Across NHSGGC, we provide an antenatal pathway of care, in line with national best practice and guidance. You can expect to have 8 to 10 regular antenatal appointments, including your booking appointment, with your midwife throughout your pregnancy.
Your first ‘booking appointment’ will usually take place before 10 weeks of pregnancy, this is a quite lengthy appointment with your midwife for around one hour. This enables you to share your past medical history, family history and any previous pregnancies and births. The Midwife, with consent, will undertake physical checks including blood tests and can give you advice and any onward referrals.
Your follow up midwifery antenatal appointments will then be scheduled, becoming more frequent as your pregnancy progresses. These appointments enable you to ask questions and raise any concerns that you have, and also allow the Midwife to ensure that your pregnancy is progressing well – this includes measuring the baby’s growth, listening to the baby’s heartbeat, checking your urine, taking your blood pressure and blood tests.
All women and pregnant people in Greater Glasgow and Clyde see Midwives, as is usual for maternity care across the UK. We try to ensure that you see as small a number of Midwives throughout your pregnancy and after the baby is born as possible, to help you get to know your midwife and build a trusting relationship.
Most women and pregnant people opt to have ultrasound scans during pregnancy – usually the first takes place between 12 and 14 weeks of pregnancy and another scan at around 20 weeks. You will be consented for your scans at the time of your booking appointement. We also offer screening for fetal anomalies in early pregnancy and these can be discussed with your midwife.
Some women and pregnant people also need to be seen by other members of the maternity team, including Obstetricians (doctors who specialise in more complex pregnancies and births), Fetal Medicine, Anaesthetists, Physiotherapists, Dieticians, Smoking Cessation support, the Specialist Diabetes Team and Mental Health Teams. These additional services can usually be accessed by referral from your Midwife, with some where you can self-refer.
We offer 24/7 care in our three large maternity units, through our Triage and Maternity Assessment services.
All of your maternity records are electronic and you are able to access your records and a range of information by accessing an app on your phone called Badger Notes.
You will also be offered antenatal classes, where you can meet others who are pregnant and learn about what to expect from labour and birth and the early days of parenting. We aim to provide these as locally as possible to where you live, so your community midwife will tell you about these.