If both you and your baby are well, you may choose to go home as early as six hours after birth, depending on the time your baby was born. Before discharge, your baby will need a hearing screening and a thorough examination by a midwife or doctor.

If you have had a caesarean section, you may be able to go home 24 hours later, provided you are assessed as medically fit and well. However, we encourage all new mothers to stay with us for at least one night, especially if you are breastfeeding, so you can receive 24-hour support to help build your confidence.

If you need to stay longer due to complications, or if your baby requires additional care, we have facilities to accommodate your partner so they can stay with you. UHCW also offers a range of services to support you during your hospital stay and as you transition home with your baby.

After the birth of your baby, there are a number of examinations that need to be undertaken before you can take your baby home.

• NIPE - A Midwife, Paediatrician or Advanced Neonatal Nurse Practitioner trained in the examination of newborns will perform a new-born examination within 72 hours of birth. This involves a full head to toe examination. Babies on the ward are offered a hearing test; this is performed by a Newborn Hearing Screener. Your baby may also require a BCG vaccine as an outpatient and an appointment will be sent to you in the post.

• Hearing Screening - The NHS Newborn Hearing Screening Programme (NHSP) commissioned by Public Health England offers all new parents the opportunity to have their baby’s hearing screened within the first few weeks of life.

Within the Trust we provide hearing screening services for families who wish to have their baby’s hearing screened. This screen is offered to all babies and will usually take place on the post-natal ward shortly after birth.

• Red Book – A baby’s red book, officially known as the ‘Personal Child Health Record’, is a health record given to parents or guardians upon discharge home after you have your baby. It is designed to help parents track their child’s health, growth and developmental milestones. Please keep this book safe when you go home.

• Registering baby’s birth - It is a legal requirement that you register the birth of your baby within 42 days in England and this is done by appointment at your local registry office. Married couples can register the birth together or this can be done by just one parent. If one parent goes to register the birth they will need to give to the registrar a statutory declaration form that has been completed by the absent parent. Unmarried couples who wish for the father’s details to be on the birth certificate should attend the registry office together.

If you have had your baby at UHCW but live out of the area then you can either register your baby’s birth at Coventry Registry office or you can go to your local registry office where you will need to complete a registration by declaration form. Your baby’s birth certificate will then be forwarded to your home address.

Coventry Register Office
024 7683 3141
www.coventry.gov.uk/registerabirth
Cheylesmore Manor House, Manor House Drive,
Coventry,
CV1 2ND

Coventry registry office appointments: 8am-8pm Monday to Friday except bank holidays, and 9.30am - 1.30pm on Saturdays. You can make an appointment online to register a birth by visiting www.coventry.gov.uk/registerabirth. You can also telephone your registry office for an appointment. Alternatively, please telephone your local registry office for an appointment.

• Safe sleep guidelines (Lullaby Trust) – move current safe sleep guideline info from infant feeding tab to here

• What happens when you go home – You will be discharged with a plastic wallet and red book. A Community Midwife will visit you at home the day after you are discharged even if it is a weekend or bank holiday; if you have not received a visit by 5pm, or if you have any concerns, please contact the community office or Ward 25, the numbers are provided on the front of the discharge pack.

• Health Visiting - A health visitor plays a vital role in supporting families after the birth of a baby. They provide guidance on infant care, feeding, and development while monitoring the baby's health and well-being.

Health visitors support families with children under 5 years old. They monitor the development of the child and support parents with feeding, sleep problems, speech development, post-natal depression, behaviour and development concerns.

The Healthy Child Programme:

• A visit or telephone call during your pregnancy around 25-28 weeks
• A home visit when your baby is 10-14 days
• A six to eight-week check with your GP which should include vaccination
• A nine-month health review
• A two-year review

Health visitors also assess the mother's mental health, offering support for postnatal depression or anxiety. They act as a point of contact for any concerns, provide advice on vaccinations, and help parents access local health and community services.

Their holistic approach ensures both baby and the family receive the necessary support during this critical period of adjustment. The health visitor will make contact with you and will be there to support you and your baby following discharge from maternity services. You can find more here

• Contact Ward 25 (24/7 support) on 02476 967315
• Coventry Community Office (9-4pm) 02476 967424

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