As your due date approaches, you will have further antenatal appointments with your midwife and scans during this trimester:
28 weeks
Your midwife or doctor will usually:
- use a tape measure to measure the size of your uterus
- measure your blood pressure and test your urine for protein
- offer more screening tests if needed
- offer your first anti-D treatment if you’re rhesus negative
- discuss how to prepare for your labour and birth
- talk to you about active labour
- discuss what happens after the birth, including how to care for your new baby and feed them
- tell you about the vitamin K injection your baby is recommended to have
- ask about your baby’s movements
From 28 weeks, you’ll be offered the RSV vaccine. This will help protect your baby from respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) for the first few months after they’re born.
31 weeks
You’ll have an appointment at 31 weeks if this is your first baby.
Your midwife or doctor should:
- review, discuss and record the results of any screening tests from the last appointment
- use a tape measure to measure the size of your uterus
- measure your blood pressure and test your urine for protein
- ask about your baby’s movements
34 weeks
Your midwife or doctor should give you information about preparing for labour and birth, including how to recognise active labour, ways of coping with pain in labour, and your birth plan.
Your midwife or doctor should:
- review, discuss and record the results of any screening tests from the last appointment
- use a tape measure to measure the size of your uterus
- measure your blood pressure and test your urine for protein
- offer your second anti-D treatment if you’re rhesus negative
- ask about your baby’s movements
Your midwife or doctor should give you information about caesarean section. This discussion may take place at the 34-week appointment, or at another time during your pregnancy.
They’ll discuss with you the reasons why a caesarean might be offered, what the procedure involves, the risks and benefits, and the implications for future pregnancies and births.
36 weeks
Your midwife or doctor should give you information about:
- breastfeeding
- caring for your newborn baby
- vitamin K and screening tests for your newborn baby
- your own health after your baby is born
- the “baby blues” and postnatal depression
Your midwife or doctor will also:
- use a tape measure to measure the size of your uterus
- check the position of your baby
- measure your blood pressure and test your urine for protein
- offer external cephalic version (ECV) if your baby is in the breech position
- ask about your baby’s movements
38 weeks
Your midwife or doctor will discuss the options and choices about what happens if your pregnancy lasts longer than 41 weeks.
Your midwife or doctor should:
- use a tape measure to measure the size of your uterus
- measure your blood pressure and test your urine for protein
- continue to discuss your labour and birth options with you
- ask about your baby’s movements
40 weeks
You’ll have an appointment at 40 weeks if this is your first baby.
Your midwife or doctor should give you more information about what happens if your pregnancy lasts longer than 41 weeks.
Your midwife or doctor should:
- use a tape measure to measure the size of your uterus
- measure your blood pressure and test your urine for protein
- ask about your baby’s movements
41 weeks
Your midwife or doctor should:
- use a tape measure to measure the size of your uterus
- measure your blood pressure and test your urine for protein
- offer a membrane sweep
- discuss the options and choices for induction of labour
- ask about your baby’s movements
42 weeks
If you have not had your baby by 42 weeks and have chosen not to have an induction, you should be offered increased monitoring of the baby.