Community Midwifery Appointments
Your referral for maternity care will be undertaken over the telephone by one of the Community Midwives, who will take your details and relevant history and then provide you with an appointment for your Booking appointment, (this will be either over the telephone, or a face-to-face consultation).
Your antenatal appointment will be arranged with you. Your appointment will be a telephone appointment or face to face appointment by your community midwife. The appointment will last for at least an hour during which you will be asked lots of questions and given lots of information along with advice and guidance.
The Midwife will also discuss screening tests for you and your baby and ask for your consent for the ones you choose. An electronic version of your booking notes can be sent to you prior to the booking appointment which will give you an indication of the questions that will be asked.
Before your appointment you will be asked if you or any members of your family have any symptoms of Coronavirus.
If you do, you will be advised to stay at home for the appropriate period of self-isolation and your midwife will give you further guidance. You will only be tested for Coronavirus if you become unwell and need to be admitted to hospital.
If you have a face-to-face booking appointment, your partner/birth supporter may attend with you. The midwife will undertake your blood tests, blood pressure monitoring, carbon monoxide screening, weight and a urine sample will be collected. If you have a telephone booking, then you will be offered an appointment for these tests. Following your booking appointment, you will then be invited for your dating scan and or nuchal scan (this will be explained to you at the booking consultation) at the Antenatal clinic either at the Thomas Linacre Centre or Leigh Infirmary where you will have your scan. You will be asked about Coronavirus symptoms as you arrive. You will be able to attend with 1 other person who is your partner or birth supporter. If you require a review by a Doctor an appointment will be made for you to have a face-to-face appointment, in some circumstances a telephone consultation may be arranged. Your midwife will advise you on this.
Your 16 week appointment: will be face to face with your community midwife, your partner/birth supporter may attend with you.
Your 20 week scan: will take place at either Thomas Linacre centre or Leigh Infirmary, your partner/birth supporter may attend with you.
From 24 weeks onwards your appointments: will be face to face with either your community midwife or with the medical team at Thomas Linacre or Leigh Infirmary Ante natal clinic if you require medical review. Your partner/birth supporter may attend with you.
If you require any further scans your partner/birth supporter may attend with you.
You will receive a phone call from a member of the team prior to your appointment. You will be asked if you or any members of your family have any symptoms of Coronavirus.
If you do, you will be advised to stay at home for the appropriate period of self-isolation and your midwife will give you further guidance. You will only be tested for Coronavirus if you become unwell and need to be admitted to hospital.
HOSPITAL APPOINTMENTS
If you are having shared care with an Obstetrician, you may need to attend your appointment for a face to face consultation – or you may receive a phone call from the Obstetrician. Your partner/birth supporter may attend with you.
We will be monitoring the numbers within our Ante natal clinic waiting area to ensure the safety of all those who are attending.
If you are asked to attend the antenatal clinic you and your partner/birth supporter will be asked about Coronavirus symptoms as you arrive. If you are found to have a temperature, you will be asked to go home immediately and will receive a telephone call from a doctor.
SCANS
If you have a scan appointment, your partner/birth supporter may attend with you.
You and your partner/birth supporter will be asked about Coronavirus symptoms as you arrive. If you are found to have a temperature, your scan may be postponed, and you may be asked to go home immediately and will receive a telephone call from a doctor.
URGENT CARE
If your baby’s pattern of movements changes or reduces in number, please call and speak to a Midwife promptly:
Triage on: 01942 7878628
If you are advised to attend Triage or Antenatal Day Assessment, you can attend with your partner/birth supporter.
You and your partner/birth supporter will have your temperature checked and be asked about Coronavirus symptoms as you arrive.
You and your birth supporter will have your temperature checked and be asked about Coronavirus symptoms as you arrive. If your birth supporter has symptoms of COVID then they will not be able to accompany you.
ANTENATAL CLASSES
These classes remain suspended, please speak to your Community Midwife regarding online parent education sessions available from Wigan Local Authority or the Local Maternity System.
CARE IN LABOUR
In Labour, when you are ready to come to hospital, please call in advance. The midwife will ask you about your Labour and some additional questions about your wellbeing and that of your family.
