Your care

Maternity care

Our obstetricians and midwives work closely together to ensure you receive the highest level of care during your pregnancy, delivery and after your baby is born. You can choose one of the following models of care:

Midwife-led care

Midwifery-led care is generally chosen by women whose medical history and any previous pregnancies indicate that this pregnancy should be uncomplicated. We have a team of highly experienced midwives who will guide you through the options and advise you on all aspects of your care.

All antenatal tests will be carried out by the midwife and ultrasound scanning requests will be referred to a specialist. When the time comes, your baby will be delivered by one of the midwives on duty.

Should any problems arise during your pregnancy, your midwife will refer you to one of our consultant obstetricians. If there are complications during your labour our on-call team will be contacted for advice.

Consultant-led care

Consultant obstetricians who work in The Kensington Wing are effectively independent specialist surgeons with whom you should book directly. Please be aware that the obstetrician's fee is in addition to the hospital charges—see the Booking Information page.

During your antenatal care, your obstetrician will carefully assess you to identify any risk factors for complications during the pregnancy. You will be monitored closely to ensure that your pregnancy is developing normally.

Your obstetrician will answer any questions that you may have and advise you about your antenatal care and the delivery options available to you. In the unlikely event of complications during birth, the obstetrician will be there to perform any emergency procedures that may be required.

Any of our staff will happily answer any questions you have while choosing your preferred model of care.

Antenatal care

To ensure the continued wellbeing of both you and your baby, you will be booked for regular antenatal check-ups with your obstetrician or midwife. These visits are to monitor the health and wellbeing of you and your baby, provide advice and information, and give you the opportunity to ask questions and discuss any concerns.

During the booking visit, your obstetrician or midwife will discuss the antenatal packages available from the hospital and guide you through the birthing options. At this point we will conduct a general check-up which will include some blood tests.

Contact with your obstetrician or midwife is not restricted to these visits, please feel free to call us at any time for advice.

Scans

We recommend that you have two scans during your pregnancy:

• The Nuchal Translucency Scan occurs between 11 and 13 weeks of pregnancy. It is designed to identify women whose pregnancies are at high risk of having Down's Syndrome. It is not a diagnostic test.
• The Anomaly Scan usually occurs between 19 and 21 weeks of pregnancy. It is designed to check that your baby is developing normally.

Schedule of Blood Tests and Scans