A rise in blood pressure later in pregnancy could be a sign of pre-eclampsia. If you re going to have your baby in a GP or midwife unit or at home, then you will probably go to your own GP and community midwife for most of your antenatal care. You may need to visit the hospital for an initial assessment and perhaps for an ultrasound scan or for special tests. Sometimes your midwife may visit you at home. If you re going to have your baby in hospital, your GP or midwife will send or give you a letter for the hospital.
Antenatal care varies around the country.
A number of tests will be offered at your first visit, and some of these will be repeated at later visits. You are under no obligation to have any test, although they are all done to help make your pregnancy safer or to help assess the well-being of your baby. Discuss the reasons for tests with your midwife or doctor so that you can make an informed choice about whether or not to have them. Ask to have the results explained to you if you do decide to go ahead. You won t be tested routinely for HIV infection, but some hospitals are carrying out unlinked anonymous surveys to try to find out just how widespread HIV is in the population.