Your first main appointment is your booking appointment (booking visit) with your midwife normally between 8 and 12 weeks of pregnancy.

You’ll have your weight, height and blood pressure measured. You’ll also be asked to give a urine sample for testing

Antenatal classes

Antenatal classes (parent education classes) help you prepare for being a parent and give you the chance to meet other mums and partners. They’re a great opportunity for dads and partners to get involved too.

Common issues in pregnancy

Most women have a healthy and straightforward pregnancy with no major issues.

However, even if you’re having a healthy pregnancy you may still have some issues. For some women, these are an inconvenience while for others they can be more severe.

You’ll probably be able to manage many of these yourself. They should get better on their own or with help from your midwife, GP or pharmacist. Every woman’s experience is different.

Maternity exemption certificate

Replacing a lost maternity exemption certificate

Please contact the appropriate Practitioner Services Exemptions Department in the Medical Contact Details section if you have lost your maternity exemption certificate and need to replace it.

You can request either a duplicate medical or maternity exemption certificate to be sent out by post to your home address.