Pregnant women receive advice and a range of medical support through contact with their GP and midwife, but there's a whole raft of other, complementary services available in the private sector.
In Bristol, there's a centre that's been set up as a bit of a one-stop shop, offering therapy, classes and workshops in subjects like yoga, kinesiology, reflexology, shiatsu, birth preparation, homeopathy, parenting, baby and toddler calming and breastfeeding.
Based at Yanley Court in Long Ashton, The Natural Pregnancy Partnership (TNPP), which has been open for a year, is a group of experienced therapists offering specialist care and support from pre-conception through to post-pregnancy and beyond.
It's the brainchild of 34-year-old Rachel Woster, who gave up a 12-year career in a TV post-production company to set up TNPP after taking a postgraduate course in pre and postnatal care.
Married and living in the Horfield area of the city, Rachel trained as a ballet dancer before an injury forced a rethink – and a university English degree. She's also a qualified pilates teacher.
Yanley Court is a complementary therapy centre set in a beautiful converted barn. Once an office, the exposed beams, rustic feel and earthy soft furnishings make the centre feel more like a home. There are several private rooms on the ground floor for therapists, while the vast space above, with its A-frame roof trusses and big windows, makes an ideal space for classes and workshops.
Explaining why she set up TNPP, Rachel says: "I had learned so much from the pre and postnatal course about the options available outside primary care and I was surprised to find that my friends weren't aware there were other options.
"If people were aware of complementary therapies, they weren't sure where to go, and were looking for the safest place where people are highly qualified. I wanted to empower women and make them aware of their choices.
"For example, a lot of my friends were suffering with really bad morning sickness and they thought that their only option was to go to the doctor.
"Things like acupuncture can help alleviate symptoms, and our kinesiolgist can help get the body into balance, in terms of what your body is reacting to, and find out whether there are certain foods you are sensitive to – though it helps to do this before you are pregnant.
"I have created a network of therapists here who get together regularly and we skill-share and put ideas together. It's about creating a place where people can come and feel safe and know they are seeing people who know what they are talking about.
"Before I take on a therapist here, they must have specific pregnancy training in their field and have been working with pregnant ladies for at least two years. When I created this centre it was very much TNPP at the core and I have also created a Yanley Court brand as well so we have options open and the whole family can be treated here."
To this end, there's an area with squashy sofas, magazines and a kitchen, where people can relax while waiting, or between classes.
One of the more unusual services on offer is hypnobirthing, which therapist Helen Evans says is "heavily grounded in neuroscience".
She explains: "It gives you tools and techniques to keep yourself in a calm and relaxed state during birth. It's all about releasing endorphines, which are key to helping women achieve even a pain-free birth. I used it to birth my son Oscar and I had a beautiful labour, with no pain.
"We are actually able to release endorphines at a much greater level during birth than at any other time in our lives and they are 200 times stronger than morphine, so it's really powerful stuff."
Working under the Hypobirthing Institute, Helen runs five-week courses for mums and dads, with each session lasting two and a half hours.
But it's not all about "alternative" therapies, since there are also services like a children's physio, speech and language therapy, and counselling for children, individuals and couples.
Prices for Yanley Court and TNPP services range from £35 to £60 per hour, but there are plans to offer concessionary places in the future.
Rachel explains: "I have set it up as a community interest company so it's not for profit and the goal is to create an outreach programme when we start making enough money to have a profit. We will then take subsidised services into the community."
There centre is holding an open day on Saturday, September 14, 10am-4pm, where therapists will be offering free taster sessions. Alternatively, visit www.pregnantbristol.com or www.yanleycourt.co.uk