Antenatal Care Timetable

Question 1

When is the booking visit organized and what happens?

Answer 1

8 to 12 weeks.

Booking visit

• General information e.g. diet, alcohol, smoking, folic acid, vitamin D, antenatal classes.
• Urine dipsticks, BP, check BMI

Booking Bloods & Urine:

• FBC, Blood group, rhesus status, red cell alloantibodies, haemoglobinopathies.
• Hepatitis B, syphilis, rubella.
• HIV test is offered to all women.
• Urine culture to detect asymptomatic bacteria.

Question 2

What happens at 10-13 weeks + 6 days?

Answer 2

Early scan to confirm dates, exclude multiple pregnancies.

Question 3

What happens at 11-13 weeks + 6 days?

Answer 3

Down’s Syndrome screening including nuchal scan

Question 4

16 week check up

Answer 4

Information on the anomaly and the blood results.

NOTE: If Hb <11 then consider Iron supplement.

Routine care: BP and urine dipstick.

Question 5

18-20weeks +6 days

Answer 5

Anomaly scan

Question 6

25 weeks (only if primiparous)

Answer 6

Routine care: BP, Urine dipstick, symphysis-fundal height (SFH)

Question 7

28 weeks

Answer 7

Routine care: BP, urine dipstick, SFH

Second screen for anaemia and atypical cell alloantibodies.

NOTE: If Hb < 10.5 g/dl then consider iron supplement.

First dose of anti-D prophylaxis to rhesus negative women.

Question 8

31 weeks (only in primaparous women)

Answer 8

Routine care as 25 weeks.

Question 9

34 weeks

Answer 9

1. Routine care as above.
2. Second dose of anti-D prophylaxis to rhesus negative women.
3. Information on labour and birth plan.

Question 10

36 weeks.

Answer 10

1. Routine care
2. Check presentation - offer external cephalic version if indicated.
3. Information on breast feeding, vitamin K, ‘baby-blues’

Question 11

38 weeks.

Answer 11

Routine care (3rd trimester)

Question 12

40 weeks (only if primip)

Answer 12

1. Routine care as above
2. Discussion about options for prolonged pregnancy

Question 13

41 weeks.

Answer 13

1. Routine care
2. Discuss labour plans and possibility of induction.

Question 14

Who should blood sugar be checked in?

Answer 14

Antenatal care: routine glucose testing no longer recommended

Surprisingly perhaps, NICE now recommends that blood glucose is only checked to those considered at risk (e.g. obesity, previous macrosomic baby, family history, Asian ethnicity)