Get free NHS prescriptions

Pregnant women in England are entitled to free NHS prescriptions during pregnancy and for 12 months after giving birth, whether they are employed or not. (In Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, they are free for everyone.) You need a maternity exemption certificate, which you can get from a midwife, doctor or health visitor.

You are also entitled to free dental treatment during pregnancy and for 12 months after giving birth in all parts of the UK. You must have a maternity exemption certificate or equivalent.

This is a digital or paper certificate, and you show it to the pharmacist when picking up prescriptions in England, or the dentist at your appointment.

“When you’re pregnant or have a new baby, there can be extra costs that add up quickly. That’s why it’s vital to check you are getting all the help you’re entitled to,” says Lilly Aaron, the senior policy manager at the Money and Pensions Service.

If you have paid for prescriptions while you are covered by the certificate, you may be entitled to a refund.

Check grants and benefits

You could be eligible for a one-off payment of £500 under the Sure Start Maternity Grant scheme if you live in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, you or your partner are on certain benefits and you are expecting your first baby.

Kate Marsh, the midwifery manager at Tommy’s, the pregnancy and baby charity, says it is important to apply within the time limit. “You need to claim it within 11 weeks of the baby’s due date or within six months after your baby is born, [and] it doesn’t have to be repaid,” she said.

She adds: “You’re also eligible for the scheme if you have refugee status or humanitarian protection, or you’ve left Ukraine or Afghanistan to come to the UK because of conflict and upheaval in those countries.”

Scotland has a similar scheme called the Pregnancy and Baby Payment. “Anyone eligible – depending on income and benefit entitlement – will receive £767.50 for their first child, and £383.75 for babies born after that,” Marsh says.

Forty-eight hours after you have registered the birth of your child, you are also entitled to claim child benefit. For the eldest child, you will get £26.05 a week. For any subsequent children you get £17.25.

However, you may have to pay the high income child benefit charge if you or your partner have an individual income that is over the threshold (more than £60,000 for the 2024-25 tax year).

Take free vitamins

Making sure you get the right nutrients is important for your baby’s growth and development. You will get most of the vitamins and minerals you need by eating a healthy, varied diet, but the NHS also advises you take folic acid, iron and vitamin D supplements.

Some pregnant women are entitled to free vitamins containing folic acid, vitamin C and vitamin D under the Healthy Start scheme. “If you live in England, Wales or Northern Ireland and you qualify for the Healthy Start scheme, you can get free folic acid and vitamins C and D from 10 weeks of pregnancy onwards,” Marsh says.

“However, it’s important to take folic acid and vitamin D even before conception and early in pregnancy, so if you can’t afford to buy them at that stage, ask your GP for help.”

Marsh says that in Scotland, women are entitled to folic acid and vitamins C and D throughout their pregnancy.

If you do have to pay for vitamins, you don’t need to buy expensive branded products, she adds. “Supermarket or pharmacy own-brand vitamin D and folic acid are fine.”

You will need to show your NHS Healthy Start card when you collect your free vitamins.

Your midwife or GP can provide information about local and national schemes and help you determine your eligibility. Healthy Start vitamins are available to breastfeeding mothers as well.

Save on maternity clothes

As your baby bump grows, you are likely to increasingly struggle to fit into all of your old clothes. If you are not keen on the idea of forking out on a brand-new maternity wardrobe, a “closet audit” to identify your loosest and most flowing pieces is a good start.

Another great investment is a waistband extender. They usually cost less than £10 and mean you can carry on wearing your normal clothes for a bit longer.

If you are keen to keep your normal wardrobe for as long as possible, you could buy some long vest tops, which you can tuck into trousers to stop your belly poking out.

When you do need some new clothes, asking around or buying secondhand will help save money.

“Online sites such as Vinted and Facebook Marketplace can be really useful if you’re looking for maternity clothes. You can find good-value bundles from people who know they won’t be needing them again,” Marsh says.

Calculate your leave

As a mum-to-be, you are entitled to a year of statutory maternity leave from your employer, no matter how long you have been in your job. However, the rules around statutory maternity pay have some stipulations.

Your employer has to pay you for up to 39 weeks if you are working for it in the 15th week before your baby is due and have worked there for at least 26 weeks continuously before that, and you need to earn an average of at least £125 a week (before tax).

Aaron says that the earliest your paid maternity leave can start is the 11th week before your baby is due. “If your baby is born early, your leave starts the day after the birth,” Aaron says.

In terms of statutory maternity pay, you get 90% of your average weekly earnings before tax for the first six weeks. For the next 33 weeks, should you take them, you will be entitled to £187.18 a week or 90% of your average weekly earnings – whichever is lower.

If you do not meet the requirements for maternity pay, you can apply for maternity allowance as soon as you have been pregnant for 26 weeks. If you are employed or have recently stopped working, you will get £187.18 a week or 90% of your average weekly earnings (whichever is less) for up to 39 weeks.

If you are self-employed, you can get between £27 and £187.18 a week for up to 39 weeks.

You can use the government’s maternity entitlement calculator to work it out.

Get priority

Travelling on public transport while pregnant can be a challenge, and if your bump is small or you are earlier on in your pregnancy, people may feel awkward asking if you need a seat. If you are travelling in London and the south-east, the “baby on board” badge lets people know to offer you a seat or help. You can order one online on the Transport for London website.

Some shops will also let you go to the front of the line if you are pregnant and struggling. For instance, women on Reddit report that in some Primark stores, you can go to the accessible till if you are pregnant or have a double buggy.

While stores may not have an official policy, it is a good idea to ask staff if you are finding it hard to stand in line.

• This article was amended on 4 September 2025. An earlier version said that child benefit had a two-child cap; this is not the case. Every child is eligible for benefit but the eldest child will qualify for a higher amount.