Antenatal Care
COVID Guidance
If you develop COVID during your pregnancy please notify your midwife as additional care planning may be required.
Please be assured that we will continue to support partners attending scans and births during this time.
If you have symptoms of COVID and are coming to hospital please inform the midwifery team prior to your arrival to ensure you are cared for appropriately.
If you are COVID positive during your stay you will be asked to wear a face mask other than when in active labour. Staff looking after you will also be wearing masks and other protective clothing.
COVID vaccine is strongly recommended for pregnant and breastfeeding women by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and the Royal College of Midwives. The coronavirus (COVID) vaccines available in the UK are the safest and most efective way to protect you and your baby, find out more. Please speak to your GP to book.
Important Information: The use of face coverings and gloves when coming to into hospital
People infected with COVID-19 can have very mild or no respiratory symptoms (asymptomatic) and can transmit the virus to others without being aware of it.
Following recommendations from the World Health organisation, and in line with UK government guidance, on Monday 15 June 2020 new measures were introduced at KGH to keep visitors, patients and staff safe; the need to wear a face covering at all times inside our hospital. To find out more.
On Monday 19th July 2021, some restrictions changed in England however the hospital still requires visitors and staff to wear face coverings.
Please remove your gloves - Good hand hygiene is one of the keys to defeating Coronavirus
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If you are wearing gloves when attending our clinics you will be asked to remove them
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We will ask that you wash your hands with soap or sanitiser
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You may sanitise your hands and reapply your gloves before you leave
Maternity leaflets related to COVID
Antenatal visit schedule
6-8 weeks - Face to Face booking appointment with your midwife. A full medical and obstetric history will be taken along with height, weight and BMI, urine screening and blood tests for antenatal screening purposes.
10-12 weeks - First scan at Rockingham wing
16 weeks - This will be a pre-arranged telephone call to offer advice and discuss the results from your booking appointment
24 weeks - Face to face appointment with physical assessment
28 weeks - Face to face appointment with physical assessment / Growth scan if indicated
32 weeks - Face to face appointment with physical assessment / Growth scan if indicated
34 weeks - Face to face appointment with physical assessment
36 weeks - Face to face appointment with physical assessment / Growth scan if indicated
38 weeks - Face to face appointment with physical assessment
39 weeks - Growth scan if indicated
40 weeks - Face to face appointment with physical assessment
41 weeks - Face to face appointment with physical assessment
In addition to those above, you may have additional appointments with certain specialities based on your individual circumstances
Antenatal Physiotherapy
The following resources can help you understand how to reduce the strain of pregnancy on your body and also help prepare you for your forthcoming labour.
‘Fit for Pregnancy’: exercises and advice to stay fit and healthy during pregnancy.
‘Fit for Birth’: essential exercises and advice to help you prepare and cope with your labour.
Pelvic Girdle Pain (PGP)
Pregnancy related PGP is common affecting about 1 in 5 pregnant women. The causes may be multifactorial and there is a wide range of symptoms. Pain distribution varies between individuals but can be felt in the lumbosacral area, the front or back of the pelvis, the hips, the groin, the pelvic floor or upper thigh regions. The following resources provide information on how to help you manage your PGP.
If you are experiencing on-going difficulties due to PGP which you are unable to manage with the self-help information provided, you may seek a GP or self-referral to the Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust Out-patient MSK Physiotherapy team who will provide further musculoskeletal assessment and treatment. Details of how to proceed with your referral can be found on their website using the ‘Contact us’ tab. The Patient Contact Centre can be contacted on 0330 555 6789 should you have any further queries regarding the referral process.
Patient Information Leaflets
Useful Links
Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG):
NHS:
Other useful links:
Tommys - We Provide Pregnancy Information & Research
Kickscount - The UK's leading baby movement awareness campaign
Iconcope - Babies cry, you can cope
Lullaby Trust - The Lullaby Trust raises awareness of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), provides expert advice on safer sleep for babies and offers emotional support