UK guides7 min read
Your NHS antenatal appointments, week by week: what happens at each one
On the NHS you’ll usually have at least 10 antenatal appointments if this is your first baby, and at least 7 if you’ve had a baby before. They start with a booking appointment at 8 to 12 weeks, and include two scans: the dating scan at 11 to 14 weeks and the 20-week scan at 18 to 21 weeks. At most appointments your midwife checks your blood pressure and urine, and from 25 weeks they measure your bump and ask about your baby’s movements.
Here’s what happens at each appointment, so you know what to expect and what to ask. The exact timing can vary a little between maternity units and across the UK.
Your appointments at a glance
| When | What it is | First baby | Later babies |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 to 12 weeks | Booking appointment | Yes | Yes |
| 11 to 14 weeks | Dating scan | Yes | Yes |
| 16 weeks | Check-up and screening results | Yes | Yes |
| 18 to 21 weeks | 20-week scan | Yes | Yes |
| 25 weeks | Check-up | Yes | |
| 28 weeks | Check-up and blood tests | Yes | Yes |
| 31 weeks | Check-up | Yes | |
| 34 weeks | Check-up | Yes | Yes |
| 36 weeks | Baby’s position | Yes | Yes |
| 38 weeks | Check-up | Yes | Yes |
| 40 weeks | Check-up | Yes | |
| 41 weeks | If you’re still pregnant | Yes | Yes |
Before your first appointment
Contact your local maternity service as soon as you know you’re pregnant. In most areas you can refer yourself online or by phone, without going to your GP first. Search for your local hospital’s maternity self-referral form, or ask your GP surgery.
Getting in touch early matters: some screening tests work best early on, and your midwife can make sure you’re taking folic acid and vitamin D.
8 to 12 weeks: your booking appointment
This is usually your longest appointment, at around an hour, and it’s often at home, at your GP surgery or at a children’s centre. Your midwife gets to know you and your health, and plans your care.
They’ll ask about:
- the date of your last period, and any previous pregnancies
- your health, including any long-term conditions, medicines and your mental health
- your family history
- your job and home situation, smoking, alcohol and exercise
- your ethnic background, which helps decide which screening tests to offer
They may also ask about domestic abuse and female genital mutilation (FGM). Every woman is asked, so that anyone who needs support can get it.
They’ll check:
- your blood pressure
- your urine, for signs of infection and conditions like pre-eclampsia
- your height and weight
You’ll be offered blood tests to find out your blood group, check for anaemia, and screen for infections like HIV, hepatitis B and syphilis. You’ll also be offered screening for sickle cell disease and thalassaemia, ideally before 10 weeks.
You’ll get your maternity notes, usually as an app, or sometimes a paper folder. Keep them with you whenever you go out, all the way to the birth.
11 to 14 weeks: the dating scan
An ultrasound scan that checks how many weeks pregnant you are, gives you a more accurate due date, checks your baby’s early development and shows whether you’re having more than one baby.
At the same appointment you can choose to have screening for Down’s syndrome, Edwards’ syndrome and Patau’s syndrome. Our 12 weeks pregnant guide explains the scan and the screening in more detail.
16 weeks
A shorter check-up with your midwife. They’ll:
- go through the results of any screening tests
- check your blood pressure and urine
- tell you about your 20-week scan
- talk about how you’re feeling, physically and emotionally
You’ll be offered the whooping cough vaccine from 16 weeks. It’s usually given at around 20 weeks, and it’s best to have it before 32 weeks.
18 to 21 weeks: the 20-week scan
A detailed ultrasound that checks your baby’s bones, heart, brain, spine, face, kidneys and tummy, and looks for 11 specific conditions. It also checks where your placenta is.
If you have a higher chance of gestational diabetes, for example because of your weight, family history or ethnic background, you’ll be offered a glucose test between 24 and 28 weeks.
From 20 weeks your midwife can also give you your MATB1 certificate, which you need to claim maternity pay. Our guide to Statutory Maternity Pay and Maternity Allowance explains which you’ll get. And our 20 weeks pregnant guide covers the scan in more detail.
