Before labour starts, the neck of the womb (cervix) is long, firm and closed. Even before labour begins, the cervix can be drawn up and gets thinner.  The ‘latent’ phase of labour is the very first part of your labour – the early part of first stage. During the ‘latent’ phase the neck of the womb thins and opens up to about 3 to 4 cm.  The latent phase can last several days or weeks before active labour starts. This is normal. Some women have bouts of contractions lasting a few hours, which then stop and start again later or…

Patient and carer information Lymphoedema

At your booking appointment your midwife will go through all the screening that you will be offered during pregnancy and for your baby once they are born. The first screening will involve a blood test at your initial appointment, which will be looking for infectious diseases, your rhesus factor, your haemoglobin level, your blood type and if you have any antibodies.  Also at this appointment your midwife will make a referral for you to have a dating scan, which will give you an estimated date of birth for baby.  At this scan they will ask if you would like to…

Reasons you may be offered an induction of labour  The following circumstances in pregnancy may result in an induction of labour being offered to you: Post-dates pregnancy Advanced maternal age (40 years of age or more) Suspected big baby Suspected small baby Diabetes Pre-eclampsia Reduced fetal movements IVF If your waters break before tightenings start Obstetric Cholestasis Skip to the factsheet that is relevant to you, so you can start to make a fully informed decision on whether you would like an induction of labour.  Post-dates pregnancy A term pregnancy is classed as anything between 37 and 42 weeks. The…

work experience opportunities for school aged children, in Years 10-11 (14-16 years old).

The risks associated with induction of labour

The human resources and organisational development directorate incorporates the following teams/departments: Recruitment The recruitment team provides a central recruitment service, processing all advertisements, applications and contracts of employment for the Trust and managing the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checking service. The team is based at Franklin Barnes Building in Hereford. Medical Recruitment The medical recruitment team provides a central recruitment service for all medical staffing appointments, which includes pre-employment checks for all medical and dental staff groups. The team is based at Franklin Barnes Building in Hereford. Temporary staffing The temporary staffing team provide a centralised service to the…

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…

Victoria Eye Unit at The County Hospital The Victoria Eye Unit offers a wide range of ophthalmic services, covering all areas of general ophthalmology, including cataract surgery. Specialist Clinics We provide specialised clinics for: Glaucoma Retinal and Macular Disorders (including Vitreoretinal surgery) Squint (in both adults and children) Paediatric Ophthalmology Thyroid Eye Disease Eyelid Disorders Inflammatory eye disease Cornea and external disease The department is equipped with state-of-the-art digital photographic and laser imaging equipment, all connected throughout the hospital. Eye Unit – Emergencies If you have an urgent eye problem, follow the guidance below: Call an Optometrist from the lists below,…

What to bring with you for your induction