An instrumental birth refers to the use of either forceps or ventouse (suction cup). An instrumental birth happens for 1 in every 8 births.   Forceps are metal instruments which fit together around your baby’s head to speed up the process of baby being born during the pushing phase.  The doctor will pull the forceps as you also push down during a contraction. Ventouse is a suction cup which is placed on baby’s head firmly and also pulled by the doctor while you push.   The choice of instrument will depend on the situation, how many weeks pregnant you are…

During labour various assessments can be used to ensure your labour is progressing normally and your baby is not experiencing difficulties.  One thing we recommend is listening to your baby’s heartbeat. During labour when the uterus (womb) contracts the maternal blood flow does not flow as freely through the placenta and your baby has reduced oxygen supply.  This is completely normal and babies are able to adjust to this without any problems.  Occasionally babies have difficulty in adjusting and this may be reflected in the pattern of the heartbeat. Methods of monitoring Before we start to monitor your baby the…

Job Title: Consultant Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgeon Special interests: knee surgery, hip surgery, and trauma surgery Qualifications Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon since 2004, MB ChB 1991 Birmingham FRCS Ed 1996 FRCS Orth Outpatient Services Clinics Orthopaedic lower limb arthroplasty - Tuesday morning at Hereford County Hospital General orthopaedics - Tuesday afternoon at Hereford County Hospital Fracture clinic - Wednesday morning at Hereford County Hospital Inpatient and Day Case Operating Times Mr. Clark and his team operate all day Thursday. Osteoarthritis knee - procedures performed Total knee replacement Unicompartmental knee replacement Patellofemoral joint replacement Primary and revision knee surgery Osteoarthritis hip -…

cycling, bicycle, motorbike parking

Welcome to our paediatric outpatient department and Children's Ward.  The Paediatric department (Children's ward) provides inpatient and outpatient treatment of medical and surgical conditions, in children from birth up to the seventeenth birthday. The Children's ward deals with medical conditions and also provides facilities for many surgical specialties. The majority of children needing surgery can be treated in Hereford.  However, surgery in young children (generally under two years of age) and specialist surgery is referred to a specialist Children’s hospital, usually Birmingham. Both the medical and surgical specialties at The County Hospital have good links with Birmingham Children’s Hospital. Several…

Further reading  Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology: Induction of labour, information for patients https://www.rcog.org.uk/en/patients/patient-leaflets/induction-of-labour---information-for-people-who-use-nhs-services/  NICE, Induction of Labour guideline   National Childbirth Trust https://www.nct.org.uk/sites/default/files/related_documents/Newburn%20Induction%20of%20labour%20pp12-13.pdf  Why Induction Matters by Rachel Reed (Book - 2018)  MidwifeThinking.com - Rachel Reed   Inducing labour, making informed decisions by Dr Sara Wickham (Book - 2018)  In Your Own Time: How western medicine controls the start of labour and why this needs to stop by Dr Sara Wickham (Book - 2021)  Your human rights during your birth  Obstetric Cholestasis  Appendix  Risks associated with having a caesarean section include:  Higher than normal blood loss – haemorrhage Infection Injury…

The majority of people will experience some nausea and vomiting during pregnancy – around 80%.  Although it is often described as morning sickness, the symptoms can present at any time of day.  For most people, the nausea and sickness can be managed with changes to their diet and lifestyle and doesn’t impede greatly on their daily activities and will improve at around 12-20 weeks of pregnancy.  However, for some women, approximately 3%, the nausea and vomiting will be so severe that it affects their health and wellbeing, they cannot continue with their normal routine and they need hospital treatment –…

About the Service School Nurses are public health nurses working in the community, they are registered nurses with an additional public health nursing qualification. School Nurses have specialist knowledge and skills to enable them to work with children and young people aged from 5-19. The School Nursing team is comprised of School Nurses, Community Staff Nurses and School Nurse Assistants and as a service we are committed to supporting students, therefore a student may accompany us and be present during contacts. If you would prefer for a student to not be present please let your School Nurse know. The School…

Welcome to Wye Valley NHS Trust Community Midwifery, our aim is to support you and your family through pregnancy, labour and after the birth. As a team of Community Midwives we aim to provide the highest standard of care support and advice. We offer of range of options where to give birth to your baby, either in hospital, or at home. It is our aim to help you achieve your ideal birth experience, be that in the home or within the hospital. We have five Community Midwifery Teams providing care to the women of Herefordshire. Your named midwife is linked…