You will be invited with your baby at 8 weeks for your aftercare. This will include your postnatal check , you baby’s child developmental check and childhood immunisations.

Childhood Immunisations

If a vaccine is given when a baby still has antibodies to the disease, the antibodies can stop the vaccine working. This is why routine childhood immunisations do not start until a baby is two months old, before the antibodies a baby gets from its mother have stopped working. This is also why it is important for parents to stick to the immunisation schedule, as a delay can leave a baby unprotected. A delay can increase the chance of adverse reactions to some vaccines, such as pertussis (whooping cough).

Vaccination Schedule

At two months old: 

• Diptheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough), polio and Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) (DTaP/IPV/Hib) – one injection 
• Pneumococcal infection – pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) – one injection 

At three months old:

• Diptheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough), polio and Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) (DTaP/IPV/Hib) – one injection 
• Meningitis C (meningococcal group C) (MenC) – one injection 

At four months old: 

• Diptheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough), polio and Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) (DTaP/IPV/Hib) – one injection 
• Meningitis C (meningococcal group C) (MenC) – one injection 
• Pneumococcal infection – pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) – one injection 

At around 12 months old: 

• Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) and meningitis C (Hib/MenC) – booster dose in one injection

At around 13 months old: 

• Measles, mumps and rubella (German measles) (MMR) – one injection 
• Pneumococcal infection – pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) – one injection 

Three years four months to five years old (pre-school): 

• Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough) and polio (dTaP/IPV or DTaP/IPV) – one injection
• Measles, mumps and rubella (German measles) (MMR) – one injection 
• 13 to 18 years old: 
• Diphtheria, tetanus and polio (Td/IPV) – one injection

Further Reading

There are some excellent websites that will answer all your questions and queries about immunisation and vaccination. If you are worried about giving the MMR vaccine, you should access the MMR site.

NHS Choices – Immunisation Information
The most comprehensive, up-to-date and accurate source of information on vaccines, disease and immunisation in the UK. 

NHS Choices – MMR Information
This website has been put together to answer any questions you might have about MMR. You can look for information and resources in the MMR library, ask an expert panel a question, and read up on the latest news stories relating to MMR.

The surgery offers full antenatal, postnatal and child healthcare services.

We are served by three local hospitals: Hillingdon Hospital, Northwick Park and Watford General Hospital. Your care will be shared between your midwife , your GP and your chosen hospital.

Appointment for routine checks throughout your pregnancy can be made at a time to suit you, during normal surgery hours.

The Mum & Baby App

Signposting women to self-refer for maternity care using the mum & baby app

The North West London LMS co-designed mum & baby, a digital maternity app, in collaboration with local women, their families and a range of specialists and services across the sector.

The mum & baby app launched in November 2018 and includes innovative features:

• enabling women and their families easy access to accurate and up-to-date local maternity services information to confidently make choices about their maternity care provider, birth setting and other care options;
• providing easy access to clinician-validated and locally pertinent information, which has been collaboratively approved, thus addressing the challenge of inconsistencies in information;
• encouraging women and their families to actively participate in their maternity care by being prompted to co-create and share their digital care plans with the clinical teams.

Notably, the app provides a single point of access enabling women to refer themselves to maternity services, ensuring timely first access to maternity care and supporting the national recommendation of review by local maternity services before 11 weeks of pregnancy.

A recent poll of the maternity services suggests that by far the majority of women selfrefer for maternity care in preference to making an appointment to see their GP.

The NW London LMS recommends that all women use the app to self-refer for maternity care for the following reasons:

• the app is free to use and easy to download from the App Store or Google Play
• self-referral can be done as soon as the woman is aware of her pregnancy
• shortens the waiting time between referral and first booking appointment
• frees up GPs valuable time

GP surgeries are therefore requested to signpost women to the mum and baby app, informing them that self-referral is recommended. For women who do not have access to a smartphone, the self-referral form can be completed online through the Trusts’ maternity websites.

Hospitals

Women who are pregnant can refer themselves online for antenatal care at the hospital of your choice. You can do this as soon as you find out you are pregnant. Self referral is accepted for all pregnant women. However, if you have a chronic medical condition or take regular medication, please also make an appointment with your GP for further advice. We recommend that all pregnant women take 400mcg folic acid from before pregnancy until 12 weeks and 10mcg vitamin D throughout pregnancy and whilst breastfeeding.

Detailed advice on your health in pregnancy is available on the NHS website

• Northwick Park Hospital
• Watford General
• Hillingdon hospital