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Congratulations you are pregnant! You may feel happy and excited, or shocked, confused and upset, the mix of emotions you are feeling is perfectly normal and may be caused by changes in your hormone levels – so don’t worry!
You should see a midwife as soon as you find out you are pregnant. This is so they can book your antenatal care and make sure you get all the information you need to have a healthy pregnancy.
If you live in Bexley, you can choose where to receive your antenatal care:
What can I expect to find out when I first see my midwife?
They should give you information about:
- Folic acid supplements
- Nutrition, diet and food hygiene
- Lifestyle factors – such as smoking, drinking and recreational drug use
- Antenatal screening tests - you should be told about the risks, benefits and limits of these tests.
Screening for sickle cell disease and thalassaemia should be offered before 10 weeks. This is so you can find out about all your options and make an informed decision if your baby has a chance of inheriting these conditions.
It's also important to tell your midwife if:
- There were any complications or infections in a previous pregnancy or delivery, such as pre-eclampsia or premature birth
- You’re being treated for a long-term condition, such as diabetes or high blood pressure
- You or anyone in your family has previously had a baby with a health condition (for example, spina bifida)
- There’s a family history of an inherited condition (for example, sickle cell or cystic fibrosis)
- You know that you're a genetic carrier of an inherited condition such as sickle cell or thalassaemia – you should also tell the midwife if you know the baby's biological father is a genetic carrier of these conditions
- You have had fertility treatment and either a donor egg or donor sperm
If you choose to have your baby at home, the community midwifery service offers a service that supports this. Please discuss further with your midwife.