The following practice recommendations were developed to standardise the midwifery care given to women and birthing people living with IBD during pregnancy.

A multi-professional group of experts around IBD and maternity care was formed to develop the following practice recommendations for midwives.

These recommendations are to be used alongside the European Crohn’s and Colitis (ECCO) Guidelines on Sexuality, Fertility, Pregnancy, and Lactation and the British Society of Gastroenterology (BSG) Standards for the provision of antenatal care for patients with inflammatory bowel disease within the United Kingdom and provide practice recommendations for midwives.

For women and birthing people with other medical or pregnancy complications, these recommendations should be complementary to guidelines used to provide antenatal care.

As maternity care is usually provided by midwives, these standards will commence at the point of confirmation of pregnancy and will not include preconceptual care.