The booking clinic is the initial appointment to discuss the pregnancy and arrange plans for the pregnancy. This ideally occurs before 10 weeks gestation. The woman meets with a midwife to discuss all aspects of pregnancy. She will get a green book that documents the progress during the pregnancy.
Education
Pregnancy-related topics are covered during the booking clinic:
- What to expect at different stages of pregnancy
- Lifestyle advice in pregnancy (e.g. not smoking)
- Supplements (e.g. folic acid and vitamin D)
- Plans for birth
- Screening tests (e.g. Downs screening)
- Antenatal classes
- Breastfeeding classes
- Discuss mental health
Booking Bloods
A set of booking bloods are taken for:
- Blood group, antibodies and rhesus D status
- Full blood count for anaemia
- Screening for thalassaemia (all women) and sickle cell disease (women at higher risk)
Patients are also offered screening for infectious diseases, by testing antibodies for:
- HIV
- Hepatitis B
- Syphilis
Screening for Down’s syndrome may be initiated depending on the gestational age. Bloods required for the combined test are taken from 11 weeks onwards.
Other Measures
- Weight, height and BMI
- Urine for protein and bacteria
- Blood pressure
- Discuss female genital mutilation
- Discuss domestic violence
Risk Assessment
Women are assessed for risk factors for other conditions, and plans are put in place with additional appointments booked. These conditions include:
- Rhesus negative (book anti-D prophylaxis)
- Gestational diabetes (book oral glucose tolerance test)
- Fetal growth restriction (book additional growth scans)
- Venous thromboembolism (provide prophylactic LMWH if high risk)
- Pre-eclampsia (provide aspirin if high risk)
Last updated September 2020