From antenatal classes and scans to yoga and mental health: How Lynn News’ Rebekah Chilvers - as a West Norfolk resident - has found pregnancy
Pregnancy is an experience that is deeply personal to each individual and those around them.
But now I’m just a couple of weeks away from maternity leave, I thought that now would be a good time to share news of mine with you, our readers.
I’ve not kept it quiet in the paper on purpose, but never really felt the need to talk about it - until now.
In this feature, I’m hoping to share with you all my experiences of pregnancy and information that I hope will be useful to current or future mothers-to-be and their families.
We’ll start at the beginning, when my partner Lee and I discovered that we were expecting at the end of August 2024, when I would have been around a month pregnant. It’s fair to say it came as a bit of a surprise, but it was a lovely one, and straight away, we - and our friends and family - were super excited.
After all, we were so lucky to see those two little lines on the test, as I’m very aware that, for many others, getting to that point is not as straightforward.
The month in which I had been pregnant without knowing it saw me enjoy a holiday to Spain with my friends, a Taylor Swift concert in London and a wedding in Brighton - the last of which had left me feeling unusually exhausted, which I now know was because my body had begun the process of growing a tiny human.
Health appointments and scans
The week after we found out, I did as you’re advised to and contacted my GP surgery and was told to get in touch with the Queen Elizabeth Hospital’s maternity booking coordinator. It wasn’t long before she got back to me and asked for some important details so I could be added to their system.
That meant that I was then offered my first midwife appointment (which usually happen before you’re 10 weeks pregnant) at the Maple Hub based in the Healthy Living Centre in the St Augustines building in North Lynn.
Our midwife - who is lovely, friendly and helpful - immediately put us at ease, although she needed to ask us a number of serious questions related to my health and habits. While I’m thankful I haven’t needed them, there are support services available for those who find it hard to quit habits such as smoking and drinking alcohol while they’re expecting.
It is, of course, important to try to prioritise your health during these nine months, as doing so will also benefit the baby.
Our midwife appointments have been fairly regular in the time since September 2024, having had around six since then, but they become even more frequent in your third trimester.
If you’ve just found out you’re expecting, it’s time to start getting used to doing urine samples, fairly frequent blood tests and regular check-ins with your midwife about how you’ve been feeling. It’s also a good opportunity to ask questions if you have any. In a more recent appointment, we’ve also had the chance to discuss my birth plan so that I feel prepared ahead of the main event!
Other NHS healthcare appointments will include ultrasound scans at 12 weeks and 20 weeks - which I had at the Emerson Unit at the QEH. Again, everyone I encountered here was really lovely, even though our baby was often quite difficult as she would take her time to move into the right position for the sonographer to get as clear a picture as possible. Hopefully that’s not a sign of things to come!
Some mothers-to-be may be offered further NHS scans if there is anything that professionals want to keep a close eye on.
We were lucky to also have been able to afford private scans at five weeks (when the baby looked more like a tiny tortoise), 16 weeks to confirm her sex - we’re very excited to be expecting a girl - and a 4D version at 25 weeks. There are many places you can go for private scans, including in Norwich, Cambridge and Peterborough.
Based on our own experiences, we can recommend Window to the Womb at Peterborough and East Anglia Ultrasound Services in Aylsham.
For any NHS checks or meetings, you can expect to hear from them in advance of these appointments, whereas obviously you’ll have to make contact with organisations for private scans.
But, if there’s anything you’re concerned about during your pregnancy - depending on how far along you are - you can contact your GP, midwife, maternity triage service (from 16 weeks onwards) or 999 in life-threatening cases.
As I write this, we’re also set to go on a tour of the QEH’s birthing facilities, which I’m sure will help to visualise where we’ll spend some life-changing moments fairly soon!
Everything I have experienced via the NHS has been positive, with the midwives some of the loveliest and most reassuring health professionals you could ever have the pleasure of meeting.
Having its rating upgraded from ‘requires improvement’ to ‘good’ by the Care Quality Commission last year, the hospital is full of praise for its offering for mums-to-be.
Pippa Street, chief nurse at the QEH, said: “We’re incredibly proud of the maternity services we provide to our community. Our dedicated team of midwives, consultants, and support staff is committed to supporting women and families throughout their pregnancy journeys.
“We understand that every pregnancy is unique, and we work closely with each individual to ensure they receive quality, personalised and compassionate care.
“We’re here for our families every step of the way from early pregnancy appointments, regular antenatal visits, blood tests and scans. Our team offer invaluable support and is focused on ensuring the physical and mental health and well-being of both mother and baby.
“At The QEH, we are also proud to be part of the Norfolk and Waveney Local Maternity and Neonatal System, working alongside local teams to provide the highest quality of care.
“We are always keen to hear ways we might improve our services and listen to the voices of our patients, which is why we encourage all families to share their experiences with us through the Maternity & Neonatal Voices Partnership.
“We’re here to support, listen, and provide the best care possible."
Antenatal classes
Before I was pregnant - and most likely thanks to TV shows and films - I was under the impression that antenatal classes just referred to when you and your partner gathered with other couples, sat on the floor and practised breathing exercises for labour.
Although that may form part of the classes for some, it hasn’t yet for me. Again, after being contacted by health services, I booked onto the Pathway to Parenting antenatal programme in February. This is offered to parents-to-be towards the end of pregnancy.
Lee and I attended three two-hour sessions - run by a Norfolk Early Childhood and Family Service worker and a midwife and health visitor - at the service’s Snape Lane base in Downham over three weeks.
We learned so much thanks to the programme, with topics including how babies grow and develop, how life will change once the baby arrives, feeding and caring for them, safer sleep practices and parental health and wellbeing.
