During your pregnancy (antenatal care)

When attending your first appointment at North Mid, please bring:

• Scan reports if you have already had an ultrasound scan
• A copy of your maternity notes, blood results or ultrasound scan reports if you are transferring your care from another hospital

Your pregnancy appointment, also known as your booking appointment, will either take place at North Mid or in your local GP surgery or Children’s Centre.

At this appointment the midwife will ask you a series of questions about your medical history, previous pregnancies and health and well-being. The midwife will give you information for your pregnancy, including information about:

• Your previous medical and obstetric history which will help us plan the right care for you
• The blood tests offered to you that will be repeated at different times of your pregnancy
• The options that are available during your pregnancy and delivery 
• The antenatal classes that we provide
• When your future appointments will be.

Your booking appointment usually takes around one hour and is also an opportunity for you to ask any questions you may have. You will also receive information about your first scan.

At your appointment you will be given your maternity notes. Please always take them with you when you have an appointment to see your midwife, GP or attend the hospital for any reason during your pregnancy.

We follow NICE guidance when planning your antenatal care and your appointments.

Your antenatal care at North Mid will be either midwifery-led, consultant-led or shared care.

Antenatal care is usually provided by the team of midwives, though if any complications arise, or if you have a known medical problem, the midwives will refer you to an obstetrician, who will then become the lead professional in your care.

The midwife may also refer you to other professional colleagues such as an anaesthetist, dietician, or psychologist during your pregnancy.

Midwifery-led care

If everything is normal during your pregnancy, you will follow our low-risk midwifery-led pathway.

This means you will see a midwife for the majority of your appointments. If there is any deviation from the normal, your midwife will refer you to one of our consultants.

Consultant-led care

If you have any medical conditions that will affect your pregnancy you will be following the consultant-led care pathway. A midwife will still be involved in your care.

Shared care

If you have medical conditions which wont detrimentally affect your pregnancy, you will have consultations with a consultant and a midwife.

We offer preparation classes for parents-to-be that are informal and covers things that happen during your birth and beyond.

You can book your classes through your midwife.

Hypnobirthing

We also offer hypnobirthing at North Mid. This is an alternative birth education programme that teaches simple but specific self-hypnosis, relaxation and breathing techniques for a better birth.

Hypnobirthing is a complete antenatal education that will equip you with knowledge and understanding on how hypnobirthing works within the whole process of pregnancy and birthing experience.

There is a cost for hypnobirthing at North Mid, which our team can talk you though. 

If your interested in hypnobirthing, get in touch with the team. 

 

North Middlesex Maternity Department understands the importance of having the right support for women during their pregnancy journey.  We are reviewing this on a regular basis, and we are now able to support / welcome two consistent birth partners with you into our Labour Ward, Birth Centre, Induction of Labour. On the Maternity Ward we have now advanced to 24hr visiting for one designated birth partner.

This can be a member of your family, a friend, a doula, Birth Companion or an independent midwife. All birth partners must follow these rules and any other instructions from staff, at all times:

• Birth partners will be given a wrist band which they must always wear. Any damage to the band may delay access. Do not swap the band with another person.
• Birth Partners must practice good hand hygiene and wash hands/use gel; when entering the hospital, when entering or leaving the rooms and when using the toilets:
  • On the Labour Ward all birth partners must use the toilet labelled ‘visitors’ only.
  • On the Birth Centre your birth partners can use the ensuite toilet.
  • On the Maternity Ward you must use the toilet labelled Relatives, these are in the room/bay and are clearly signposted
• If you are moved to theatre, your birth partner can go with you. If birth partners are unable to attend theatre (for example if the procedure involves a general anaesthetic) they will be supported to wait in the labour wardroom or recovery area.
• On the Maternity Ward a designated support partner can stay 24hrs they should stay in the room/ behind the curtains as the corridors can become busy. We are encouraging new mothers to ask people to wait until they leave hospital to visit to give them time to bond with their babies and receive the necessary support for caring for themselves and their baby.
• Please wear suitable clothing on the maternity ward and be mindful of the other women on the ward. If you are staying overnight, stay with mum if you need to leave, please be patient as we do not have door service overnight and the staff are often very busy.
• Be aware that we have toilet facilities only for visitors on the Maternity Ward. Unfortunately, at this time the Ward cannot provide food for relatives however we do have tea and coffee facilities that you can help yourself to during your time on the ward.

Professional Midwifery Advocates (PMA) are experienced practising midwives trained to support and guide midwives to deliver the best possible care. Every midwife will meet with a PMA at least once a year to support them in their role as a midwife and help equip them to deliver a high standard of care for you and your family.

What do Professional Midwifery Advocates do?

·         Give guidance and support to both you and your midwife

·         Ensure your care is appropriate and delivered, in the right place, by the right person and that it will benefit you and your baby.

·         Help midwives to access additional education and training in practice as necessary.

 

How can professional midwifery advocates help you?

Our Professional Midwifery Advocates work closely with our two consultant midwives by:

• Listening and advocating on concerns you may have about your current midwifery care
• Talking to your midwife/obstetrician on your behalf if you are concerned about your plan of care
• Supporting and advising on care choices, eg. place of birth
• Enabling good communication between you and your midwife in relation to your care.

If you become pregnant and feel that you had a previous difficult birth experience, a PMA will work with you to address any issues you may have experienced, and can work with you to plan for your next birth.

How can I contact a professional midwifery advocate?

You can email us at: Northmid.pma@nhs.net and someone will respond to your email as soon as possible.