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Antenatal Shared Care
Once your pregnancy is confirmed, it’s important to see your GP or a midwife as soon as possible so you can schedule the needed appointments. Appointments during your pregnancy are called antenatal appointments or antenatal care.
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Why go to antenatal appointments?
Antenatal appointments will allow your GP, midwife and other people on your healthcare team to help both you and your baby stay healthy. Even if your pregnancy is going well and you’re feeling well, you need to attend your appointments so that any potential risks can be identified and prevented or reduced.
It’s also a great opportunity to ask questions about your pregnancy such as what's happening during each trimester, physical pregnancy symptoms and the birth itself. You may want to ask questions about caring for your baby after birth.
You can also get support to help with your lifestyle, including mental health or dietary advice, or help to quit smoking or avoid drinking alcohol. You can discuss any problems you might be having at home.
First 10 Weeks
Your womb (uterus) is now about the size of an orange. You may find your clothes are tighter and your stomach may be sticking out, but this can be due to changes in your bowel rather than your pregnancy.
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Many women feel vulnerable and emotional when they are pregnant. This is completely normal. You may also be more hungry than usual. Try not to fill yourself up with unhealthy food – choose nutritious snacks as part of a healthy diet while you’re pregnant.
Week 11 to 14
Your baby now measures about 4.5 cm — about the size of a fig - and weighs around 10g. The brain and nervous system have almost finished developing. The muscles and nerves are starting to work together, so the baby is making small, jerky movements around your uterus.
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The baby’s head is now about the same length as the body. The bones are starting to harden, the baby’s hands and feet are in front of their body, and they have individual fingers and toes with nail beds. The passages of the nose are open, and the tongue has formed.
The fingernails are growing, the heart is pumping blood, and teeth are inside the gums.
Week 14
By 14 weeks, your baby weighs about 45g and is about 11cm long – the size of a lemon. Its organs have formed, including the ovaries and testicles.
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The face is becoming more recognisable, with a longer neck and fully developed eyes, which are covered by fused eyelids. The fingers and toes are growing nails.
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The baby’s reflexes have started working – if you were to touch their hands or feet, they would curl or close. You can’t feel it yet, but the baby is moving around. The vocal cords are working, and the baby can cry.
Week 16
Your baby now weighs about 110g and is about 12.5cm – around the size of a small avocado. They are growing quickly and are about to have a growth spurt. They will roughly double in size over the next month.
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The baby looks much more human now. Their eyes are no longer at the side of their head, and their ears are in the right place. All of their joints are working, and they can wriggle their fingers and toes.
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The umbilical cord is now fully formed, with two arteries and one vein. Your baby may be gripping hold of it. They can flex their muscles and limbs and make expressions on their face, although they can’t control them yet.
Week 28
Congratulations - you have reached the third trimester! As the birth gets nearer, you will probably start seeing your doctor or midwife for antenatal appointments every 2 weeks.
Week 34
As at the beginning of your pregnancy, you might find you are quite tired and emotional from now on. You will probably have lots of aches and pains, and it can be quite hard to sleep. Make sure you get plenty of rest and look after yourself.
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Eating a healthy diet and doing gentle exercise will help you cope now and during birth. Make sure you keep up your pelvic floor exercises too because the muscles in this area will be under a lot of strain from now on.
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Many women develop pains at the top of their legs during the later stages of pregnancy. These are due to ligament stretching. If they are very painful, tell your doctor or midwife.
Week 36
If your baby has engaged, you might notice your bump has moved down. You might also feel pressure in your lower abdomen or your cervix, and you will probably need to go to the toilet more often.
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In the last month of pregnancy, you might feel quite breathless as the baby presses against your diaphragm. This should ease as the baby descends into your pelvis.
Week 38
You could go into labour at any time between now and 42 weeks. You might notice the very early signs of labour, which include pressure in your pelvis, cramps or tightening like period pains, backache or diarrhoea. You might have a ‘show’ – when a plug of mucus comes out of your vagina – or your waters might break, either as a trickle or a gush.
Week 40
Although it might feel as though you have been pregnant forever, the journey is not quite over. Only a small number of babies are born on their due date. If you go more than 10 to 12 days past your due date, or if there is a risk to you or your baby’s health, your doctor or midwife may recommend inducing labour. Any decision about you and your pregnancy should be made in consultation with you.
First 10 Weeks
(Visit One & Two)
1. Confirming Your Pregnancy
2. Your Due Date
3. Medical and Family History
4. Discuss Options of care
5. Healthy Pregnancy Advice
6. Cervical Screening if due
7. Arrange for a dating scan (optimal around week eight)
8. Blood Test, Urine Test, Vitamin D levels
9. Genetics Counselling
10. Morphology Ultrasound Referral
Week 11 to 14
1. Review and discuss all results
2. Identify Risk factors for fetal growth restrictions
3. Influenza Vaccine
Morphology Ultrasound
A morphology scan (also known as a ‘fetal anomaly scan’) is an ultrasound done between 18 and 20 weeks of your pregnancy. It checks your baby’s body organs, specifically looking at their structure and growth, while their age can be estimated based on these measurements. This scan can also check your baby’s heart rate and rhythm, show whether you have more than one baby in your uterus, and where your placenta is lying. Depending on your baby’s position, the scan may also reveal the sex.
Routine Pregnancy Health Check
1. Blood Pressure
2. General Health Check
3. Measure Tummy to check baby's growth
3. Check baby's heartbeat and movement
Week 26 to 27
1. Blood Glucose Tolerance test for diabetes
2. Review and discuss all results
3. Identify Risk factors for fetal growth restrictions
4. Influenza Vaccine
Week 28
1. Discuss birth plan and bringing baby home
2. Blood Test
3. Anti-D Injection ( if Rh Negative blood type)
4. Pertussis (whooping cough) vaccination
5. Urine Test (if required)
5. Routine Check
Week 34
1. Vaginal Swab for Group B strep (GBS)
2. Anti-D Injection (if Rh Negative blood type)
3. Assess baby's position and engagement
3. Routine Check
Week 36
1. Antenatal Clinic Visit
2. Discussion regarding signs of labour and planning for the baby's birth
3. Routine Check
Week 41
1. Antenatal Clinic Visit
2. Fetal Assessment
3. Plan for induction of labour
6 Weeks Postnatal
1. Conducted alongside baby's 6 week check + immunisation visit
