Ready Steady Baby!

Your antenatal team

Your antenatal team can include midwives, family nurses, obstetricians, anaesthetists and paediatricians. These are the health and care professionals looking after you during pregnancy.

These may be male or female. You can ask to be seen by female staff, but this may not always be possible. You can also ask for an interpreter if you need one.

Health professionals, such as midwives and doctors, need to be trained so you might be asked if you mind being seen by a student. It’s up to you whether you agree to this or not.

Midwives

Midwives are trained nurses with a specialist qualification who are skilled at:

caring for women during pregnancy and birth
identifying if care from others is needed

Midwives can also offer advice to your baby's father or your partner.

Midwives work in communities and hospitals as part of a bigger team. Other members of the team may also care for you during your pregnancy or after the birth of your baby.

Your midwife

When you’re pregnant you’ll have a primary midwife who'll provide most of your care during your pregnancy, and for the first few days after the baby's born. For some women, this midwife will also provide care in labour.

Your midwife is:

the person you’ll see most often
your first and main point of contact while you’re pregnant, throughout labour and usually the first 10 days of your baby’s life

In some areas you may have the same midwife before and after the birth, and a different midwife during the birth.

You’ll usually meet them for the first time at or just before your booking appointment.

How to book your first midwife appointment

Contacting your midwife

You’ll be given contact details for your midwife or maternity unit. You can phone them if you have a problem with your pregnancy or you’re worried about anything.

You’ll also usually be given a contact number for your nearest obstetric unit if you need to speak to someone at the weekends and out of hours.

Family nurse

If this is your first baby and you are under 20 you will be offered a family nurse from early pregnancy until your baby reaches two.

The Scottish Government has more about the Family Nurse Partnership programme

Obstetrician

A consultant obstetrician is a doctor who specialises in looking after women while they’re pregnant and during birth.

It's unlikely you'll see an obstetrician if all is well with your pregnancy.

If you're having any health problems during your pregnancy you may see an obstetrician. They'll plan your care with you and your midwife and see you as often as required for your particular circumstances.

You should see the same obstetrician throughout your pregnancy, birth and afterwards, although different doctors may be on duty out of hours.

GP

General practitioners (GPs) are doctors. However, most GP surgeries have a whole team of health professionals working together.

This can include:

practice nurses
stop smoking advisers
pharmacists
occupational therapists
physiotherapists
midwives
health visitors and other professionals

Many of the professionals looking after you and your baby will be based at your GP practice. So it’s a good first place to phone if you’re worried or not sure about anything. If your GP practice is closed, phone the NHS 24 111 service for urgent care and advice.

Your continued care

Your GP will provide general healthcare as they did before you were pregnant, including:

continuing to provide you with medicines
treating minor illnesses, such as morning sickness or cystitis
managing long-term conditions

Your GP will continue to care for you after your baby's born. They'll care for your baby too.

Anaesthetist

An anaesthetist is a doctor who specialises in pain relief and looking after people when they’re having an operation.

You may see an anaesthetist in pregnancy if you:

decide to have an epidural for labour
have any health issues that could make it more difficult to give you an anaesthetic in an emergency or for an elective Caesarean section
have any health issues that could affect the kind of pain relief you have when you’re in labour

More about pain relief in pregnancy

Paediatrician

A paediatrician is a doctor who specialises in looking after babies and children. A neonatologist is a paediatrician who specialises in newborn babies.

A paediatrician may be at the birth if there are any concerns about your baby’s health.

Sometimes a paediatrician, or someone from the paediatric team, may check your baby over before you go home from hospital. Normally specially trained nurses and midwives will do this.

More about the post-birth physical examination

Obstetric (maternity) physiotherapist

An obstetric physiotherapist is a specially trained physiotherapist who supports you with the changes to your body during pregnancy and after birth.

They can help with:

back pain
pelvic pain
some bladder and bowel problems

They might also:

lead some antenatal classes
teach you how to look after your pelvic floor muscle
teach you different positions to try in labour

Social worker

Social workers work with families to support them to access the services they need. They often work alongside health and education professionals.

Your midwife or GP can put you in touch with a social worker.

Dietitian

A dietitian can give you advice about what foods to eat and how to eat healthily, especially if you have additional nutritional needs or conditions such as diabetes or coeliac disease.

More about eating well in pregnancy

Sonographer

A sonographer is the person who operates the ultrasound scanning equipment during your pregnancy scans.

The sonographer could be a midwife, radiographer or obstetrician.

More about ultrasound scans in pregnancy

Pharmacist

Can give free advice about stopping smoking, minor illnesses and medicines that are safe for pregnancy. They can refer you to other health professionals too.