How to refer yourself to a midwife, and what happens next

Once you know you’re pregnant, the next step is to let a maternity service know. In England you can usually do this yourself, often online, without seeing a GP first. Here’s how it works, and what to do in the weeks before you meet your midwife.

Do I need to see a GP first?

Usually not. In England you can refer yourself straight to NHS maternity services. Your GP surgery, if you have one, hears about your pregnancy after your first midwife appointment.

If you have a long-term condition or take regular medicine, you can still refer yourself, but also see your GP or specialist soon, as your care or medicine may need to change.

How to refer yourself in England

Go to the NHS find maternity services tool and enter your postcode, town or city. It lists the NHS trusts near you that have maternity services.
Choose a trust. It doesn’t have to be the nearest, and you can change later.
Fill in that trust’s self-referral form. Most trusts have one online. If yours doesn’t, or you can’t use it, the trust’s maternity web page will give you another way to get in touch, such as a phone number.

Fill in every field and check your phone number and address, so the team can reach you. It helps to know when your last period started.

When to do it

As soon as you know you’re pregnant. The aim is for your first midwife appointment, called the booking appointment, to happen by 10 weeks where possible, and referring early gives the team time to arrange it.

If you’re already past 10 weeks, refer yourself anyway, as soon as you can. You’ll be seen as soon as possible.

What happens next

The maternity team gets in touch to arrange your booking appointment. It usually lasts about an hour, at home, a GP surgery, a hospital or a children’s centre.

Your midwife will ask about your health, previous pregnancies, medicines, mental health and home life. They’ll check your blood pressure, test your wee and offer a blood test. You’ll get your maternity notes, on paper or in an app, with contact numbers for your maternity service. Read more about your first midwife appointment and blood tests in pregnancy.

Your first scan, often called the dating scan, is offered at around 10 to 14 weeks. It estimates how many weeks pregnant you are and gives you a due date. See your 12-week scan.

If you haven’t heard back

Some trusts ask you to allow a few days before chasing. If you’ve referred yourself and haven’t been offered an appointment, contact the maternity service at the trust you chose and ask for one. The number is usually on its maternity web page.

While you wait to see a midwife

Folic acid. Take 400 micrograms a day until you’re 12 weeks pregnant. Some people need a higher 5mg dose, for example if they have diabetes, sickle cell or thalassaemia, take medicine for epilepsy or HIV, or have a family history of neural tube defects. A GP can prescribe it. See folic acid and pregnancy vitamins.
Vitamin D. Take 10 micrograms a day, at least from early October to late March. Take it all year if you’re indoors a lot or usually cover most of your skin outside, and consider it all year if you have black or brown skin. Avoid supplements with vitamin A (retinol), including cod liver oil.
Food. Some foods are best avoided, such as soft cheeses made from unpasteurised milk, raw or undercooked meat, and liver. Keep caffeine to 200mg a day. Our guide to what you can and can’t eat in pregnancy has the full list.
Medicines. Check with a pharmacist, GP or midwife before taking anything, including painkillers. Don’t stop any prescribed medicine without talking to your GP or specialist first. See medicines in pregnancy.
Alcohol and smoking. The NHS advises avoiding both. You can get free NHS help to stop smoking now: ask your GP surgery or a pharmacist, or call the NHS Smokefree helpline on 0300 123 1044. See stopping smoking in pregnancy.

When to get help straight away

If you have any bleeding, or tummy pain that’s severe, on one side, or not easing after resting for 30 to 60 minutes, or pain in the tip of your shoulder, contact your maternity unit or an early pregnancy unit straight away, or NHS 111 if you can’t reach them. If you haven’t seen a midwife yet, call NHS 111 or your GP surgery.

Call 999 if bleeding is heavy (soaking a pad soon after putting it on), or comes with severe tummy or shoulder pain, or with feeling sick, faint or dizzy. Also call 999 for sudden, severe tummy pain with feeling faint or dizzy, even without bleeding.

Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

The NHS self-referral tool covers England only.

Scotland: in most health board areas you book your first midwife appointment through your GP receptionist, and in some you can call the midwifery service directly. Do it as soon as you know you’re pregnant.
Wales: book with your GP or contact a midwife directly as soon as you find out.
Northern Ireland: contact a midwife or your GP as soon as you can.

Questions people ask

Can I book my first midwife appointment without going to the GP?

In England, yes: you refer yourself to the maternity service, online or by phone. In Wales and Northern Ireland you can contact a midwife directly, and in some parts of Scotland you can call the midwifery service.

Can I choose which hospital I go to?

Yes. You choose the trust when you refer, and it doesn’t have to be your nearest. You can change your choice later in pregnancy by contacting the trust.

I’m over 10 weeks and haven’t referred myself yet. Is it too late?

No. Refer yourself now, and you’ll be seen as soon as possible. If anything is worrying you in the meantime, call your GP surgery or NHS 111.