Your first appointment (maternity booking appointment)

Your booking appointment will be with your midwife and will take place around 12 weeks. You will receive your maternity record which you will carry with you to all your appointments. You should expect this first appointment to last approximately 1 to 2 hours.

You should be given information about:

How the baby develops during pregnancy
Getting to know your baby
Nutrition and diet
Exercise and pelvic floor exercises
Antenatal screening tests
Your antenatal care
Breastfeeding including workshops
Antenatal education
Maternity benefits
Your options for where to have your baby

Please refer to the Public Health Agency Pregnancy Book for more details or speak to your doctor or midwife.

Types of birthplace options

It is important that you make an informed decision about where you give birth. Your midwife will discuss options with you that are available to you locally, though you are free to choose any maternity services in Northern Ireland, if you are prepared to travel.

Maternity services within the Northern Health and Social Care Trust offer four types of birthplace options.

Birth in Antrim Area Hospital

The Maternity Unit at Antrim Area Hospital offers care based on a woman’s individual needs. If your pregnancy is low-risk, a midwife will be your lead professional. If you develop or have any known complications, an obstetrician will be consulted to help plan your care.

Antrim Area Hospital Maternity Unit has a birthing pool which you can request to use should you wish to experience a water birth.

The hospital also has a Neonatal Unit.

Birth at Antrim Area Hospital with support from the Continuity of Midwifery Care Team (Lotus)

The Lotus Team is a small group of midwives who will support you throughout your pregnancy, during your baby’s birth, and after your baby is born.

You will be assigned a named midwife who will aim to carry out the majority of care throughout your pregnancy.

Some Lotus Team midwives are trained in holistic therapies such as, hypnobirthing, yoga, reflexology, aromatherapy, aqua-natal and baby massage.

Home birth

Home birthing services are provided by a team of community midwives in your local area. To organise a home birth, please inform the midwife at your booking appointment.

If you have booked for a hospital birth and decide you would like to have a home birth, please discuss this with your community midwife, ideally before you are 30 weeks pregnant, so that the midwives can make the necessary arrangements.

Useful resources

NHS – Where I can give birth
Public Health Agency – The Pregnancy Book: Chapter 2
AIMS – Birth Information
Birth Rights – information regarding choice of place of birth