I'm pregnant, what should I do now?
Congratulations on your pregnancy!
Referring yourself for care at
Southend Maternity Services
If you wish Southend Maternity Services to provide your care,
you can now contact us direct without the need to see your GP.
There are many health benefits for you and your baby if you access
maternity care as soon as you have a positive pregnancy test.
To help speed our referral process, please complete our online referral
form. A midwife from the pregnancy booking line will
contact you within five working days following receipt to discuss
the next steps.
She will then pass your details to a community midwife who will
contact you to make a plan for your antenatal care. This will
involve an appointment at your home, ideally when you are around
seven to ten weeks pregnant to discuss your birth
options.
You can also access the pregnancy booking line by calling
01702 385393. If you call, please
leave a short message with your full name, date of birth and a
contact telephone number. We aim to return yur call to
discuss your care within 5 working days following your call.
We recommend that you take folic acid 400mcg during the first 12
weeks and vitamin D 10mcg daily throughout your pregnancy. If
you take this in the form of a multivitamin make sure it
does not include vitamin A. Folic acid and
supplements may be available on prescription if you request from
your surgery.
You should avoid drinking alcohol and if you are a smoker, we
advise you to stop. Finally, if you are taking any medication
please seek advice from your GP.
Patients who don't live locally
Southend University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust offers
excellent maternity facilities for women who reside in the Essex
and London areas. Our delivery suite has six delivery
rooms, two obstetric theatres and a two-bedded theatre recovery
room. These facilities are complemented by an alongside four
bed birth unit with two birthing pools and en suite facilities.
If you would like to have your baby at Southend University
Hospital , we offer a full range of antenatal services via our
women's clinic. Please complete our online referral
form or email us on pregnancybookingline@southend.nhs.uk
for further information.
Blood Tests
It's now even easier to book a blood test. Click here to go to our new
online appointment booking service.