Who to Contact Before, During, and After Birth: A Complete Guide

Knowing who to contact — and when — can feel unclear, especially as a first-time parent when everything is new and it's hard to judge what's urgent. This guide cuts through that uncertainty. Bookmark it, share it with your partner, and refer back to it at any stage.

Before birth (antenatal)

Your community midwife

Your first and most consistent point of contact throughout pregnancy. They will:

• Carry out your booking appointment and routine antenatal checks
• Monitor blood pressure, urine, growth, and foetal movement
• Refer you to a consultant or specialist if needed
• Answer questions about symptoms, scans, and birth preparation

How to reach them: Via your GP surgery or the number on your maternity notes. Most trusts have a dedicated community midwifery line.

Your GP

Contact your GP for:

• Symptoms that concern you but aren't an emergency — persistent headaches, swelling, mood changes, abdominal pain
• Mental health concerns: anxiety, low mood, intrusive thoughts, or history of mental illness
• Referrals to specialist services (consultant-led care, perinatal mental health teams)
• Sick notes and medication reviews in pregnancy

The maternity triage / assessment unit

Every NHS maternity unit has a 24-hour triage line. This is where you call if you are worried at any point in pregnancy — not just in labour. The number will be in your maternity notes.

Call maternity triage if you notice:

• Reduced or absent foetal movements
• Sudden or severe headache, visual disturbances, or swelling of the face and hands (signs of pre-eclampsia)
• Vaginal bleeding at any stage of pregnancy
• Severe abdominal pain
• Signs of premature labour before 37 weeks: regular tightenings, pressure, or a trickle of fluid
• Fever above 38°C
• Any symptom that doesn't feel right

You will never be made to feel you've wasted anyone's time. Call.

NHS 111

For urgent concerns outside of maternity triage — for example, if you're unsure whether to go to A&E or can't reach your midwife. Available 24 hours a day.

Call 111 or use 111.nhs.uk

999 / A&E

Call 999 or go straight to A&E for:

• Heavy vaginal bleeding
• Severe chest pain or difficulty breathing
• Signs of a serious allergic reaction
• Loss of consciousness
• A fall or trauma to the abdomen
• Any situation where you feel acutely unwell and unsafe

Perinatal mental health (antenatal)

Mental health in pregnancy is taken seriously by the NHS. You do not need to be in crisis to ask for help.

• Your GP or midwife can refer you to a specialist perinatal mental health team — available in every NHS trust
• PANDAS Foundation: 0808 1961 776 — free support for perinatal mental health
• Samaritans: 116 123 (free, 24/7) — for any moment of distress or overwhelm
• Mind: mind.org.uk/information-support/tips-for-everyday-living/pregnancy-and-mental-health

During labour

Your midwife / labour ward

Once you are in established labour, your midwife is your primary contact. If you are at home, call your community midwife or home birth team. If you are heading to hospital, call the labour ward to let them know you're coming.

The labour ward number is in your maternity notes — save it in your phone before 37 weeks.

When to call in labour

Call your labour ward or midwife if:

• Contractions are regular, every 5 minutes, lasting around 60 seconds (for at least an hour)
• Your waters break — especially if the fluid is green, brown, or blood-stained
• You have heavy bleeding
• You feel the baby is coming and you cannot get to hospital in time
• You are in severe pain before reaching the hospital
• Your baby's movements feel different during early labour

999 — emergency birth situations

Call 999 immediately if:

• Birth is imminent and you cannot get to hospital
• There is heavy uncontrolled bleeding
• You or your baby loses consciousness
• The cord is visible before the baby

The 999 operator can guide a partner through an emergency delivery if needed.

After birth (postnatal)

Your community midwife (days 1–10)

After discharge, your community midwife will visit you at home. They check:

• Your physical recovery (perineum, c-section wound, blood loss)
• Baby's weight, feeding, and jaundice
• Your emotional wellbeing

You can call them with any concern between visits. The number will be on your discharge paperwork.

Your health visitor (from around day 10)

Your health visitor takes over from your midwife and supports you through the first five years. They carry out:

• The new birth visit (around 10–14 days)
• The 6–8 week developmental review
• Ongoing support for feeding, sleep, development, and maternal mental health

How to reach them: Via your GP surgery or the number given at discharge.

Your GP

Contact your GP postnatally for:

• Your 6-week postnatal check (you and baby separately)
• Wound concerns, infection, or complications
• Mental health: postnatal depression, anxiety, intrusive thoughts, difficulty bonding
• Contraception discussion
• Any physical symptom that isn't resolving

Maternity triage (up to 6 weeks postnatally)

For physical emergencies in the first 6 weeks, maternity triage is still your first call — not A&E — for obstetric concerns.

Call maternity triage if you have:

• Heavy postpartum bleeding (soaking more than one pad per hour)
• Fever above 38°C
• Pain, redness, or discharge from a perineal wound or c-section scar
• Signs of a blood clot: swollen, red, painful calf or difficulty breathing (call 999 for the latter)
• Severe headache or visual disturbance in the weeks after birth

999 / A&E — postnatal emergencies

Call 999 or go to A&E immediately for:

• Postpartum haemorrhage (sudden, heavy bleeding)
• Signs of sepsis: high or low temperature, rapid heart rate, confusion, difficulty breathing
• Suspected pulmonary embolism: sudden breathlessness, chest pain, collapse
• Postpartum psychosis: sudden onset of hallucinations, delusions, extreme confusion, or erratic behaviour — this is a psychiatric emergency

Postpartum psychosis most often develops in the first two weeks after birth. If you or someone around you shows these signs, call 999 immediately. It is treatable and most people make a full recovery.

Postnatal mental health contacts

For your baby

NHS 111

For concerns about your newborn that aren't an immediate emergency — feeding worries, mild jaundice, temperature, rashes.

999 / A&E

Call 999 or go straight to A&E if your baby:

• Is not breathing, or breathing in an unusual way
• Has a high-pitched, unusual cry
• Has a temperature above 38°C in the first 3 months (under 3 months, any fever is urgent)
• Has a bulging fontanelle (soft spot on the head)
• Is floppy, unresponsive, or very difficult to wake
• Has a non-blanching rash (press a glass to the skin — if the rash doesn't fade, call 999)
• Has had a seizure

Quick reference card

If you are ever unsure, contact someone. NHS maternity and primary care staff expect questions and concerns — that is what they are there for.