Wye Valley NHS Trust

Your perineum Your perineum is the tissue between your vagina and your anus.  During birth you can experience perineal trauma/tearing.  This can be classified into four degrees of severity: 1st degree – these only affect the skin, they usually do not require any repair and heal quickly on their own. 2nd degree – these affect the skin and the perineal muscle layer, repair is usually needed. 3rd and 4th degree – 3.5% of women will experience a more substantial tear which involves the muscle that controls the anus. This degree of tear will need to be repaired in theatre. Episiotomy…

Eating a healthy diet and being physically active are especially important in pregnancy as your unborn baby has to get everything it needs to grow and develop from its mother. If your weight is higher or lower than the healthy range when you become pregnant, it can affect your pregnancy as well as your general health. Healthy lifestyle and vitamins in pregnancy What is a healthy weight? We use your height and weight to work out your body mass index (BMI). BMI Healthy range 18.5 to 25 Underweight less than 18.5 Overweight 25 to 30 Obese 30 and above During…

Research regarding people who have persistent pain suggests that the greatest long-term benefits are felt by those who keep practising relaxation, pacing and a gentle fitness programme, but when you have persistent pain, managing these and ‘everyday’ activities can be very difficult. It might feel like the pain is in control. There can be traps to fall into; pushing through pain, avoiding activity, or falling into a ‘boom and bust’ cycle.   For more information, helpful tips and experiences shared by other people dealing with chronic health conditions and/or persistent pain visit the Health Talk website. What is Pacing? Pacing…

The aim of Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is to do more of what matters to us and have the most fulfilling life we can, despite having difficulties along the way. Do you feel like your life is on hold waiting for the pain to get better? Are you stuck, wishing that the pain would just go away? Do you struggle with the idea of accepting your pain? Do you feel that pain has taken away who you used to be? ACT could help you live your life again despite having pain. What is ACT? The aim of ACT is to…

Visiting restrictions check for Visiting restrictions  Information for patients and carers We have three modern and comfortable community hospitals. If you are a patient in an acute hospital, such as Hereford County Hospital, your doctors and nurses may now think you are well enough to be moved to a Community Hospital. We would like to tell you more about them, their modern facilities and the nurses, doctors and therapists there. This information may also be of interest to you if you are at home and due to be admitted for care. If you are a patient at the County Hospital it…

The County Hospital has its own Angiography Suite where cardiac diagnostic tests, heart pacing, and the fitting of pacemakers are carried out. The Suite has its own dedicated staff, which assists the doctor and takes care of patients during their visit. It is managed by the heart and lung department. Coronary Angiography Coronary Angiography is a special x-ray of the coronary arteries. The coronary arteries do not show up on a plain x-ray. Coronary Angiography involves a dye being injected down the coronary arteries, which together with their smaller branches, then show up clearly on an x-ray “like a road…

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There are lots of simple things that you can do to help you stay steady on your feet, whether you are worried about falling, are fit and active, or have difficulty with your mobility. Be active You can help to prevent falls by staying fit and active. Physical activity helps to improve mobility, strength, balance, flexibility and stamina. There are a variety of ways to be active which can include gardening, housework, walking, swimming and exercise classes. If you are already active, Tai Chi and dancing are good activities to help you keep good balance and stronger muscles and bones.…

Birth to 2 hours During this time you will be on Delivery Suite having your well-earned tea and toast and bath while your midwife finishes all of your labour and birth notes. Following the birth of your baby the midwife will conduct an initial top to toe examination of your baby to assess for wellbeing and to identify anything unusual. The check will be performed next to you to provide information and reassurance.  4 hours to 24 hours At this point you will transferred on to Maternity Ward and handover of care will be given from your birth midwife to…

Infant feeding and Baby Friendly Status We are proud to be the first NHS maternity service in the West Midlands to be awarded the prestigious UNICEF Gold Baby Friendly Award in 2026, which is the highest level of accreditation.  The award recognises the maternity team’s long-term excellence in providing infant feeding support to families to a high standard, helping to ensure a positive experience, and giving babies the best possible start in life. Since first achieving Baby Friendly Status in 2019, Wye Valley NHS Trust’s (WVT) maternity team has continued to strengthen and build on this to meet UNICEF’s evidence‑based Gold standard, which is…