Safe to attend your antenatal appointments

The pandemic has been worrying for everyone, and pregnant women might have felt especially anxious. But it’s safe – and important – to attend routine antenatal appointments. So you should ask your midwife or maternity team if you have any concerns.

The NHS can help

During the pandemic, pregnant women might feel worried about attending their antenatal appointments, or seeking medical help if they have any concerns about their baby. They might feel like they are being an extra burden on the NHS in some way, or that their needs aren’t as important as someone else’s.

But the NHS wants pregnant women to know that if you have any worries about your health or the health of your unborn baby, please do not hesitate to contact your midwife or maternity team. They are ready to care for you, safely.

Extra precautions

Midwives have worked hard to make sure you still have a personal and safe maternity experience

Women of a Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic background may be at a higher risk of complications of coronavirus. Maternity services have been asked to take extra precautions to keep women at greatest risk safe and everyone should seek advice without delay if they are concerned about their or their baby’s health.

Midwives have worked hard to make sure you still have a personal and safe maternity experience during this time, but some services will need to adapt. This could mean having telephone or video consultations, or attending your antenatal appointments in a different setting.

Your midwife will have more details about what is happening in your area. If you’re due to see your midwife, or something just doesn’t feel right, the NHS is open and ready to see you safely. You may find it helpful to talk to your particular NHS Trust to find out exactly how they are managing their services at this time.

More support

Although it’s important to get medical advice for any concerns you may have, you might also like to read our articles on pregnancy.

Find out more about coronavirus and pregnancy, and if you’re Black or Asian and pregnant, read our article on what you should know about coronavirus here.