Why choose West Herts?
Your chances of becoming pregnant and having a healthy pregnancy and baby are higher if you and your partner are as fit and healthy as possible. Women who have fewer health complications during pregnancy are more likely to have healthy babies. What you eat, how much you exercise, and whether you smoke or drink alcohol are important factors to look at.
More Information
The is more support on how to be ready for pregnancy from:
Check your approximated due date and gestation here.
If you have any pre-existing health needs such as cardiac, diabetes, epilepsy or renal issues, please see your GP to discuss pregnancy planning.
If you take any medication for mental illness, please speak to your GP or mental health care coordinator and do not stop your medication until you have discussed this with a health professional first.
There are several things you can do to improve your physical wellbeing before you have a baby. You can improve your chances of getting pregnant and having a healthy pregnancy by following the advice provided.
A healthy diet is important for all of us, all the time, however it is especially important if you’re planning a pregnancy or are currently pregnant. A healthy diet will support your baby to grow and develop.
Eating a nutritious diet can improve general wellbeing, reduce the risk of conditions including heart disease, stroke, some cancers, diabetes, and osteoporosis (thin bones) and help you manage your weight.
Our diets should contain a wide variety of different foods, to help us get the wide range of nutrients that our bodies need. This is illustrated by the UK’s healthy eating model - the Eatwell Guide.
If you’re more than 10 weeks pregnant or have a child under 4, you may be entitled to get help to buy healthy food and milk. See if you are eligible.
For further information please see the Eat Well Guide.
Being at a healthy weight before pregnancy increases the chances of your pregnancy and baby being healthy. Being overweight in pregnancy can increase the risk of gestational diabetes, the chance of caesarean and the risk of other pregnancy complications.
If you have a raised BMI please read more about obesity and pregnancy.
All adults should do some type of physical activity every day. The more active and fit you are in pregnancy the easier it will be for you to adapt to your changing shape and weight gain.
You will find it beneficial if you can:
- aim to be physically active every day. Any activity is better than none, and more is better still.
- do strengthening activities that work all the major muscles (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms) on at least 2 days a week (for example pregnancy yoga or aqua aerobics).
- do at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity a week or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity activity a week.
- reduce time spent sitting or lying down and break up long periods of not moving with some activity.
If you are planning to get pregnant and you are already active, it is safe to carry on with your exercise.
If you want to start exercising and get fit before getting pregnant, you should make sure the type of intensity of your activity is appropriate for your level of fitness.
Find out more about exercise and exercise in pregnancy.
If you are planning to get pregnant or are pregnant, the safest approach is not to drink alcohol at all.
Drinking in pregnancy can lead to long-term harm to the baby, with the more you drink the greater the risk.
There is no safe time or safe amount of alcohol to drink during pregnancy. Find out more information about alcohol consumption and pregnancy.
Protecting your baby from tobacco smoke is one of the best things you can do to give your child a healthy start in life. It can be difficult to stop smoking, but it's never too late to quit.
Stopping smoking will help both you and your baby immediately. Harmful gases, such as carbon monoxide, and other damaging chemicals will clear from your body.
Stopping smoking now will also help your baby later in life. Children whose parents smoke are more likely to suffer from asthma and other serious illnesses that may need hospital treatment.
The sooner you stop smoking, the better. But even if you stop in the last few weeks of your pregnancy this will benefit you and your baby.
A simple breath test at every midwife appointment can ensure you're not being exposed to dangerous levels of Carbon Monoxide, which may harm you and your baby. Find out more from this independent resource.
Emotional and mental health changes are very common in pregnancy2 and are experienced by many mothers-to-be. This can include feelings of sadness, emotionally low, anxious or worried. Most often, these are manageable feelings and are part of a normal pregnancy. Occasionally they can affect your relationships and your daily life activities such as work or caring for other children. Your midwives can support you to manage these feelings and to have a positive pregnancy and birth.
Very occasionally, you may experience thoughts or feelings that worry or frighten you. These might include thoughts of harming yourself or others, hearing voices or other hallucinations. You must seek help immediately for these types of emotions.
Ways to access support with your mental health and emotional wellbeing:
If you need help for a mental health crisis or emergency, you should get immediate expert advice and assessment, call 0800 915 4644 Help is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Call:
- Triage 01923 217 343
- Complex Needs Team
- Your own GP
Talking Therapies can help you think about things differently and help you improve your wellbeing. The website explains what is available and how to access help.
Best Beginnings is a useful website to engage, equip, educate and empower parents from conception.
Domestic Abuse
Domestic abuse is very common. You are not the only one. It is wrong and it is not your fault. We define domestic abuse as an incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive, threatening, degrading and violent behaviour, including sexual violence. In the majority of cases it is carried out by a partner or ex-partner, but also by a family member or carer.
Domestic abuse can include, but is not limited to:
- Coercive control (a pattern of intimidation, degradation, isolation and control with the use or threat of physical or sexual violence)
- Psychological and/or emotional abuse
- Physical or sexual abuse
- Financial or economic abuse
- Harassment and stalking
- Online or digital abuse
If you are in immediate danger, call the police 999
If you need help and need to talk to someone:
- National Domestic Abuse Helpline 0808 2000 247.
- Speak to your midwife.
A sexual violence survivor is often left with the feeling that they have no one to turn to, they will not be believed or listened to and sometimes feel that it is their fault
Rape & Sexual Abuse Support Centre, Guildford (RASASC) supports survivors of all genders over the age of 13 across Surrey, who have been raped, sexually abused, or have had an unwanted sexual experience.
If you are in immediate danger, call the police 999
If you need help and need to talk to someone:
- The Survivors Trust Helpline & Live Chat Service 0808 801 0818
- Speak to your midwife
A miscarriage is a loss of a pregnancy in the first 23 weeks of pregnancy. This can be a devastating time for women and their families.
The loss of a baby at any stage of pregnancy or soon after birth can be an overwhelming time, with many mixed emotions such as sadness, anger, guilt, or disbelief. These are all normal feelings that you may go through after the loss of a baby.
It sometimes can help to know that although this is painful, this is part of a process of grief that we all go through and everyone goes through these stages of grief differently, there is no right or wrong way to grieve, and it is important to remember to take time, to talk and remember your baby.
There is support available while you are still in hospital or once you are home and can be carried out via a telephone call or face to face.
West Herts Teaching Hospitals has a Specialist Bereavement Midwife. This midwife an experienced midwife with knowledge around bereavement care who can support women and their families with pregnancy loss at any gestation. She works as part of a multidisciplinary team and acts as resource for other staff members. She can be contacted via the hospital or via your community midwife.
The miscarriage association has a helpline (01924 200799, Monday – Friday, 9am-4pm) and an email address (info