Antenatal care
You will have regular appointments with your midwife throughout your pregnancy, and your midwife will explain this process to you. This is known as antenatal care.
Your maternity notes and Badger Notes
Badger Notes (if you registered your pregnancy with us from June 2023
Badger Notes is an online portal and app that allows you to access your maternity records over the internet through your PC, tablet device or mobile phone.
The information that you view is generated in real-time from your hospital-based maternity system, using details entered by your midwife or other health professionals involved in your care.
This new service allows you to have more convenient and timely access to key information, and also ensure that your choices on what you want to happen at each stage are clearly captured for all those caring for you to see.
Your maternity notes (if you registered your pregnancy with us before June 2023)
You will have been given your maternity notes at your first midwife appointment, which is usually when you are around 8 weeks pregnant.
Your maternity notes are a record of the care that you get from every health professional:
- during your pregnancy
- during your birth
- after birth
It allows everyone involved in your care to communicate with each other. These notes belong to the maternity unit, so your midwife will need to return them to the unit once your care is finished.
If you have paper notes, you should bring them with you to every health check, including GP and hospital appointments.
Tests and screening
Over 95% of all pregnancies in the UK result in the birth of a healthy baby, but tests and screening aims to detect problems early.
You will be offered a range of tests during your pregnancy, including blood tests and ultrasounds which:
- help make your pregnancy safer
- check the development and wellbeing of your baby
- screen for particular conditions
Find out more about antenatal checks and tests
Harmony test
The harmony test, also known as NIPT, is a DNA based test for 3 chromosomal abnormalities.
It's an enhanced screening test that is not routinely available through the NHS for uncomplicated pregnancies. But it can provide an additional level of reassurance.
The test can be carried out from 10 weeks of pregnancy. The service is provided by our fetal medicine consultants, who will support you through the test and the results.
For more information or if you would like to book an appointment, please contact the antenatal screening co-ordinators on 0300 422 2415 or 0300 422 6106. You can also email us a ghn-tr.ANSCO@nhs.net
If you have not received a call or letter with an appointment for your Anomaly scan by the end of week 16 of gestation, please contact us via ghn-tr.cghobstetricus@nhs.net.
Emails are checked minimum once daily and you should receive a follow up call or email within 3 working days
NHS antenatal classes
If you are interested in our free NHS antenatal classes, please see our Antenatal classes webpage for more information, or speak to your community midwife.