Antenatal refers to the period of time from when you get pregnant up to the point you go into labour. Regular antenatal appointments help us to ensure that you and your baby are healthy. It will also help us to recognise when input from our specialist antenatal services might be necessary.
Our antenatal services
The majority of your antenatal care will be delivered by our teams of community midwives. They will most likely be the first members of our maternity team that you will meet. Your first appointment with your midwife, known as a ‘booking appointment’ will usually happen when you are around 8 weeks pregnant. This appointment may be face to face or in part, conducted over the phone.
We will ask about your medical history, previous pregnancies and provide information for early pregnancy such as foods to avoid, vitamin supplements and the screening tests we offer for you and your baby.
We provide information surrounding your place of birth options and discuss your birth preferences. At this appointment we will complete an initial health check which includes measuring your blood pressure, measuring your height and weight to calculate your BMI and we will also take some blood samples with your consent. You will also be given your hand held notes and RVI Pregnancy Book which provides additional information for you and helpful contact details for our maternity services.
You will see a community midwife regularly throughout your pregnancy and after your baby is born. If your community midwife is part of one of our continuity of carer teams, they may also give you support during labour and be there when your baby is born. Your community midwife will arrange for you to be seen in the hospital for your ultrasound scans. If required, they will arrange for you to be seen in our antenatal clinic. This is where your plan of care will be arranged between you, one of our consultants and other members of our team.
Your community midwife may also refer you to the hospital so that you can discuss your care with one of our specialist midwives. If there are any unexpected problems at one of your scans, our specialist Fetal Medicine Unit will be there to provide care and support.
Concerns about your pregnancy
The maternity assessment unit is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can discuss any concerns you have regarding your pregnancy with a midwife. For more general enquiries, your community midwife will provide you with all the contact numbers you will need. We are always here to help.
If you need to stay with us for longer than a day for observation during your pregnancy, your inpatient stay will most likely take place on antenatal ward 41. You will find support from the members of the maternity team.
Registering your pregnancy
If you have recently found out you’re pregnant, you can begin to book and begin your maternity care with Newcastle Hospitals. Please contact your GP or Community Midwife to inform them of your pregnancy.
This will help arrange your first appointment for between eight and ten weeks, and offer screening tests at the correct stages of your pregnancy.
Accessing your maternity records and care plan
Badger Notes is a fully digital pregnancy record, allowing you real-time access to your maternity record and personalised care plan. All you need is access to the internet and a computer or mobile device.
By accessing your records through Badger Notes, you can see your personalised care plan for your pregnancy, as well as during and after birth. You will be able to see a weekly timeline of your pregnancy, and learn all about your baby’s development.
You can also see all of your upcoming appointments and test results, with the choice of adding personal diary entries or photos during your pregnancy. A range of pregnancy leaflets and resources are also available through Badger Notes.
All of your information is held securely and cannot be accessed without the appropriate log-in details (similar to internet banking).
The Badger Notes app can be downloaded on Apple and Android mobile devices.
To find out how you can log into Badger Notes and access your maternity record, please speak to your midwife. You can also email the Newcastle Hospitals BadgerNet Maternity team for support with accessing your Badger Notes once you have an account created.
