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…

This privacy notice tells you what to expect from us when you contact us or use our services and you provide us with your information.

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…

Visiting - Follow this link for the latest information and how to arrange visits.

Visiting restrictions  Follow this link for the latest information on visiting. About Arrow Ward

Allied Health Professionals (AHPs) The Allied Health Professions (AHPs) are the third largest clinical workforce in health and social care in England. They provide high quality care to patients and clients across a wide range of care pathways and in a variety of settings that include, hospitals, community, the independent and charitable sectors and schools. They work in health promotion to prevent accident or illness, they are active in treatment and rehabilitation and they promote self-help and independence. At Wye Valley NHS Trust our AHPs provide the following ten services;                 Dietetics Occupational therapy…

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…

Maternity triage phone number - 07990 986517, available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We have introduced a new telephone system within Maternity Triage to reduce unnecessary wait times and improve patient experience by allowing calls from women, birthing people and their families to be prioritised. The contact number for Maternity Triage remains the same. However, all calls in to the new system from 6 May 2025 are now recorded for staff training, audit and monitoring purposes.  How to find us Maternity Triage is located on the second floor at Hereford County Hospital. Follow the main corridor from the main entrance…

The Primrose surgical unit is located on the ground floor at Hereford County Hospital.  Please follow the ground floor corridor signs or ask at main reception. Visiting restrictions. Follow this link for the latest visiting information.

A comprehensive guide Induction of labour (IOL) is the attempt to bring on labour when a woman is not showing any signs of being in labour, it is now a commonly used intervention, with 1 in 3 women experiencing it.  As with any intervention offered in pregnancy and birth, you, as the mother have the option to accept or decline. In order to make that decision you will need up-to-date, evidence-based information about that topic. We want all women to have the same information and to empower you to make the right decision for you, your baby and your family.…