Antenatal care: the appointments, tests and scans of pregnancy

What it is

Antenatal care is the series of appointments, checks, tests and conversations you have with midwives, doctors and other health workers during pregnancy. Its purposes are to monitor the health of mother and baby, to detect and manage problems such as high blood pressure, anaemia, infection and diabetes early, to offer screening, to prepare for birth and feeding, and to give you a known point of contact for concerns.

The World Health Organization's 2016 recommendations on antenatal care for a positive pregnancy experience set out a model of a minimum of eight contacts across pregnancy, replacing an earlier four-visit model, with the first contact in the first twelve weeks. The WHO's maternal mortality fact sheet (7 April 2025) notes that most maternal deaths are preventable with timely care, and antenatal care is where many risks are first identified.

Who it is for and when it is recommended

Every pregnant person should receive antenatal care, starting as early as possible. The NHS antenatal appointments page (reviewed 17 April 2026) describes at least ten appointments for a first pregnancy and at least seven for subsequent pregnancies, plus two ultrasound scans, with the first booking appointment at eight to twelve weeks. NICE guideline NG201, Antenatal care (last reviewed December 2024), covers the organisation and content of routine care in the same terms. More frequent or specialist appointments are arranged for pregnancies with additional needs, such as twins, existing medical conditions, previous complications, or problems that arise during pregnancy.

Do not wait for the next appointment if something worries you. The NHS advises contacting maternity services at any time for concerns about your health or your baby's.

What happens at the appointment

Booking appointment (8 to 12 weeks). The longest visit, around an hour according to the NHS. The midwife or doctor takes a full history, including previous pregnancies, medical conditions, medicines, mental health, family history and social circumstances, and discusses lifestyle, diet, folic acid and vitamin D, smoking and alcohol. Your blood pressure is measured, urine is tested for protein and infection, and blood is taken for blood group, anaemia, and infections such as HIV, hepatitis B and syphilis, with your consent. Screening options are explained so you can decide what to accept.

Dating scan (11 to 14 weeks). An ultrasound to confirm the due date, check development and the number of babies. Screening for Down's, Edwards' and Patau's syndromes may be combined with this scan if you choose it.

Anomaly scan (18 to 21 weeks). A detailed ultrasound of the baby's development. The NHS ultrasound page (reviewed 25 February 2025) notes that ultrasound does not use radiation.

Later appointments. Shorter visits at intervals that the NHS lists as around 16, 25, 28, 31, 34, 36, 38, 40 and 41 weeks for a first pregnancy, each including blood pressure and urine checks, measurement of the growing uterus, discussion of the baby's movements, and, later on, the baby's position. Blood tests are repeated at 28 weeks, and testing for gestational diabetes is offered between 24 and 28 weeks to those at higher risk. Vaccinations recommended in pregnancy are discussed. From 36 weeks, conversations turn to birth plans, feeding and what happens if the pregnancy goes past the due date.

How to prepare

Bring a list of medicines and supplements, details of previous pregnancies and operations, and your family history. Write down questions as they occur to you between visits. Bring your handheld notes or app record to every appointment. Think about what you want from screening before the booking visit, since some tests are time-limited. If you have a partner or supporter, the NHS notes they can attend with you if you wish.

Afterwards and recovery

Routine appointments need no recovery. Blood tests may leave a small bruise. After each visit, check that you know the date of the next appointment, the results you are waiting for and how you will receive them, and the symptoms that should prompt a call: these commonly include bleeding, severe or persistent abdominal pain, severe headache or visual disturbance, sudden swelling of the face or hands, reduced or changed baby movements, fluid loss, fever or feeling very unwell. Keep the maternity unit's contact numbers to hand.

Risks and limitations (sourced)

Antenatal checks are low risk; ultrasound is non-ionising and widely used, and blood tests carry only minor discomfort. The limitations lie in what screening can and cannot do. Screening tests estimate the chance of a condition and can produce false positives and false negatives, which is why NICE and the WHO emphasise informed choice and clear explanation before any test. A normal anomaly scan does not detect every condition. Blood pressure and urine checks pick up pre-eclampsia in many but not all cases, so symptom awareness still matters. Antenatal care also cannot remove every risk; the WHO's point is that timely, skilled care prevents most, not all, serious outcomes.

What affects the cost

In many countries antenatal care is free or heavily subsidised through public systems or maternal health schemes. Where fees apply, factors include:

• The number of appointments and whether care is midwife-led or consultant-led.
• Scans: the two routine scans versus additional growth or reassurance scans, and 3D or 4D imaging offered privately.
• Blood tests and screening tests, including non-invasive prenatal testing where chosen.
• Vaccinations and supplements.
• Specialist referrals for additional needs.
• Whether a package covers antenatal care only or includes delivery and postnatal care.
• Coverage by a national scheme or insurance, and any registration required before a certain week.

Ask for a written schedule of appointments and what is included in any package. HealthNaro does not publish prices unless they come from a named, dated source.

Questions to ask the provider

1. How many appointments will I have, and who will I see at each?
2. Which screening tests are offered, what can they tell me, and what are the next steps if a result is high risk?
3. Are there any risk factors in my history that change my care?
4. Which symptoms should prompt me to call, and whom do I call out of hours?
5. Which vaccinations and supplements are recommended for me?
6. Where will I give birth, and when do we discuss the plan?
7. What is included in the fee or package, and what is extra?

How to find and check a provider

HealthNaro lists maternity homes, hospitals and obstetricians with a verification label on every listing. Public listing means the details came from public sources and have not yet been checked. Contact verified means the provider has confirmed their phone number and email address. Reviewed by HealthNaro means our team has looked over the listing's details. Credentials verified means we have seen a licence or registration document. A label describes what has been checked; it is not a recommendation or a ranking, and HealthNaro does not endorse any provider.

Check that midwives and doctors are registered with your national regulator and that the facility is licensed for maternity care; ask where you would be transferred if complications arose. You can browse providers under Obstetrics and Gynaecology. If you would like help finding a suitable clinic, our consulting service is free: send a request through the inquiry form and we will come back to you with options. You choose whom to contact.

This guide is general information, not medical advice. Speak to a registered midwife or doctor about your own pregnancy.