25 weeks (first baby)
From now on most appointments follow the same pattern. Your midwife will:
- measure the size of your bump, to check your baby’s growth
- check your blood pressure and urine
- ask about your baby’s movements
- ask how you’re feeling, including your mental health
- start talking about your birth choices
28 weeks
As well as the usual checks, you’ll be offered:
- a blood test to check for anaemia and look at your blood group again
- an anti-D injection, if your blood is rhesus negative and your baby could be at risk of rhesus disease. In some areas this is given a little later, at around 30 weeks
- the RSV vaccine, which protects your baby from a common virus that can cause serious breathing problems. It’s offered from 28 weeks
Your midwife will also talk to you about labour, birth and the checks your baby will have after they’re born. Read more in our 28 weeks pregnant guide.
31 weeks (first baby)
The usual checks, plus a chance to go through any screening results from 28 weeks. Your midwife will start talking about getting ready for the birth: your birth preferences, and how to tell when labour has started.
34 weeks
The usual checks, and more about preparing for labour: how to recognise it, ways to cope with pain, and making a birth plan. It’s a good time to ask about your options for where to give birth.
36 weeks
Your midwife will feel your bump to check which way your baby is lying. If your baby is bottom or feet first (breech), they’ll talk to you about your options.
You’ll also talk about feeding your baby, vitamin K, the newborn checks, and looking after yourself after the birth. Our 36 weeks pregnant guide has more on this.
38 weeks
The usual checks, and a conversation about what happens if your pregnancy goes past your due date.
40 weeks (first baby)
The usual checks, and more about your options if you haven’t had your baby yet. Most babies don’t arrive on their due date, so this is common.
41 weeks
If you’re still pregnant, you’ll be offered a membrane sweep, where your midwife sweeps a finger around your cervix to try to start labour. You’ll also talk about induction and when it would happen.
What to take to your appointments
- Your maternity notes, or the app on your phone
- A urine sample, if your maternity unit asks for one. Many give you a pot at your booking appointment
- A list of questions. Jot them down as you think of them, because it’s easy to forget once you’re there
- Someone to come with you, if you’d like. Most maternity units welcome partners or a friend
If you need an interpreter, ask your midwife. The NHS will arrange one for free.
Questions worth asking
- Who do I call if I’m worried, day or night?
- Which screening tests are you offering me, and what would the results mean?
- Am I classed as low risk? If not, what extra care will I have?
- What are my options for where to give birth?
- Are there free antenatal classes near me?
When not to wait for your next appointment
Call your midwife or maternity unit straight away, at any time, if you have:
- bleeding from your vagina
- a change in your baby’s movements, or they slow down or stop
- fluid leaking from your vagina
- severe tummy pain
- a bad headache, problems with your vision, or sudden swelling of your face, hands or feet
- a high temperature, or you feel very unwell
In an emergency, call 999.
Common questions
How many antenatal appointments will I have on the NHS?
If this is your first baby, you'll usually have at least 10 appointments and 2 ultrasound scans. If you've had a baby before, you'll usually have at least 7 appointments. You may be offered more if you're having twins, have a health condition, or need extra care.
When should I contact a midwife?
As soon as you know you're pregnant. In most areas you can refer yourself to your local maternity service online or by phone, without seeing your GP first. Your booking appointment is usually between 8 and 12 weeks.
Can my partner come to antenatal appointments?
Usually, yes. Most maternity units welcome a partner or another person at appointments and scans. Some ask that children don't come to scans, so check your appointment letter.
Do I have to have the screening tests?
No. Screening tests are offered to everyone, but it's your choice whether to have each one. Your midwife will explain what each test is for, so you can decide what's right for you.
Will I see a doctor or a midwife?
In a straightforward pregnancy most appointments are with a midwife. You'll see an obstetrician as well if you have a health condition, a previous complication or anything that needs closer care.
What if I can't make an appointment?
Call your midwife or maternity unit to rearrange it. Some appointments, like the dating scan and 20-week scan, have to happen within a set window, so try to rebook as soon as you can.
Sources
This is general information based on NHS guidance, not medical advice, and every pregnancy is different. Talk to your midwife or GP about anything that worries you. If your baby's movements slow down or change, or you have bleeding, severe pain or leaking fluid, call your maternity unit straight away. In an emergency, call 999.