Antenatal Care
This information is to let you know what you can expect from all the health
professionals involved in your antenatal care.
Folic Acid Supplements should be started pre-pregnancy if possible or as
soon as possible if unplanned. Whilst you are pregnant and until your baby is
one year old you are entitled to free prescriptions and dental treatment. On
your first appointment with the midwife, your antenatal care will be outlined
and arrangements will be made for you to see a doctor.
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In the first instance, you will be allocated a Named Midwife who will
provide the majority of your care throughout your pregnancy and after
the birth of your baby. Your antenatal appointments will usually take
place at the surgery.
If you have a “low risk” pregnancy you will be booked for Midwife Led
Antenatal Care and you need not attend an appointment with a
Consultant Obstetrician; your midwife will see you for all check ups. If a
complication arises during the course of your pregnancy, then a
Consultant appointment would be generated.
You may opt to see your GP for some antenatal care if you wish
If you have a medical condition or a complicated pregnancy history,
you will be booked as “High Risk” instead, but this simply means your
antenatal care will be shared between your Midwife and Consultant.
Consultant appointments are held at Holywell Community Hospital,
Halkyn Road - Outpatients Clinic every Wednesday morning. Triage /
Drop In available Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 09:00 – 10:30
and 16:00 – 17:00.
Appointments to see your midwife will usually be made before you leave the
surgery. If you require an appointment prior to the next one, please telephone
the surgery to make one. We are happy to see you between times as
necessary. If you are unable to keep an appointment, please contact the
surgery or relevant Midwife to re-arrange. Regular antenatal care is
recommended and it is important that you stay in touch with us to enable us to
give you the best care.
Please contact your midwife if you do not receive appointments through the
post for your 12-week and 20-week Ultrasounds Scan.
The following is a plan of a typical antenatal programme, but it may be tailored
to suit your needs as appropriate:
10 – 12 weeks
Booking an appointment at your home or surgery clinic, to complete your
hand held notes, take your medical and pregnancy history and discuss your
pregnancy care. Your routine bloods will be discussed and may be taken at
this appointment. The Triple Test, which screens for Down’s Syndrome risk,
will be discussed and if you opt for this test it will be taken around week 16.
This initial appointment may take up to an hour and allows you the opportunity
to ask any questions. You will receive an appointment for an Ultrasound Scan
at approximately 12 weeks gestation. This is to accurately date your
pregnancy, but sometimes significant abnormalities may be detected.
16 weeks
Antenatal check to include the blood tests you will have decided upon.
20 weeks
Ultrasound Scan at Glan Clwyd Hospital to look at Baby’s development in
more detail.
21-22 weeks
Antenatal check including repeat blood tests. If you have a Rhesus Negative
blood group, your blood will be checked for antibodies and you will be offered
prophylactic Anti D injections, given at 28 and 34 weeks. Your midwife will
explain this in more detail to you.
31 - 32 weeks
Antenatal check
34 - 36 weeks
Antenatal check including blood test for anaemia and antibodies if Rhesus
Negative.
38 weeks
Antenatal check
40 weeks
Your baby is due! Antenatal check including discussion and arrangement of
induction of labour if you do go overdue. The optimum time for induction of
labour in an uncomplicated pregnancy is around 10 days past your due date
and your midwife will arrange this for you.
Please note that all dates are approximate and may vary on an individual
basis. If you are booked for High Risk/shared Care, you will see your
Consultant instead of your midwife at some of the above times.
We look upon our relationship with you as a partnership and hope you
will help us to help you have a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby.
Parent Education Classes
When you are around 30 weeks pregnant, you will be offered dates for you
and your birth partner to attend Parent Education Classes. These will be led
by a Midwife in Park Lane Clinic, Holywell and may take place in the daytime
or evenings. The sessions may run for 3 – 4 weeks and include the following
topics:
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A talk about labour and all that it involves!
A tour of the maternity unit
Discussion about feeding your baby
Two sessions will be taken by the Health Visitor
Postnatal Care
The day following your discharge from hospital after the birth of your baby,
your midwife will visit you and your baby at home, and for up to a minimum of
10 days or a maximum of 28 days thereafter – the number of visits being
decided between you and your midwife based on your needs and wishes. You
are therefore not usually visited daily. It is recommended that a postnatal
check is carried out by the Doctor around 8 weeks following the birth of your
child – please make an appointment with a female doctor for this
(appointments only made in the afternoon for this check).
Additional Help
Triage sessions are held Monday, Tuesday & Friday from 4.00pm – 5.00pm
(except the 1st Monday of each month) and these are held at Park Lane Clinic,
Holywell. These sessions are not as a replacement to a normal antenatal
appointment but are available to reassure expectant mums should they have
concerns between appointments.
Health Visitor
The Health Visitor is a qualified Nurse with special training and experience in
child health, health promotion and health education. Every child under five
years has a named Health Visitor and she can give you advice and
information on health development, e.g. feeding, sleeping, communication
and behaviour.
The Health Visitor can also provide you with information regarding the
Childhood Vaccination Programme.
Health Visitors are also a source of information regarding local services for
young children. They run regular developmental screening of all children less
than five years of age. This is carried out every Wednesday from 09:00 –
11:00 at the surgery.
For further information regarding the Health Visitor and Childhood
Immunisations, please refer to Health Visitors within the Services tab.