Not only this but, once more, the women who ran the course were so nice, non-judgmental and really helpful. In fact, the midwife and health visitor Jess was someone I went to school with, so it was lovely to have a friendly face taking us through some of this key information.
Also, this was a great chance to meet other future mums and their loved ones. I’ve stayed in touch with those at my sessions, and hopefully we might see each other once we’re all going to baby classes later in the year!
I’ve now booked on to two more midwife-run antenatal sessions which will be held at the Maple Hub in the next month or so, covering labour and pain relief options and postnatal information. Perhaps the labour class will look more like the expectations that were set by the episodes of Friends I’ve watched!
Physical activity
As someone who was fairly active prior to pregnancy, I wondered what my options would be while carrying a little one.
It’s always worth consulting a healthcare professional, but for most people, the standard NHS guidance is to keep doing your normal daily physical activity or exercise for as long as you feel comfortable.
In fact, the NHS states that the more active and fit you are during pregnancy, the easier it will be for your body to adapt to changes and weight gain, and cope with labour.
It’s also worth mentioning that as soon as you find out you’re pregnant, it’s time to start doing pelvic floor exercises to strengthen these muscles which come under strain during pregnancy and childbirth. You can find information on how best to complete these exercises online, and there are also apps, that you can get free access to, which send you daily reminders - ask your midwife if you haven’t got that.
In the first trimester, despite being more tired than usual, I was able to continue with most of my normal exercise by going to the gym and heading to parkrun on a Saturday morning to complete a morning 5k.
But since the second trimester, I have hit pause on running and replaced it with yoga - although I still like to go to the gym (just using the equipment that is safe and won’t cause too much strain) and walk when and where I can.
One of the best things that I’ve done while expecting is to take part in weekly pregnancy yoga classes in Leziate.
Run by Alicja Lim, who is a former midwife of more than 25 years and yoga instructor, these sessions are a combination of pregnancy-safe stretches and flows, breathing and relaxation techniques, and chats about labour, feeding and more.
These have also been another brilliant chance to meet other mums-to-be and hear how they’re getting on. We’re all at various different stages of pregnancy, but it’s been really lovely to connect with others going through the same experience, sharing similar fears and feelings of excitement.
And Alicja, who started her career as a midwife in Lynn in 1989, is a fantastic instructor who is passionate about sharing her knowledge and helping to keep us active.
“In pregnancy, I feel that if you have an understanding and prepare for the birth, you will cope better,” she told me.
Having stepped back from the role in 2015 before training to be a yoga instructor during the Covid-19 pandemic, Alicja was asked if she would consider starting a pregnancy class, which she did for the first time last year.
In terms of style, Alicja describes her yoga practice as “flowy” with “transitions to the music”.
“I’m quite playful, I want it to be fun - I want people to enjoy it,” she said.
The information she provides in the classes aims to help women feel more prepared for labour, as she states: “Your body is designed to do this.”
Alicja intends to continue the weekly classes on a Saturday morning in Leziate as long as there are enough people attending, and may also restart sessions for those with young babies, depending on her own availability as well as numbers.
Anyone interested in finding out more can contact Alicja via Facebook Messenger, Instagram or WhatsApp on 07900 920311.
It’s worth doing your own research, but there are many other classes to try in the area as well, including swimming.
Mental wellbeing and preparing yourself
It’s not just your physical health that you need to take care of and be aware of during this time, but also your mental wellbeing.
Although I’ve definitely found myself having more emotional reactions on some occasions, thanks to those fluctuating hormones, I’ve again felt fairly lucky to have been okay for the most part.
I have experienced some anxiety related to the baby’s movements and her overall wellbeing in my tummy, though. My thanks go to the QEH’s maternity triage service - and my midwife - for helping to monitor and reassure me when this has been the case.
If this was something I was struggling with more or to a more serious level, I know that my midwife would refer me for further support. There’s loads of help out there if you need it, from health services and charities such as Mind.
I know I’ve kept mentioning how lucky I’ve felt throughout my pregnancy, and, in terms of sickness, that’s particularly the case as I’ve not experienced any, although I have had some nausea, but I know that many have it much worse.
The biggest changes I have noticed relate to tiredness, but blood tests have found my iron levels to be fine. While we’re on the topic, it’s important to take a folic acid supplement until you’re 12 weeks pregnant, and it’s recommended that you have a daily vitamin D supplement too.
As always, consult your GP or midwife if you have any concerns.
To ensure I’m as prepared as possible, I’ve also enjoyed reading books such as The Modern Midwife's Guide to Pregnancy, Birth and Beyond by Marie Louise, and as well as nationwide NHS resources, there’s the Just One Norfolk website (covering pregnancy through to teenage years), apps such as Baby Buddy and much more.
There’s a wealth of information to take on board when you start this exciting time - so much so that it can feel overwhelming at points and I may have only scratched the surface of it in this feature - but just know that you are not alone and there’s loads of people and organisations out there who are more than willing to help.
If you’re pregnant now too - congratulations! It’s such a wonderful time and hopefully you can enjoy it as much as possible before your little one(s) arrive!
Who to contact during my maternity leave?
I’ve got two weeks left at the Lynn News before I head off on maternity leave, with my last day being Friday, April 11, and, from this coming Monday onwards, my colleague Kris Johnston, who has been a reporter at the Lynn News since 2022, will step into the role of acting head of news while I’m away.
Please get in touch with Kris in my absence via 07860 530901 or kris.johnston@iliffemedia.co.uk
Alternatively, email newsdesk on newsdesk@lynnnews.co.uk or editor Jeremy Ransome via jeremy.ransome@iliffemedia.co.uk
