Your pregnancy and baby guide

Am I pregnant? What should I be eating? Is it normal to be this tired? How can I help my partner during labour?

Whatever you want to know about getting pregnant, being pregnant or caring for your new baby, you should find it here.

You'll find week-by-week guides, videos, health advice and information about your NHS pregnancy journey.

Before you start, why not:

• work out when your baby is due with our due date calculator   
• download a birth plan template to fill in and save

Want to know if you're really pregnant?

Find out about:

• signs and symptoms of pregnancy
• pregnancy tests
• what to do if you've had a positive pregnancy test
• help if you're not getting pregnant

Keeping well in pregnancy

• everything you need to know about a healthy pregnancy diet and supplements in pregnancy
• smoking and drinking can harm an unborn baby – read our stop smoking and alcohol pages for help quitting

Pregnancy (antenatal) care and the baby's development

• find out as much as you can about what's happening inside you in the first few weeks of pregnancy
• how to cope with common pregnancy problems, like morning sickness and tiredness
• find out what NHS pregnancy appointments you'll be offered
• what you'll be offered at your appointments, including ultrasound scans and checks and tests, including screening for Down's syndrome

Vaccinations in pregnancy

Why it's recommended that women have the:

• flu vaccine in pregnancy
• whooping cough vaccine in pregnancy

Labour and birth

Find out all you need to know about labour and birth, including:

• where you can have your baby – for example, in a hospital, midwife-led unit, or at home
• what pain relief in labour is available, such as gas and air (entonox) and epidural
• signs that labour might be starting

Your new baby

When your baby arrives, you can find advice on baby care, including:

• breastfeeding
• bottle feeding
• changing nappies
• washing your baby

Plus:

• how to cope with a crying baby and settling your baby into a good sleep routine
• possible changes to your body after pregnancy and your relationships after a baby, and the symptoms of postnatal depression
• feeding twins and multiples and sleep issues with twins and multiples

Feeding, teething and tantrums

• find out about parenting, including support and services for parents, keeping fit, and going back to work
• know the signs of serious illness in babies and the symptoms of infectious illnesses such as chickenpox
• find out how to keep your baby safe and what to do if your baby has an accident
• at 6 months old your baby will need to start solid foods, so be prepared with our weaning tips and first food ideas
• as your baby becomes a toddler, get tips on teething, the importance of play, temper tantrums and potty training

Want to share your pregnancy and baby experiences?

Connect with others who can offer practical and emotional support about any pregnancy and baby issues on the HealthUnlocked NCT forum.