Once you find out you are pregnant register for My Pregnancy Notes and inform your GP. If you need to speak to us, please contact the service using the main number provided.
If you have chosen to have your maternity care at Liverpool Women’s University Hospital, you will be invited to attend our antenatal clinic before the twelfth week of your pregnancy, where your individual plan of care will be discussed with you. This is commonly known as your booking appointment.
The midwife will take a lot of information from you in order to plan your pregnancy and meet your individual needs.
The midwife will offer to take some blood from you in order to perform some routine screening tests and ask you to provide a sample of urine.
An ultrasound scan will be arranged which is usually performed between eleven and thirteen weeks of pregnancy. This gives the midwife a predicted delivery date for your baby’s birth and also confirms that there is a heartbeat. You will also be given your first ultrasound picture which shows your baby in the womb.
All your details will be kept on the hospital’s computer system and a copy will be given to you for you to keep and bring to each clinic and hospital appointment.
Your booking appointment may last around 60 minutes so there is a small tea bar, a children’s play area and baby changing facilities for your comfort and convenience.
More information
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Liverpool Women’s University Hospital
Address: Liverpool Women’s University Hospital
Crown Street
Liverpool
L8 7SS
All pregnant women booked at Liverpool Women’s University Hospital will have access to face-to-face or a digital online programme around preparing for labour and birth, and caring for baby.
More details of how to access these sessions will follow soon.
In the meantime, you can book on to an antenatal education class at LWH held two times per month. Please email: bumpbirthandbeyond
From September 2025, there will be a new Antenatal Education programme launched. These new classes will be delivered across eight sites:
- Five Liverpool family hubs and children’s centres
- One Sefton children’s centre
- One Knowsley children’s centre
- Liverpool Women’s University Hospital.
If you’re pregnant and booked with Liverpool Women’s Hospital you can get your free flu, whopping cough and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) vaccination to protect you and your baby at our Obstetric Day Unit. RSV is a serious chest infection from 28 weeks plus gestation.
We offer a drop-in service but in order to ensure a member of staff is available when you attend you can email: vaccines@
Here at Liverpool Women’s Hospital we encourage our patients to use B.R.A.I.N, a decision-making tool to help you decide the best treatment options for you and your baby.
As you progress through your pregnancy you will have many choices and decisions, for example should I have antenatal tests? Should I plan a pool birth or a caesarean birth? Should I have my labour induced? Sometimes a course of action is presented as a given but you always have choices.
The B.R.A.I.N tool provides a logical approach to helping you talk through all available options throughout your pregnancy with your consultant and/or midwife.
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Benefits - What are the benefits of making this decision?
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Risks - What are the risks associated with this decision?
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Alternatives - Are there any alternatives?
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Intuition - How do I feel? What does my ‘gut’ tell me?
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Nothing - What if I decide to do nothing/wait and see? What happens next?
You can download an information sheet to print out and complete here.
If you have any questions regarding B.R.A.I.N, please do not hesitate to speak with your community midwife or consultant at your next appointment.
To take a virtual reality tour, watch the short videos below (to enlarge the screen click the [ ] icon in the bottom right hand corner). To watch in full VR resolution and get the full experience, please use this how to guide here.
What is a maternity exemption certificate?
A maternity exemption certificate entitles you to free NHS prescriptions. You can also use this certificate whilst pregnant to prove your entitlement to free NHS dental treatment.
Who can apply?
You can apply if you are pregnant or have given birth in the last 12 months. When will the certificate start? Your certificate will be backdated to start one month before the date we receive the application.
When will the certificate expire?
Your certificate will last for 12 months from either your due date or the birth of your baby.
If your baby is born early, you can continue to use your certificate. If your baby is born later than expected, you can contact us to extend your certificate.
Prescription checking
It’s important that you don’t claim free NHS prescriptions until you receive your maternity exemption certificate.
Checks are made on free NHS prescriptions and free and reduced cost NHS dental treatment.
If you claim free NHS prescriptions or NHS dental treatment you’re not entitled to, or don’t hold an exemption certificate for, you could have to pay a penalty charge of up to £100.
When you get your certificate, make sure that your name, address and date or birth is correct and match what is printed on your NHS prescriptions. You can check that your certificate is valid on the NHS Business Services Authority website.
Find out how to apply for your free exemption using this patient leaflet.
Your Birth, Your Choice
At Liverpool Women’s University Hospital, we believe every woman has the right to choose where her baby is born — including first-time mothers.
When to decide
Most women can wait until the final month of pregnancy to make a decision about their birth setting. During this time, your midwife will discuss the most suitable options based on your individual circumstances.
Care based on where you live
If you live within the Liverpool Women’s University Hospital catchment area, you will automatically receive:
- Antenatal care
- Labour and birth care
- Postnatal care.
If you live outside the catchment area, you can still choose to give birth at Liverpool Women’s University Hospital. However your antenatal and postnatal care will usually be provided by a local midwifery team near your home.
It is important you discuss and confirm any follow-up appointments with your midwife during your booking appointment.
Need help deciding?
Talk to your midwife - they are here to support you every step of the way.