induction of labour
