Student Pregnancy

You should tell your Personal Tutor and Faculty's Student Support Team as soon as you can. They will ensure you are made fully aware of the support available to you including coordinating any risk assessments required and work through a personal support plan with you.

You can find further details for contacting your Faculty's Student Information / Experience team on our dedicated webpage. 

For more information, advice and guidance on pregnancy please visit the main NHS website or the NHS Better Health Start for Life, a dedicated website for new parents.

The highest risk of harm to your baby is during the first 13 weeks of your pregnancy. It is advisable that you inform the University as soon as possible, so that a risk assessment can be carried out. If you are unsure whether you are going to proceed with the pregnancy, it is still beneficial to carry out a risk assessment, for your own health and safety.

For more information, advice and guidance on pregnancy please visit the main NHS website or the external organisation Brook for help and advice on your options.

If you are undecided about whether you or your partner will continue with the pregnancy it would be best to seek further information to support your decision.

You may benefit from a meeting with a member of the Welfare@CampusLife team to discuss this. You can contact the Student Life Officers in Campus Life who can help establish what support is available to you both within and outside of the University. Please email welfare.campuslife@swansea.ac.uk and a member of the team will be in touch.

Alternatively, the following organisation, Brook who runs sexual health and wellbeing services across the UK, has dedicated webpages on exploring your options.

Locally the Keyhope Centre in Swansea offers support for pre- & post-abortion, miscarriage, and stillbirth.

There is also the Pregnancy Advisory Service run by the local health board.

No, being pregnant does not mean you have to leave the University or suspend your course. There may be risk implications with continuing your course which need to be assessed and appropriate advice, guidance and support provided. This depends on the requirements and nature of the course and your own personal circumstances.

If you are studying a course which requires physical activity, or exposure to chemicals or radiation, these will need to be considered as part of a risk assessment.

See question’s 1 & 2.

You are entitled to take time off during your pregnancy. The duration of this will need to be discussed with your faculty as it may have implications on your academic studies. Please contact your Faculty's Student Information / Experience team directly to discuss.

If you are due to give birth near to/or during assessment deadlines/examination periods and you want to complete the work, you will need to discuss this with your faculty. They will go through potential impacts to your studies and your options including support that may be available to you.

Please contact your Faculty's Student Information / Experience team directly to discuss your options.

Pregnancy is not an extenuating circumstance, and you are expected to prepare for your assessments and exams as usual. However, should complications arise, or your health is impacting your academic studies, then we would strongly advise you to follow the University’s Extenuating Circumstances policy. It will be best to discuss this with your Faculty's Student Information / Experience team at the earliest opportunity so they can go through the support that may be available to you.  

Alternatively, you can contact welfare.campuslife@swansea.ac.uk for any additional questions you may have regarding your pregnancy and your options.

If you continue to study once your baby is born, you will be entitled to take maternity-related absence, following the birth of your child. The duration of this absence will depend on your personal circumstances and the nature of your course. The University will work with you to agree on a suitable return-to-study date.

You can find further details for contacting your Faculty's Student Information / Experience team on our dedicated webpage. 

For more information, advice and guidance on pregnancy please visit the main NHS website or the NHS Better Health Start for Life, a dedicated website for new parents. 

Depending on your circumstances, you may be entitled to maternity benefits during your pregnancy.

Please get in touch with Money@Campuslife for further information on funding and financial support you may be eligible to receive.

For general information on Childcare help and costs MoneyHelper is a free service provided by the Money and Pensions Service and backed by the Government to help you navigate preparing for a family. They have dedicated webpages on your childcare options and affordability.

The Students' Union operates a Day Nursery on Singleton Park Campus that provides high-quality, and affordable childcare, for children aged 3 months - 8 years. It is in extremely high demand and has a waiting list. For more information about the on-campus nursery, email- nursery@swansea-union.co.uk.

There are also a range of childcare options within the community. Please refer to Swansea Council’s website for further information for parents and carers on your options. 

