After your 20 week ultrasound scan, you can ask your midwife or GP for a MATB1 form. This form entitles you to statutory maternity pay from your employer or maternity allowance from Jobcentre Plus.
During pregnancy/after birth you are entitled to:
Antenatal education (also known as birth preparation or parent craft classes) can help you to prepare for your baby’s birth, giving you confidence and information. You can attend these classes with your birthing partner so you can prepare together for the arrival of your baby.
Antenatal education is also a good way to make friends with other parents who are expecting babies around the same time as you. These friendships can help parents through the first few months with their new baby.
There are two types of class available to choose from:
When a baby passes away after 24 weeks of pregnancy, either before or during birth, this is known as a stillbirth. Stillbirth is one of the most devastating things a family can experience, and a range of support is given through a specialist team (including midwives, obstetricians, counsellors and charities) to parents who are affected by it.
This period of time may seem a complete blur, and it may seem like you have no control over the things that are happening to you and around you. You may have received the tragic news of your baby’s death and now been sent home for some time before coming into the hospital to give birth. You can talk to your midwives about what to expect to help you prepare yourself for the coming days, but here are a few things to consider.
A miscarriage is the loss of a pregnancy during the first 24 weeks. An early miscarriage occurs up until 13 weeks of pregnancy.
Symptoms of a miscarriage can include bleeding, abnormal vaginal discharge, lower abdominal pain and loss of pregnancy symptoms.
The first trimester can be an anxious time for many reasons, one of which might be worrying about whether the pregnancy will continue. Sadly, as many as one in five early pregnancies will end in miscarriage.
The loss of a baby at any stage of a pregnancy can be devastating for both parents. It doesn’t matter how far into the pregnancy it happened, or whether or not the pregnancy was planned, the sense of loss can be very strong. It is important to remember that everyone deals with loss differently and it’s ok to grieve for your baby. There are a number of organisations that can provide expert support and information for parents who have suffered a loss.
Whilst there are a number of reasons why a pregnancy might not be successful, the majority of first trimester miscarriages occur because of a problem with the chromosomes which mean that the baby could never have developed, not because of anything the mum has done, or not done. The vast majority of women who suffer the loss of a baby do go on to have successful pregnancies in the future.
A miscarriage can be diagnosed by an ultrasound scan. You may be required to stay in the maternity unit overnight but most women can go home on the same day. You will receive follow up from a doctor, nurse or midwife who specialises in early pregnancy.
It is recommended that you inform your maternity care provider (antenatal clinic) about your miscarriage in case they are not aware. You may wish to delete the Mum & Baby app from your device.
The placenta can also sometimes implant abnormally into the wall of the womb. This is a rare condition known as placenta accreta. The risk of having placenta accreta is higher if there is a previous scar on the womb, such as from a previous caesarean section, as the placenta can invade into the previous scar. This is a very serious condition that can be challenging to manage and a hysterectomy (operation to remove the womb) is sometimes needed at the time of delivery.
This can be picked up on an ultrasound scan as a low lying placenta in mid pregnancy. This is when the placenta is covering all or part of the entrance to the womb.
If you are found to have a low lying placenta you will be rescanned between 32-36 weeks. The majority of low lying placentas will move to the upper part of the womb by 36 weeks, however 10% of low lying placentas remain low. This can cause bleeding in pregnancy that is sudden and severe. A caesarean birth may be recommended in cases of severe placenta praevia, and the likelihood of needing a blood transfusion can be higher.
This is a liver disorder that can develop in pregnancy, usually after 30 weeks gestation, but which sometimes develop as early as 8 weeks, affecting up to one in every 140 pregnant women.
Symptoms can include:
This is a rare but serious condition of pregnancy, usually occurring after 20 weeks. It is defined by the combination of raised blood pressure and protein in the urine. Often there are no symptoms and pre-eclampsia is usually detected through regular antenatal checks, and can sometimes develop quickly.
Symptoms include:
Gestational diabetes is high blood sugar that develops during pregnancy and usually disappears after the birth. It occurs when the body cannot produce enough insulin (a hormone responsible for controlling blood sugar levels) to meet the increased demands of pregnancy. Symptoms aren’t common, but many women are screened for this condition during pregnancy, particularly if they have certain risk factors. Ask your midwife if you are at risk of developing gestational diabetes and if you need to be tested.
If you have any symptoms of gestational diabetes, pre-eclampsia or intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy call your maternity triage/assessment unit straight away.
