Your Pregnancy

Even before you are pregnant, you can help prepare your body for pregancy and birth, by making sure you are as healthy as possible. Having a healthy, balanced diet and getting plenty of regular exercise can be a great way to start.  

• For general advice on the steps you can take see the NHS website, planning your pregnancy
• Exercise is beneficial when preparing for and during pregnancy. To learn more about exercising safely click here for guidance from Pelvic Obstetric & Gynaecological Physiotherapy. 
• For information about the best use of medicines in pregnancy please visit: Bumps
• If your Body Mass Index (BMI) is over 30, losing weight prior to pregnancy can help and will reduce the risk of any complications. Everyone Health provides local weight loss support services. 

If you have any one of the following, you may also be able to get an individual care plan for your preganancy journey based on your particular needs.  Please ask your GP to refer you to one of our consultants.  

• Have a medical condition such as diabetes, a kidney or heart problem
• Had complications in a previous pregnancy
• Are very overweight (BMI ≧ 50).

If you are having difficulty becoming pregnant, please speak to your GP about referral to our fertility services. 

My Maternity Journey

“My Maternity Journey” is personal care plan that you create and can act as a starting point to summarise what matters to you and your family and how you would like to be supported throughout your maternity care.  Your “My Maternity Journey” belongs to you and you can choose to share it with who you wish. It can be used to record:

• What is important to you and your family. This may include your values and expectations about being pregnant, giving birth and becoming a mother.

• Your home/family/professional life and support networks.

• Any worries or concerns you might have.

This is your personal summary of what is important to you and your care and support. You keep it with you along with any other records so you can share it with who you feel needs to see it. It is important to take it to every appointment or meeting about your care. As “My Maternity Journey” is your document, you can update or amend it whenever you feel it necessary. This ensures it remains up-to-date and accurately represents what matters to you. You don't have to complete all sections at once but it might be useful to, for example, think about what you might need after your baby is born, while you are still pregnant, so plans can be put in place.

You can download your copy here by using the link and start filling it in today.

• My maternity journey -Personal Care Plan , This is also currently availalbe in  Arabic, Czech, Polish, Punjabi, Romanian and Urdu.