HAVING A BABY
The decision to start a family is not made lightly. Normally there are very few problems to overcome. It is always advisable to allow two or three normal periods after stopping taking the Oral Contraceptive Pill, using barrier methods of contraception to allow a more simple dating of the pregnancy. Any woman planning to get get pregnant and has a contraceptive implant fitted should speak to a GP well in advance of starting to try for a baby.

Clearly women who are fit and well are more likely to have a healthy pregnancy so stopping smoking and reducing alcohol consumption is advisable. However there are some prospective parents who need special advice, either because one or other partner is ill or perhaps there is some illness which runs in the family. Under these circumstances an appointment should be made with a GP who will be pleased to give advice on a prospective pregnancy.

Likewise, if a pregnancy has not been confirmed, perhaps one year after stopping contraception, an appointment needs to be made with a GP.


CONFIRMATION OF PREGNANCY
Confirmation of pregnancy is usually by Urine Test which can be bought from the local pharmacy. These home pregnancy tests are just as reliable as the hospital tests and can be done shortly after a missed period. When we know you are pregnant you will need to see the Midwife and they will arange a booking visit at the hospital. The purpose of this visit is to allow the hospital to arrange a bed for you when the baby is due as well as to check that the pregnancy is well established and normal. You may well have to visit twice in the early stages of pregnancy and have a scan to check on the baby and its growth. This is quite normal, though not everyone has such a scan. Some blood tests will be carried out to help determine that the baby is well, and in particular does not have a high risk of Spina Bifida. Once all this is done you will be seen mainly by the Midwife at the Practice during surgery hours.


ANTENATAL CARE
Once your pregnancy has been confirmed and the booking visit to the hospital organised, you will need to have regular supervision throughout the pregnancy. Normally this is arranged on a shared basis between the hospital specialist and the Midwife. Usually a pregnant woman will need to be seen every 4 weeks until about the 30th week of pregnancy by the Midwife. The ante-natal clinic is a convenient way for most women to see Midwife and these clinics are held twice weekly. It is  important that you attend appointments

After 30 weeks, you will usually need a further hospital visit to check on progress, after which we will see you at 2 weekly intervals until 38 weeks of pregnancy and then weekly until you have the baby. During pregnancy you will receive advice on diet, including the provision of iron and vitamin supplements if necessary. We will also advise on smoking (it would be best for baby for you to STOP before you get pregnant or as soon as possible after your pregnancy is confirmed) and give advice on alcohol consumption. At each visit the baby will be checked for growth and you will also have a blood pressure check. Please remember to bring a sample of urine to be tested at each visit.


THE BIRTH
If you have chosen to have a home birth you will have already discussed the birth plan with your Midwife.

When labour begins (you will know when this happens either by the regular contractions of the womb or by the breaking of your waters) you will need to take the appropriate action if you are having a home birth. At this point, if you have agreed to give birth in hospital, you will need to contact the hospital to arrange admission to the labour ward. The baby will be born in hospital and you will have access to all the available techniques and skills to ensure the safest and most satisfactory of births. If the birth is quite straight forward you will not need to stay in hospital for very long even for a first baby and even less if it is an uncomplicated second or third birth.


THE FIRST FEW DAYS
A frequent visitor during these first few days will be the Midwife, hopefully someone you will already have met in ante-natal clinic.

Feeding the baby is of course a priority and you will need to have decided on your preferred method. We normally encourage breast feeding, but be warned, it is a skill you need to learn and may take as long as three weeks before your confidence allows you to feed your baby easily (and painlessly). Both the Midwife and the Practice will help if you get into difficulties.

Just a few other things to remember:

• The birth will need to be registered, although the legal requirement allows you six weeks grace we advise this be done as soon as reasonably possible.
• When the baby’s birth is registered you will receive information on how to register your baby at the Practice and we advise you do this as soon as possible.
• When the baby is eight weeks old you will need to contact the surgery to arrange a medical examination with a GP and begin the programme of immunisations. Baby Clinics are held on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays.