Congratulations on your pregnancy, we’re so pleased to be part of your journey. If you have a positive pregnancy test, you can book your maternity care directly with us without having to go to your GP.

Get in touch with our midwifery team as soon as possible on 01204 390023. They will schedule your first appointment – which is often called a booking appointment.

During pregnancy, you will have several appointments to check your wellbeing and your baby’s development. These will usually be with a midwife or sonographer, depending on the care you need.

These appointments could include:

• early pregnancy advice
• routine scans at 12 and 20 weeks
• screening tests
• support with physical and emotional health
• pregnancy vaccinations
• specialist care if needed

Your midwife will help you make a personalised care plan and answer any questions you may have.

At scan appointments, you will be able to purchase printed photographs of your scan for £5 each.

Pregnancy can be an exciting, but also daunting time, and you are likely to have many questions. As well as your midwife and support we provide, we’d also recommend spending some time looking at the NHS pregnancy guide, which has lots of helpful information about every stage of pregnancy.

Support in early pregnancy (16 weeks or under)

Our Early Pregnancy Unit provides urgent care for anyone experiencing problems in early pregnancy (up to 16 weeks), such as pain, bleeding or severe vomiting.

The service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and you can contact our Triage Service on 01204 390510 for immediate advice at any time.

One of our nurses will assess your symptoms and arrange the most appropriate care, which may include attending our Early Pregnancy Assessment Unit or, if your symptoms are severe, the Emergency Department (ED) at the hospital.

If you are unable to access the service and have heavy bleeding or severe pain, please go straight to the ED.

After your baby is born (postnatal care)

Whether your baby arrives at home or in hospital, we want you to feel safe, supported, and cared for every step of the way.

If you give birth at home

If everything is well, you'll stay in the comfort of your own home. Your midwife will help you get settled, complete any essential paperwork, and make sure you have important contact numbers before they leave. They'll arrange to visit you again very soon to see how you and your baby are doing.

If you give birth in hospital

After birth, we'll help you get comfortable and make sure you have time to rest and bond with your baby. Your midwife will carry out your baby's first checks.

After about an hour, you and your baby will move to the postnatal ward. If you're planning to go home the same day, this is usually possible after 3–6 hours, depending on the type of birth you've had and the advice of the team looking after you.

If you have a caesarean section or a more complex birth

You'll spend a little time in our recovery area so we can keep an extra close eye on you. Once you're feeling well and comfortable, you'll move to the postnatal ward.

Your care team

You may meet several members of our maternity team during this time, everyone is here to support you, answer your questions, and help you feel confident in caring for your baby.

Your baby's first checks

During the first 24 hours, your baby will have a full examination to make sure everything is as it should be, including a hearing screen. Our neonatal team is always close by if extra support is needed. Your baby will also be offered a BCG vaccination

Before you go home, we will:

• Carry out a postnatal check of you to make sure you're recovering well
• Check you are comfortable and confident with feeding your baby
• Give you any follow‑up information and details you will need
• Give you information about registering the birth of your baby

Please remember to plan how you'll get home, including having a suitable car seat if travelling by car.

After you leave us

You'll have a named midwife who will check in on you regularly for the first 14 days. Once midwifery care comes to an end, our public health nursing team (health visitors) will continue supporting you and your baby as you move into the next stage together.