Midwife
When you discover you’re pregnant you should book in with the midwife so that the necessary appointments and tests can be arranged in time. The booking consultation should happen before you’re 10 weeks pregnant. Don’t worry if you’re later than this, but you should book with the midwife as soon as possible.
Due to the COVID emergency the booking procedure has changed slightly. The booking consultation is now done over the phone – call 03000 853 178 to arrange this. At some point you will need to be seen face to face, in order to do some simple tests such as blood pressure, urine test, and to measure height and weight.
Folic acid and Vitamin D
We advise that if you are trying to conceive you should be taking folic acid. This is to ensure the healthy development of the baby’s spine. Don’t worry if you weren’t already taking folic acid when you discovered that you’re pregnant, start taking it as soon as you know. Folic acid needs to be taken for the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. Once pregnant you are also advised to take vitamin D, to continue throughout pregnancy and during breastfeeding. Tablets containing both folic acid and vitamin D are available at the pharmacy.
Which dose of folic acid should I be taking?Most women will need to take 400 micrograms. You can buy this over the counter in combination with vitamin D.
It is advised that you take 5mg if;
- you or the baby’s biological father have a neural tube defect
- you previously had a pregnancy affected by a neural tube defect
- you or the baby’s biological father have a family history of neural tube defects
- you have diabetes
- you’re taking anti-epilepsy medicine
This higher dose will need to be prescribed by your GP.
Diet
During your booking consultation your midwife will discuss dietary advice in pregnancy with you. This advice is summarised on the NHS website and can be accessed here. This is a useful resource that you can read before your booking consultation, or as a reference during your pregnancy. It is important to avoid some foods – click here to go to the NHS page for details.