Support before, during, and after your pregnancy 

NHS Scotland provides pregnancy, labour, and postnatal care. You’ll also have regular pre-birth (antenatal) appointments with your obstetrician or midwife. These appointments could be at a midwife hub, hospital, in your home or via video calls using NHS Near Me. 

These appointments include growth checks to assess the growth of your baby, screenings and diagnostic tests, and provide you with an opportunity to discuss any concerns with your midwife. You will also get the opportunity to book antenatal classes (sometimes referred to as parent education classes) that help you and your partner prepare for the birth and being a parent. 

You should discuss any details of a previous pregnancy abroad or in Hong Kong with your midwife, as this will allow your midwife to ensure you feel comfortable and supported. This is especially important if you experienced any issues during a previous pregnancy. 

Your antenatal care in Scotland is recorded in the Scottish Women-Held Maternity Record (SWHMR), which you can access electronically via an app. This includes information about previous pregnancies, health screenings and test results, and your birth plan, amongst other things.

Pregnancy Screening

You will be offered the opportunity to have screening tests during your pregnancy. These tests assess the chance that your baby will be born with a health condition, such as Down’s syndrome. Any screening and diagnostic tests are provided free of charge by the NHS. These tests can help you make decisions about your pregnancy and help you prepare for your baby and any additional support needs they may need. 

During your pregnancy, you will be offered blood tests and ultrasound scans to test for:

• sickle cell and thalassaemia
• full blood count, blood group and Rhesus status (positive or negative)
• Down’s syndrome, Edwards’ syndrome and Patau’s syndrome
• infectious diseases (hepatitis B, syphilis and HIV)

You can decide which tests you do or do not wish to have. If, for example, you do not wish to find out whether you or your child has a health condition, then this is something you can discuss with your midwife or other healthcare professionals. 

Find out more about pregnancy screening here. This page also includes a table depicting when in the pregnancy certain tests are conducted. 

After birth, you will be offered a newborn screening – this is something you will discuss with your midwife as you approach the end of your pregnancy. Newborn screenings are usually undertaken within the first few weeks of life, and include a physical examination, a hearing test, and blood spot tests. Again, it is completely up to you which tests you choose to have done. These tests are all provided free of charge by the NHS. Find out more information about newborn screening here. 

Baby Box

Every baby that is born in Scotland is entitled to a free Baby Box. This welcome gift includes key baby essentials, such as clothing, nappy vouchers, baby books, play mats, toys, towels, and more. 

You must opt into this scheme via your midwife at approximately 20 weeks after birth. You can find more information about the Baby Box here. 

FAQs

Do I need to pay for screening and diagnostic tests during my pregnancy?

No, all screening and diagnostic tests in Scotland are provided completely free of charge by the NHS. Any treatment for children born with certain health conditions or disabilities is also provided free by the NHS. 

I have recently arrived in Scotland and I am already 10 weeks pregnant – what should I do?

You should contact your GP in the first instance. If you have not yet registered with a GP, you should mention you are pregnant when registering, as this may help speed up the process. If you are concerned, you can also call NHS 24 by dialling 111.