Wye Valley NHS Trust

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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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…

The aim of Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is to do more of what matters to us and have the most fulfilling life we can, despite having difficulties along the way. Do you feel like your life is on hold waiting for the pain to get better? Are you stuck, wishing that the pain would just go away? Do you struggle with the idea of accepting your pain? Do you feel that pain has taken away who you used to be? ACT could help you live your life again despite having pain. What is ACT? The aim of ACT is to…

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