Wye Valley NHS Trust

Gestational diabetes If you have been diagnosed with gestational diabetes, it is because it has been found that you have a higher than normal level of glucose (sugar) in your bloodstream. It is called gestational diabetes because it has been found whilst you are pregnant.  In a small amount of cases, it may be that a woman has undiagnosed diabetes, not caused by pregnancy.  The only way to know this is after your baby is born.  If your blood glucose remains high or uncontrolled postnatally then it is likely you have type 2 diabetes, your GP will check this at…

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…

Jaundice is a common condition which affects many newborn babies. It is usually mild and causes a yellow tone to the skin and sometimes to the sclera (whites of the eyes). It usually resolves after a few days and isn’t too much of a concern. However, occasionally babies will need treatment for jaundice. This is most likely to be in the form of phototherapy, but if it is severe then an exchange transfusion may be advised, this is rarer. Jaundice occurs because when babies are in the womb, they have many more red blood cells than average to allow for…

Safer staffing levels in our hospitals We know that having the right staff with the right skills in the right place at the right time is essential to the delivery of safe, high quality patient care. That is why, following national guidance, we publish the planned and actual number of nursing and midwifery staff working on each ward, together with the percentage of shifts meeting safe staffing guidelines.  Safe staffing isn’t just about the number of staff on the ward. It is also about the different skills and qualifications staff have. The type of illness or conditions on particular wards also needs…

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…

We are committed to reducing the impact on the environment from our activities, wherever possible, whilst at the same time improving the quality of care to our patients and service users and their carers.   We have already taken a number of steps to reduce our carbon footprint at our sites and further steps are underway. These include introducing new technologies to help reduce our carbon emissions at our sites and reduce our dependence on fossil fuels for a greener future.   Green Plan The Trust's Green Plan outlines projects, schemes and activities which will lead the Trust  towards its target of…

Melissa Mayo - Operational Support Officer – Referral Management Centre Typical day for myself would be supporting the day to day running of the RMC and our staff. We have approx. 35 staff within our department with a mixture of clinic clerks and coordinators for a vast range of services within WVT. My main role is to ensure the smooth running of the RMC each day – From workloads, short notice support, processes and also validation into our services PTL’s (2ww, urgent and routine). Having joined the trust in 2016 as a clinic clerk in the RMC, I was always inspired…

What is an Apprenticeship? An Apprenticeship is an on-the-job training program that develops an employees’ competence in the key skills they need to perform in their job role. At the same time, apprentices get a paying job with valuable training while they work towards a nationally recognised apprenticeship qualification. What does an Apprenticeship involve? You will work in a role which will include learning on the job, and study time allocated for you to complete your qualification so you can maintain a good work/life balance. You will be fully supported throughout your Apprenticeship by your manager and workplace coach, so…

Macmillan cancer information and support service

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…