Pregnancy is a fun and exciting time for most couples, but it’s also a time with lots of information to take in.With information about pregnancy and birth coming from every angle, it can be hard to know what is best for you and your bump, especially if this is your first baby! Midwife appointments are a time when you can discuss your pregnancy with your personal midwife, who is a trained health care professional.Your midwife will ask about the history of your pregnancy and what concerns you have for yourself and baby. It will also be a good opportunity to learn the basics of what is going on with your baby in the womb and to ask all those questions you’ve got about being pregnant and giving birth.Get the low down on what you might have to deal with post-pregnancy with our piece on gas pain after your C section, and which formulas could help with constipation.What Is A Midwife?A midwife is a healthcare professional who is specially trained to work with women during pregnancy, labor, and birth. Midwives take care of their patients throughout their pregnancy whether this is through the antenatal (before birth), natal (during childbirth), or postnatal (after birth) period.A midwife will help you deliver your baby in a birthing center or at home, will schedule appointments to help support you until your baby is due, and will give you information about what’s going on with your body and your baby’s growth.Midwives offer greater continuity of care and deal with fewer women than doctors do. This means that they are more likely to know you better and remember your specific history each time you visit them. Many midwives also provide postnatal care, so if you choose a midwife as your primary point of contact for your pregnancy, this is the person you will see on a regular basis throughout your pregnancy and beyond.You will be able to find a midwife in many places, such as hospitals and home pregnancy care centers. Midwives work closely with many other healthcare professionals throughout your pregnancy, so having a relationship with your midwife will help you to build a team of healthcare professionals who can help you keep healthy and help you to give birth safely.Everyone’s experience is not the same, so each woman should do her own research to determine the kind of care she wants during her pregnancy and childbirth process.What Will Happen At A Midwife Appointment?If you choose to see a midwife as your primary point of contact during your pregnancy, you will be expected to attend appointments on a regular basis. Typically, these appointments take place every few weeks during your pregnancy, but you can ask your midwife to schedule appointments at times that work for you. For your antenatal appointments, your midwife might visit you at home, or ask you to visit the hospital for your appointment. This will depend on what’s right for you and your midwife. You might want to see your midwife when you see your doctor at the hospital, so you can schedule both antenatal appointments at the same time.During a midwife appointment, the midwife will ask about any concerns or worries you might have for yourself and your baby. You can ask the midwife any questions you might have about what is going on with your baby in the womb at this time. Your midwife will monitor how your baby is growing and moving around inside of you using ultrasound technology if you are at the hospital, and can do prenatal exams and tests for you.The content of each appointment with your midwife will vary depending on where you are at in your maternity journey, and what you need. They will look after your physical health as well as your mental health and will refer you to a doctor for any extra health tests or information you might need. A midwife can also help pregnant women to manage their diet and exercise, and make sure that what they are eating is what is best for their baby’s health. Your midwife or doctor might measure your blood pressure or test your urine to make sure you are healthy too.A midwife will also help you to plan your baby’s delivery and decide whether you might want to have it at home or in the hospital. They will be there during your labor to deliver your baby too!At some appointments, your midwife will do an internal examination to check that the baby is continuing to grow well and is in a good position for birth.How Often Do You Have Midwives Appointments?The time between each antenatal appointment you have while pregnant can vary depending on your needs and the antenatal care you ask for.Your first appointment with a midwife is usually scheduled for about 10-12 weeks after your last menstrual period or LMP. If you are using a fertility monitor then this can be used to calculate your due date and time of conception.Depending on the hospital you go to and your midwife’s preference, most women have a midwife appointment every four weeks during the first half of their pregnancy. After 28 weeks gestation, these antenatal appointments may increase to be every two or three weeks, and after around 37 weeks you will visit your midwife every week to check on your baby’s health.Some pregnant women might want to visit their midwife or doctor more frequently for antenatal care. For example, if you are a high-risk pregnancy, if you’re over the age of 35, or if you have pre-existing health problems that could affect your pregnancy, it’s important to get more regular health checkups to stay safe and healthy. Your midwife or doctor will be able to advise you on how often you should schedule antenatal appointments.How To Know If A Midwife Is Right For YouThere are many reasons why a pregnant woman might choose to work with a midwife as well as their doctor and maternity team.A midwife might be the right choice if you are looking for more holistic care during your pregnancy. Midwives will combine medical health care with full personal and mental care and support, which can make pregnancy an all-around more balanced experience.You might choose to work with a midwife if you have a history of trauma during pregnancy. Because midwives have fewer women to deal with, they can provide more continuity and support throughout your pregnancy than a doctor can. You will also be able to build a relationship with them that allows you to be more comfortable and ask them for their help if you have any concerns or worries about what is going on with you or your baby during pregnancy.If you want to share the experience of being pregnant and birthing with other women who are also expecting or going through the same thing as you are you may choose midwife care.If you want other women’s experiences of pregnancy and birth to influence how you make decisions for yourself and your baby during pregnancy. A midwife is someone you can ask questions about what’s going on, who can draw on their experience with many other women they have worked with. Their stories may give you ideas for how to deal with the circumstances you find yourself in during your pregnancy, or just let you know what is going on with other women who have had the same issues as yourself.If you are concerned about the range of medical tests and procedures that hospitals will use during pregnancy and birth, a midwife can support you and give you all the information you need about tests and procedures you might need. Midwives work in a way where they have fewer pregnant women to deal with, so they can be more selective about which procedures they will recommend for you or whether or not to recommend any procedures at all. They may recommend blood tests and biopsies at your antenatal appointments if you have concerns about something going on with the baby during your pregnancy, but will not perform unnecessary procedures during your pregnancy.If you found this article helpful, then why not take a look at how to deal with itchy nipples during pregnancy, or our top tips for your maternity photoshoot?
Pregnancy is a fun and exciting time for most couples, but it’s also a time with lots of information to take in.
