Your First Antenatal Appointment: What to Expect
Mother and baby in the postpartum period
🌱 When Does It Happen?
The first antenatal appointment—often called the booking appointment—typically happens between 8 and 10 weeks pregnant. It’s your official entry into maternity care and helps build the foundation for a healthy pregnancy.
👩⚕️ What to Expect at Your Booking Appointment
Your appointment will likely be with a midwife and may last up to an hour. It may take place at your local GP surgery, maternity unit, or birth centre—or occasionally over the phone.
🔍 What’s Covered:
Review of your medical and family health history
Questions about lifestyle, diet, mental wellbeing
Blood and urine tests (checking for anaemia, infections, etc.)
Blood pressure, height and weight measurements
Estimated due date confirmation
📋 What to Bring With You
A note of your last menstrual period (LMP) or early scan dates
A list of any medications or supplements you’re taking
Your partner, friend or birth companion (optional but welcome)
💬 Questions You Might Want to Ask
What screening tests are available and when?
When will I have my first ultrasound?
Can I choose where to give birth?
What antenatal classes or courses are recommended?
Your midwife will welcome your curiosity—so write down anything you want to ask.
🤝 Why This Appointment Matters
Beyond essential health checks, your booking appointment is your first opportunity to:
Establish a relationship with your midwifery team
Understand your care pathway
Begin considering what kind of birth preparation feels right for you
📚 Want to Go Deeper Than the Basics?
While your booking appointment covers the clinical essentials, many families benefit from dedicated antenatal classes that go further.
At The Bubba and Me Club, we offer:
Flexible online antenatal courses you can access from anywhere, launching in June.
These sessions cover pain relief options, partner roles, birth physiology, emotional prep, nutrition and postnatal recovery planning—all delivered in a warm, calm, and evidence-based space.
💡 “The course filled in the gaps and gave us confidence we didn’t know we needed.”
— Antenatal Class Attendee, Tunbridge Wells
🌼 Final Thoughts
The first antenatal appointment is more than just ticking boxes—it's the beginning of your journey to becoming parents. Taking time now to learn, plan and feel supported can make the months ahead more empowering and less overwhelming.
If you’d like to explore our antenatal classes in Tunbridge Wells or start with one of our online antenatal courses, we’re here to support you however feels right.