• Swansea Council's website has specific information on the Childcare Options in Swansea and how to choose the right one for you. 
• Alternatively, you can contact the Family Information Service (FIS) a starting point for any queries regarding supporting your family.  

For general information on Childcare help and costs, MoneyHelper is a free service provided by the Money and Pensions Service and backed by the Government to help you navigate preparing for a family. They have dedicated web pages on your childcare options and affordability.

Home students may be eligible to receive supplementary grants and/or other additional financial support to help pay childcare costs. Please get in touch with Money@Campuslife for further information.

If you have found out you are pregnant while studying abroad, we encourage you to let both Universities know as soon as possible. This will help ensure appropriate plans are put in place, to support the health and safety of both you and the baby.

The University will liaise with the placement provider, to ensure a risk assessment is completed, confirming it is still safe for you to study.

You can find further details for contacting your Faculty's Student Information / Experience team on our dedicated webpage. 

It is important that you are aware of any immigration, or other implications of being pregnant, as early as possible. Please email international.campuslife@swansea.ac.uk so they can make you aware of these.

If you do not have a support network around you in the UK, you may prefer to return home for the birth. Remember, that most airlines will not carry passengers who are 7 months or more pregnant, so make sure you take this into account when planning.

International@CampusLife have created specific advice pages including a dedicated Guide for International Families which you can download your own PDF copy. 

They also have a dedicated guide for Pregnancy and Maternity: International Students. 

Swansea University will allow students, who are partners of a new parent, to take related absences.

We would advise you to contact your Faculty's Student Information / Experience team for further support and guidance on this.

The NHS Better Start for Life has a dedicated webpage on advice for partners which will help when considering your options.

In the event that the receptions are closed, Security can provide access to an appropriate room where necessary. 

In the unfortunate event that you lose your baby during pregnancy, birth or shortly after it is important for you and your partner to access appropriate support during this difficult time.  

You can contact the Student Life Officers in Campus Life who can help establish what support is available to you both within and outside of the University. Please email welfare.campuslife@swansea.ac.uk and a member of the team will be in touch.

Additional support

• The UK’s pregnancy charity Tommy’s has extensive dedicated Baby loss information and support on their website.
• The NHS also cover what happens when a pregnancy goes wrong including additional support and guidance.
• The Lullaby Trust offer confidential bereavement support to those affected by the sudden or unexpected death of a baby or young child.
• Locally the Keyhope Centre in Swansea offers support for pre- & post-abortion, miscarriage, and stillbirth.

• For impacts on your studies, your Personal Tutor and Faculty's Student Support Team are best placed to advise. They will ensure you are made fully aware of the support available to you, create a coordinated plan and arrange a risk assessment.  

• The Welfare@CampusLife team can help with any questions you may have regarding your pregnancy and your options. Just drop us an email and we’ll be happy to help welfare.campuslife@swansea.ac.uk.
  
  
• The Listening Service ran by Faith & Community@CampusLife offers a confidential listening ear to anyone who needs it. There doesn’t have to be any particular issue or problem, sometimes it is just good to talk. These chats can happen via phone, video calling and in person, whichever you feel most comfortable using. If you would like to speak to a particular member of the team then please indicate who that is when you contact us at Listeningservice.campuslife@swansea.ac.uk.
  
  
• The International@CampusLife team have a dedicated guide for Pregnancy and Maternity: International Students which covers a wide range of things to consider if you have found out you are pregnant. It is not just useful for international students say take a look! 

There is a wide range of support out there for those who are pregnant or supporting a partner/friend with a pregnancy. This is not an extensive list but a few of the options we would direct you to.

• We would strongly advise that you are in regular contact with a midwife or doctor during the pregnancy. You should contact one as soon as you find out you’re pregnant to book your pregnancy (antenatal) care.
  The NHS website has lots of advice and guidance about all stages of pregnancy, including a dedicated website for parents, NHS Better Health Start for Life.
• The Pregnancy Charity Tommy’s offers a midwife-led information hub for everything to know about your pregnancy.
• There are also external organisations such as Brook for help and advice on your pregnancy and your options.