Where does antenatal care happen?
There are a variety of places where you can receive antenatal care: • At the hospital where you’re due to give birth • At your GP surgery • From community midwives at a health centre • In your own home, where the midwife or doctor visits you • At another hospital, where there may be special facilities not on offer at your hospital • ‘Shared care’, where appointments are split between your doctor and your hospital. Unless there’s a problem with your pregnancy, most of your antenatal care will probably not take place at the hospital. You might go to the hospital’s antenatal clinic if your doctor or midwife suggests an appointment with an obstetrician; you may also be asked to go there for antenatal appointments towards the end of your pregnancy. What happens? Your first antenatal appointment will probably be your booking-in appointment and usually happens at about eight to 12 weeks. In some areas, this is done at home by a community midwife; in others, you’ll be asked to visit the hospit
