If you’re thinking about having your baby with us at Medway, please complete the online self-referral form. We recommend that you complete this form as soon as possible after confirming your pregnancy with a positive pregnancy test. This gives us the best opportunity to arrange your first appointment for between 8 and 10 weeks of pregnancy.
Once your self-referral has been received by our teams, you will receive an email containing a link to register for a PHR (Personal Health Record) account. This is so that you can access your maternity notes online.
Your referral will be handed to a midwife within the team and they will contact you within 7 to 10 days with your booking appointment.
If you do not hear back from us within 10 working days, please contact your local community office. Please check your emails as your midwife may make contact via this method to arrange your appointment.
Here at Medway we have a digital PHR (Personal Health Record) that allows you access to your maternity records through your smartphone, PC or tablet.
The information that appears is generated in real-time from our hospital maternity system, using details entered by the healthcare professionals involved in your care.
You will be able to see a summary of your pregnancy details including:
- Booking summary
- A summary of the antenatal appointments you have with the midwife or doctor
- Antenatal admissions summary for each attendance
Once you have registered and verified your PHR account you can access it at any time via this link: https://phr.medway.nhs.uk
Antenatal Care
Antenatal care is the care that you will receive during your pregnancy. This will be provided by a team of Community Midwives; however, you will be allocated a named midwife that will oversee your pregnancy.
Pregnant people who experience complications during pregnancy or who have a known medical condition will also be referred to our Antenatal Clinic for an appointment with one of our Consultant Obstetricians. Their role is to provide you with specialist input to ensure the safety and wellbeing of yourself and baby.
It is important that antenatal appointments are attended as it is a way that we can ensure a healthy pregnancy and appropriate monitoring of health for both pregnant person and baby.
Your schedule of appointments will vary depending on your individual circumstances and this will be discussed with you at your booking appointment.
Booking Appointment
The booking appointment is the first appointment that you will have with a healthcare professional after finding out that you are pregnant. We aim to complete this appointment where possible by 10 weeks of pregnancy.
This is an important appointment as it allows us to discuss your history with you and give you information about pregnancy which allows us to make sure that all appropriate support is in place and referrals are made to ensure a healthy pregnancy.
During your booking appointment the midwife will:
Review your medical history
- This includes discussing any pre-existing medical conditions
- Discuss any current medication being taken
- Asking about relevant family medical history
- Discuss your past or present mental health history and emotional wellbeing
- Ask you about your mood to assess your mental health
Discuss obstetric history if applicable
- Your previous pregnancies
- Type of birth
- Any complications
General Health Assessment that will be offered
- Check blood pressure
- Check your urine
- Record Height, weight and BMI
- Antenatal screening tests such as a blood test
- Carbon Monoxide screening
Lifestyle discussion around the following
- Smoking
- Nutrition and diet
- Taking pregnancy vitamins such as Folic Acid 4mg and Vitamin D 10mcg.
- Exercise and pelvic floor exercises
- Alcohol consumption
- Drug use
Safeguarding history
- This includes a discussion of any ongoing or historical social care involvement
- Discussion on any additional support we could offer you in your pregnancy
Referrals
- Referrals will be made for your nuchal scan (11 to 13 weeks)
- If required referral to see a consultant
- Mental Health services if applicable
Discussion of Antenatal Care
- Discussion around choosing place of birth
- Discuss your personalised antenatal care plan
- Schedule of appointments and baby’s development
- Discuss services available such as; Antenatal Education, infant feeding, maternity exemption, employee rights
- Answer any questions that you may have
This appointment is an opportunity to ask any questions that you have and to tell your midwife if you need extra support throughout your pregnancy.
Screening Tests during the Booking Appointment
During your pregnancy you will be offered a range of screening tests which help us to identify potential risks or health conditions that may affect your health or that of baby. Many of these screening tests are performed during the first trimester (12 weeks). These tests are designed to:
- Detect any potential risks early on in pregnancy
- Help make your pregnancy safer by allowing for early and appropriate intervention if necessary
- Check and assess the development and wellbeing of you and your baby
Screening tests can be carried out in a number of ways including blood tests and ultrasound scans.
Personalised Care
We offer personalised care that is aimed at supporting pregnant people and their families to make informed choices for themselves and their babies.
Personalised care means people are offered choice around their care and receive care that is individualised to them.
Your midwife will give you a Bump, Birth and Beyond booklet which is a tool that provides you with the opportunity to think about what is important to you in your pregnancy and birth journey. You can then write this in your booklet and discuss this with your midwife and/or obstetrician.
Maternity self-referral form
Thank you for choosing to have your baby at Medway. You now have two options. You can arrange your booking appointment by phone or by using our online self-referral form below.
If you need help completing the form or need an interpreter, please contact us.
If you do not hear back from us within 10 working days, please contact your local community office.
Please check your emails as your midwife may make contact via this method to arrange your appointment.
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Support during your pregnancy
