Some women are at greater risk of preterm birth based on their history. Usually, you will be referred to the preterm birth clinic by your community midwife at your initial booking appointment. Risk factors which indicate referral to the preterm birth clinic include:

Previous spontaneous preterm birth or mid-trimester loss (from 16+0 to 33+6 weeks gestation)
Previous preterm prelabour rupture of membranes (at less than 34 weeks gestation)
Previous use of cervical cerclage (suture)
Known uterine variant (including unicornuate uterus, bicornuate uterus, arcuate uterus, uterine didelphys, uterine septum/septate uterus)
Intrauterine adhesions (Ashermann’s syndrome)
History of trachelectomy (surgical removal of the cervix) for cervical cancer
History of significant cervical excisional event including LLETZ (large loop excision of the transformation zone) where greater than 15mm depth removed, or greater than 1 LLETZ (or cone biopsy) procedure carried out
Previous birth by caesarean section at full dilatation.

If you believe you should have been referred to the preterm birth team and this has not been completed by your community midwife, or if you meet the above criteria and are already 12 weeks pregnant or more and have not had your booking appointment, then you can email our preterm birth specialist midwife, Rachel Jenkins, to discuss this at pretermmidwife@uhs.nhs.uk

If you have been referred to the preterm team by your community midwife, you should have a telephone consultation with the preterm birth specialist midwife by the time you are 14 weeks pregnant. If you are 14 weeks pregnant and have not had an appointment, please contact the preterm birth specialist midwife using the email address above to make the team aware.

Please note that the preterm birth team only work on a Tuesday and Thursday and so will get back to any messages on their next working day.

Referral to the preterm birth clinic