Your first 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 1-2 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.

Birth Place options

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

Maternity Services within the Northern Health and Social Care Trust offer four types of birthplace options;

1. 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.

2. Birth in Antrim Area Hospital, facilitated by the Continuity of Midwifery Care Team (Lotus)

The Lotus Team is a small team of midwives offering continuity of care throughout your pregnancy, birth and beyond.

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.

3. 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.

Related information

Where I can give birth (NHS)
The Pregnancy Book Chapter 2
AIMS Birth Information
Rights regarding choice of place of birth

Maternity Hand Held Record (MHHR)

You will receive your maternity notes after your booking appointment.  The Maternity Notes are referred to as the ‘Maternity hand held record’ or ‘Green notes’.  Please bring your maternity notes with you to all your antenatal appointments.