Congratulations on your pregnancy!  If you are newly pregnant you will need to self-refer to Wye Valley NHS Trust in order to make your first appointment.  Your first meeting with your midwife will take place when you are between eight to ten weeks pregnant. Whether this is your first pregnancy or you have had a baby before, you may have lots of questions about what to expect from your pregnancy care at our Trust.  This section will hopefully answer these queries and give you some additional useful information. We aim to provide the best possible care and experience for mothers, babies…

When your baby is born they are still receiving oxygen and blood through the umbilical cord and placenta to allow a smooth transition into life outside of the womb. At any one time, a third of a baby’s blood volume is in their placenta. Therefore it is recommended that the cord is left unclamped until baby has received all of their blood. If the cord is left until it has stopped pulsating, baby can benefit from increased iron, oxygen and weight gain.Delayed cord clamping is now routinely practised. This is when the cord is left for at least one minute…

There is now strong evidence to say that homebirth is as safe as giving birth in hospital with many other psycho-social benefits.  Hutton et al (2019) state that ‘The risk of perinatal or neonatal mortality was not different when birth was intended at home or in hospital’. The Birthplace Study which involved 17,000 cases showed that homebirth is just as safe as giving birth in hospital for second or subsequent births. A possible explanation for this is that labouring in hospital is much more likely to involve interventions, which can interfere with normal physiology and cause further problems such as…

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After your baby is born your midwife will ask whether you would like your baby to have a Vitamin K supplement. It is known that newborn babies have about 30% to 60% of the vitamin K an adult would have stored in their liver. It isn’t known why this is or if there is a reason for this. However, a very small amount of babies are born very deficient in Vitamin K and go on to develop Vitamin K Deficiency Bleeding (VKDB). VKDB can cause bleeding from the nose, umbilicus, mouth or into the brain which can in turn cause…

Labour can be categorised into the latent phase of labour and the active/established stage. The pain relief options will be slightly different for each stage. The Latent Phase This is the early phase of labour where your cervix will be softening and getting ready for established labour.  You may experience some period type discomfort and irregular tightening’s, the sensations you feel will most likely be in your lower abdomen and lower back as your cervix softens. For this stage of labour, there are lots of things you can do to help yourself feel more comfortable: Use a hot water bottle…

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COVID-19 Osteoporasis information for public   What is Osteoporosis? Osteoporosis is the term used to describe bones when they become ‘porous’, when the struts which make up the mesh-like structure within bone start to disappear. This leads to a reduction in bone strength and an increased risk of fracture after injuries such as a low impact fall. These broken bones or ‘fragility fractures’ can occur in different parts of the body, although the wrist, hip and spine are most commonly affected. Osteoporosis is thought to affect 1 in 3 women and 1 in 7 men during their lifetime. It is…

Skin to skin Extensive research tells us the many benefits of skin to skin immediately after baby is born. It helps to regulate baby’s heartrate, breathing and temperature, reduces their stress levels, aids with their first feed, as well as enhancing your milk supply.   It has also been shown to have beneficial effects for the mother if they have experienced a traumatic birth.    A minimum of an hour skin to skin and offering baby their first feed during this time can help to realise these benefits.  However, there is no limit, as baby grows, skin to skin can…

When you are on biologic drugs (or biosimilar) you are more likely to get food poisoning, because part of your body’s immune system is being altered. In order to avoid the risk of salmonella, listeria and e.coli you shouldn’t eat the following foods: Unpasteurised milk and dairy products, e.g. cheese made from unpasteurised milk. Mould ripened soft cheeses (e.g. Brie and Camembert) and blue cheeses (whether pasteurised or not), feta and goats cheeses. Raw eggs, or foods containing uncooked egg (e.g. home-made mayonnaise). Raw or undercooked meat (e.g. rare steak) and fish. Cooked rice over 24 hours old and not…