Finding out you're pregnant doesn't mean you suddenly have to understand pregnancy, birth and maternity care.

You don't need to know every appointment.

Every test.

Every option.

Every medical term.

And you don't have to arrive at your first appointment with a list of perfectly worded questions.

There is a process.

Let's walk through where it begins.

Once you've found out you're pregnant, you'll need to make contact with maternity services so your pregnancy care can begin.

In England, you can usually contact your local maternity service directly, often through an online self-referral form.

Depending on your circumstances and local arrangements, you may also have contact with your GP.

Your local maternity service will guide you through the next steps.

So if you're wondering:

“Who am I actually supposed to contact?”

Start by finding your local NHS maternity service and checking how they ask you to begin your maternity care.

You don't need to work out the whole journey at this point.

You're just taking the first step.

This can feel like a small thing.

But when you've never done this before, even knowing what words to use can feel uncertain.

You can simply say:

“I've found out I'm pregnant and I'd like to start my maternity care.”

You'll be asked for some information and guided through what happens next.

And if you don't know the answer to something?

You can say:

“I'm not sure.”

If you don't understand a word or phrase?

“Can you explain that to me?”

If you need something explained differently?

“Could you go through that again?”

These aren't difficult questions.

They're reasonable questions.

And you don't need to pretend you understand something when you don't.

Your maternity service will arrange your pregnancy care.

You'll have appointments where your midwife and other healthcare professionals can talk with you about your pregnancy and your health.

You'll be offered routine checks and screening at different points during pregnancy.

Some things happen early.

Others happen later.

You don't need to memorise the whole pathway now.

But there's something else worth knowing:

You can ask what's happening.

You can ask:

“What is this appointment for?”

“What happens after this?”

“What is this test looking for?”

“Will I be offered anything else?”

“Who do I speak to if I have a concern?”

You may not need to ask every question.

But you don't have to wait until someone offers an explanation before you become curious about your own care.

Maternity care doesn't necessarily happen in one place.

Depending on your local service and your individual circumstances, your care may take place in different settings, such as a community maternity setting, GP practice or hospital.

Your maternity team should tell you where your appointments are and what you need to do.

But if you're not sure?

Ask.

You can ask where you're going.

You can ask why you're being asked to attend.

You can ask who you'll see.

You can ask what you should bring.

You are not expected to automatically know your way around a system you've never used before.