We will do everything we can to respect your birth choices; however we have to limit you to two birth partners/supporters.
You and your birth supporter/s will have your temperature checked and be asked about Coronavirus symptoms as you arrive. If either of your birth supporters has symptoms of COVID then they will not be able to accompany you.
Our team are wearing additional protective clothing including face masks, your birth supporters will be asked to wear a face mask provided by the maternity service.
If you have symptoms of or confirmed Coronavirus you will be cared for in isolation with a team who will have additional protective clothing – including face protection and eye wear. In an emergency this may cause a delay, as staff need to have appropriate additional protective clothing for the safety of you, your baby and the staff caring for you.
INDUCTION OF LABOUR
When your induction of labour is arranged you will be offered a COVID swab which will be taken approximately 48 hours prior to admission at either Thomas Linacre or Leigh Infirmary ante natal clinic.
If you are booked to come into hospital for induction of labour, you will be contacted by a midwife from the Maternity ward who will call you on the evening before you are due to come into hospital between 16:30 and 18:30.
The midwife will ask you about your pregnancy and some additional questions about your wellbeing and that of your family. At this time we have to limit you to one birth partner/support. When you are transferred to the Delivery suite your second birth supporter may attend.
You and your birth supporter/s will have your temperature checked and be asked about Coronavirus symptoms as you arrive. If your birth supporter has symptoms of COVID then they will not be able to accompany you.
PLANNED CAESAREAN SECTIONS
Before your caesarean section you will be offered a COVID swab which will be taken approximately 48 hours prior to admission the swab will be taken at either Thomas Linacre or Leigh Infirmary ante natal clinic.
If you are booked to come into hospital for a planned caesarean section, you will be contacted by a midwife from the Maternity ward who will call you on the evening before you are due to come into hospital between 16:30 and 18:30. The midwife will ask you about your pregnancy and some additional questions about your well-being and that of your family. We have to limit you to one birth partner/supporter.
You and your birth partner/supporter will have your temperature checked and be asked about Coronavirus symptoms as you arrive. If your birth supporter has symptoms of COVID then they will not be able to accompany you.
BIRTH AT HOME
Our home birth service continues and this choice of place of birth is in addition to birth on the delivery suite for women who meet the low risk birth criteria. There may be occasions when we would have to initiate a temporary suspension of the service.
Women who are symptomatic of the Coronavirus are recommended to birth in an Obstetric Unit, where additional monitoring of maternal and baby wellbeing can be facilitated.
Please discuss your options with your community midwife.
AFTER YOUR BABY IS BORN
Once your baby is born and as long as you and your baby are well, we will encourage you, with support, to go home as soon as possible.
Your care will be personalised to your needs and those of your baby. Baby screening tests will be arranged by your midwife. If you have symptoms of or confirmed Coronavirus you will be cared for in isolation with your baby, and the team will wear additional protective clothing. You will be encouraged and supported to breastfeed.
Should you need to stay in hospital, your partner/birth supporter will not be able to stay with you; we have appointment-based visiting on the Maternity Ward for your partner/birth supporter of two 1.5 hour visiting sessions per day. Your partner/birth supporter and 1 other nominated support person can attend the maternity ward for visiting. Only 1 person per 1.5 hour session.
Following your discharge home, you will receive a face-to-face home visit on the next day by your community midwife.
You will also receive a telephone call from the Infant feeding team following your discharge home who are additionally providing a virtual clinic to support women who are experiencing feeding problems.
If you and your baby are well a midwife will visit on Day 5 to check on you and your baby’s well-being, at this visit the midwife will undertake the new born screening blood tests. If you or a member of your family are unwell then this visit may be delayed, a midwife will discuss this with you.
Following discussion with you the community midwife may offer a final discharge visit via the telephone.
You will receive a phone call from a member of the team prior to your appointment. You will be asked if you or any members of your family have any symptoms of Coronavirus.
REGISTERING THE BIRTH OF YOUR BABY
Registration of births– please see more information at:
https://www.wigan.gov.uk/Resident/Births-Marriage-Deaths/Births/index.aspx
