National Maternity Surveys

The National Maternity Surveys gather important information about women's health and experiences of maternity care around the time of pregnancy and childbirth. The first National Maternity Survey was conducted by the National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit in 1995 and we have since carried out National Maternity Surveys in 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2020. The next survey will launch in November 2024.

In all our surveys, large samples of women who have given birth in England (and Wales in 1995) are identified from national birth registers and are invited to take part three to six months after giving birth. The surveys cover a wide range of topics including maternity care, infant feeding, lifestyle and mental health. Information from the National Maternity Surveys provides snapshots of women's health and maternity care and points for comparison over time.