Maternity

Please be advised that general patient visiting continues to be restricted at both of our sites – University Hospital, Coventry and The Hospital of St Cross, Rugby.
These measures are necessary to help us to further protect our patients, staff and visitors from Coronavirus (Covid-19). Birthing partners are an exception to this rule and there is more detail on this in the section on labour and birth.
Restricted visiting for a birth partner is now permitted on the antenatal ward (Ward 24) and the postnatal ward (Ward 25) between 11am and 8pm each day. Visitors are asked to book via the Visitor Booking System which can be accessed via this link.
Birth partners should be from the same household or support bubble and should be the same person throughout the pregnancy, labour and postnatal period. This person must be well and not recently exposed to Covid-19. Before attending hospital, it is recommended you take a Lateral Flow Test, which can be ordered here. Please bring the details of your results with you.
Friends and family are encouraged to keep in touch with patients, who can make free phone calls to landlines from their hospital beds (calls to mobile phones will be charged).

Both face-to-face and virtual pregnancy booking appointments continue and a midwife will go through your individual needs and requirements and direct your care appropriately. You will be contacted to arrange this booking appointment.

The dating ultrasound scan will take place between 11 weeks and two days and 14 weeks and one day. Following this scan, you may opt to have screening blood tests. One partner is able to attend this scan. Partners will be asked to wait in the Women and Children's entrance foyer to help maintain social distancing. They will be called when mums to be are invited in for their scan. Scan photos can only be purchased by contactless payment at present. A midwife will also see you at this appointment and take some measurements and your booking blood tests while you are here.

One partner is able to attend your scan. Partners will be asked to wait in the Women and Children's entrance foyer to help maintain social distancing. They will be called when mums to be are invited in for their scan. Scan photos can only be purchased by contactless payment at present.

Face to face antenatal appointments have returned and will be with your Community Midwife who will go through your individual needs and requirements and direct your care appropriately.

When you attend our services you will notice our staff are still wearing face masks and other PPE. You may even be asked to wear one too at times. We appreciate that this can seem strange and may be a barrier to the way we communicate. Please be reassured we are here for you and do let us know how you are feeling so we can reassure you.

We understand how important support is during birth. When you come to hospital in labour, we are able to support your chosen birth partner to stay with you throughout your birth. This person must be well and not recently exposed to Covid-19. They can accompany you if you are in labour (contracting regularly) within the Labour Ward Triage, onto the Labour Ward, the Birth Centre and into theatre but we request they do not leave the unit and stay with you throughout labour and birth.

We are happy to support all birth choices as before Covid-19. This means you can choose to have a home birth, give birth in Lucina Birth Centre, water birth or on the Labour ward. We are still supporting planned caesarean sections and epidurals for pain relief. However, we would hope that you have had the opportunity to discuss these choices in advance with your midwife or obstetrician so that you can understand birth choices in context with your health and well-being and the progress of your pregnancy. If you wish to discuss this further please contact your community midwife.
NB: If you test positive for Covid-19 or have suggestive symptoms, we would care for you in the Labour Ward as outlined above and water birth and home birth would not be recommended.

If your contractions start, your waters break, or you have any other concerns, please call 02476 967333 and speak to one of our midwives who will be able to advise you. We recommend, if it is safe to do so and following advice from one of our staff, that you remain at home in early labour. You should keep hydrated, try different positions, and check you are passing urine regularly. In the early stages you may also find paracetamol 1g (two tablets) is helpful, and these can be taken four to six hourly but no more than eight tablets in 24 hours. You can call back regularly e.g. every four hours for further advice and to keep us updated.

This will be discussed with you in advance and a date to attend will be arranged. There may be the option for you to start your induction in hospital and then go home to see if labour starts before coming back the next day. We will let you know if this is a suitable option for you. If not we will start your induction on the ward where visiting restrictions will apply (visiting hours 11am-8pm), but once you are in labour your birth partner can attend to support you.

Someone will contact you a few days before the date you have been given, to ask if everyone in your household is well. Women having a planned caesarean will also be asked to attend UHCW NHS Trust for a Coronavirus swab. This screening will help us to manage your care appropriately and avoid delays on the day of surgery.

We will aim to get you home as a family as soon as possible. For some women and babies, if all is well and you have not had surgery, this could be quite soon after birth (minimum of two hours) and you can leave with your birth partner. If we need to take more time to look after you or your baby then we may need to admit you to the postnatal ward. This would mean that visiting restrictions apply (currently restricted between 11am and 8pm), and your partner may have to come back to collect you when you are ready for discharge outside of these times. Friends and family are encouraged to keep in touch with patients, who can make free phone calls to landlines from their hospital beds (calls to mobile phones will be charged).

Day 1: Your First Day At Home (Primary Visit)
Your midwife will visit you at home to check your physical and emotional wellbeing, answering any concerns you might have. Your midwife will also discuss feeding your baby. An individualised postnatal care plan will be discussed with you depending on your needs.
Day 3
Some women may have a telephone consultation. For example if you have any concerns about your baby’s feeding. A face-to-face appointment can then be arranged if required.
Day 5
Your midwife will visit you at home and will offer to carry out a Newborn Blood Spot Screening Test for your baby.
Day 10-14
Your midwife will visit you at home. During this consultation your midwife will check your physical and emotional wellbeing and discuss how well your baby is feeding. You will also have the opportunity to discuss any other concerns you may have.

You will be offered an appointment to attend a postnatal Clinic for your care to be handed over to your GP and Health Visiting team which means you and your baby will be discharged from community midwifery services. However you can still contact the midwifery services for support for up to 28 days following birth. If you have any concerns about your health please contact either Labour Ward Triage (mother) or Children’s Emergency Department (Baby) or contact 111 for advice. The Community Midwifery team is not available 24/7 and we would not want to delay any treatment.

As part of national policy from NHS England, we are now swabbing all people who need to be admitted into hospital for any reason. This also includes women being admitted into our maternity services.
If you are expected to stay with us overnight for an episode of care in either the antenatal, postnatal period or in labour, you will be swabbed (with consent) on admission for Covid-19. If the results are known before your discharge you will be informed and if positive you will be moved to a separate area for your care to continue. If negative your care will continue.
If you have gone home before the result is known, someone will contact you by telephone to let you know only if you have a positive result, and to give advice for your household.