Your pregnancy journey


Last updated: Tuesday 17 September 2024

You are pregnant – congratulations on your pregnancy!

Having a baby is a life-changing event that is different for everyone. It can be both exciting and bewildering, involving lots of questions and many choices to make. 

When the time comes for you to have your baby, you want to be in a place where you feel comfortable, relaxed, confident, and secure and for everything to go as smoothly as possible.

Our Maternity Service will ensure you are supported every step of the way, offering help and advice throughout your pregnancy, care and reassurance when it’s time to give birth, and all the guidance you need as you embark on your journey through pregnancy to parenthood.

Read more about our Antenatal Services 

Screening tests

We offer an extensive range of antenatal and newborn screening services designed to detect  health problems that could affect you or your baby.  

The screening tests are available to support you in making choices about care or treatment during your pregnancy or after your baby is born. This will allow prompt treatment / further investigations and personalised help and support. 

Before you attend your booking appointment with your midwife, please take the time to read the ‘Screening tests for your and your baby’ information booklet. This is also available to you within the BadgerNet library. This booklet provides information to help you make decisions regarding any screening tests in pregnancy and after birth. Your midwife can also discuss these with you in more detail or you can contact the screening team on 01925 662893 if you need further information or advice.

You can download an Antenatal and Newborn Screening Timeline to understand the optimum stages for testing.

Watch NHS England's animation guide to screening tests

Find out more about screening tests

Read about the early pregnancy scan.

Read about fetal anomaly screening (20 week scan)

Baby movements in pregnancy

This patient information leaflet 'Feeling your baby move is a sign they are well' provides information on baby movements and advice for women about how their baby should feel and move during pregnancy. It may also be helpful if you are concerned that your baby has not been moving as much as usual or feel that your baby’s movements have changed.

It tells you about:

  • what are normal movements for the unborn baby
  • what affects how much you feel your baby move
  • what you should do if your baby’s movements are reduced or changed
  • what care you will have if your baby’s movements are reduced or changed

This information aims to help you and your healthcare team make the best decisions about your care. It is not meant to replace advice from a doctor or midwife about your own situation.

This information is based on the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists clinical guideline 'Reduced Fetal Movements'.

Information is available in other languages.

Breech babies

Babies lying bottom first or feet first in the uterus (womb) instead of in the usual head-first position are called breech babies. Read more about babies in the breech position.

Breech is very common in early pregnancy, and by 36 to 37 weeks of pregnancy, most babies turn naturally into the head-first position.

Towards the end of pregnancy, only 3 to 4 in every 100 (3 to 4%) babies are in the breech position. It may just be a matter of chance that your baby has not turned into the head-first position.

If your baby is breech at 36 weeks of pregnancy, your healthcare professional will discuss options including trying to turn your baby in the uterus into the head-first position by external cephalic version (ECV), and also planned caesarean section or planned vaginal breech birth.

If you require the information in another language or format please contact the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.