Wye Valley NHS Trust

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…

Pre-eclampsia usually isn’t diagnosed until at least 20 weeks of pregnancy, but it actually starts early on.  If the blood vessels in your placenta don’t embed properly into your womb, it means the blood flow from the placenta to baby isn’t as optimal as usual.  Your body tries to compensate for this by tightening all the blood vessels in your body, in order to send more blood to your baby.  This in turn increases your blood pressure and eventually the blood vessel walls will start to become damaged, creating small holes.  These holes let some fluids from your bloodstream leak…

Pelvic girdle pain (PGP) is when you experience pain in your lower back, around your symphysis pubic area, between your perineum and vagina and/or down into your thighs. It can feel worse when you are doing activities such as walking, climbing the stairs, stepping out of the car, stepping into the bath, turning over in bed, getting dressed or having sexual intercourse.  The pain can feel like grinding or clicking and can impede your daily activities.  The symptoms usually become worse as baby grows due to the additional weight in your uterus and the increase of the hormone ‘relaxin’ being…

Aromatherapy is a great way to individualise your birth environment and to help you feel more relaxed.  Relaxation is key in labour, as this can help you release more oxytocin - the love hormone which helps labour progression. The use of aromatherapy in labour and birth has been found to reduce the need for stronger forms of pain relief. One study found that the need for opioid pain relief reduced from 6% down to 0.4% (Burns et al, 2000). Aromatherapy is a complementary therapy that uses essential oils, derived from plants, for their therapeutic benefit.  The benefits are wide-ranging and…

Patient research at Wye Valley NHS Trust

As a team we always strive to provide a high standard of care.  We want to ensure that you have the best possible experience. Your feedback will help us to improve our maternity services and celebrate our successes with those members of staff who looked after you.  How to tell us we did well If you would like to tell us about your experience of our service where we’ve done well or if there is a member of staff you would like to thank and/or receive recognition for the care they provided, please let a member of our maternity team know…

Emergency Department (A&E) at Hereford County Hospital

Welcome to Wye Valley NHS Trust outpatient services. We aim to provide a quality of care we would want for ourselves, our family, and our friends. Outpatients refer to those who have an appointment in a hospital or clinic but do not need to stay overnight. Such appointments could be for treatment, diagnosis or a procedure. Outpatient clinics and appointments are held at various locations across our hospitals and community sites, including at Hereford County Hospital, Ross, Leominster and Bromyard Community Hospitals, and community clinics. View the map for Hereford County Hospital. Please find below information to help prepare you for…

Your perineum Your perineum is the tissue between your vagina and your anus.  During birth you can experience perineal trauma/tearing.  This can be classified into four degrees of severity: 1st degree – these only affect the skin, they usually do not require any repair and heal quickly on their own. 2nd degree – these affect the skin and the perineal muscle layer, repair is usually needed. 3rd and 4th degree – 3.5% of women will experience a more substantial tear which involves the muscle that controls the anus. This degree of tear will need to be repaired in theatre. Episiotomy…

Wye Valley NHS Trust is the provider of healthcare services at Hereford County Hospital, which is based in the city of Hereford, along with a number of community services for Herefordshire and its borders. We also provide healthcare services at community hospitals in the market towns of Ross-on-Wye, Leominster and Bromyard.  The Trust exists to improve the wellbeing, independence and health of the people we serve. Our workforce of around 4,000 provides a range of specialist and generalists functions. We have strong clinical network connections with trusts in Birmingham, Worcester, Gloucester and Cardiff. With an annual turnover of around £400…