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Frequently Asked Questions

Before Baby, Labour and Birth and After Baby.

Q: Can I have my baby at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital if I do not live in the area?

Yes you can deliver at the Trust if you are out of our geographical catchment area. Your community midwifery care would normally be provided by a midwife in your local area unless you are happy to travel to appointments in which case we can arrange for you to be seen by one of our community teams. If you require consultant input during your pregnancy we will arrange for you to be seen by one of our consultants in our antenatal clinic at the Trust. Please contact our booking coordinator to arrange this: call 01945 469259 or email Kerrie.Dorman@nhs.net

Q: Where do I park? How much do I need for the carpark and does the machine give change?

A: Information relating to car parking can be found on our website. Parking at the midwifery community hubs is free of charge (for up to 3 hours).

Q: Am I suitable to give birth on Waterlily?

A: This assessment would need to be made on an individual basis following an assessment of your medical and family history.

Q: Will there be students?

A: You may be asked whether you would be happy to have a student doctor, midwife or paramedic involved in your care. You do not have to accept their presence however it may be worth considering that working alongside the midwives whilst providing care is a vital part of their training. Their involvement will all depend on where in their training they are, the midwives will always work closely with the students and will always ask for your consent with regards to any actions or tasks they may undertake.

Q: What do I bring in?

A: A list of what you need to take is available on your maternity app and is contained in the ---- guide to feeding and caring for your baby. Please, ensure you have paracetamol at home ready to use as pain relief for early labour and the days following discharge. Please, do not bring lots of luggage with you as the space in the rooms is limited. You could consider packing a labour bag for you to take and to have another bag kept in the car until needed.

Q: How many visitors can I have on Central Delivery Suite, Waterlily and Brancaster?

A: You may have two birthing partners with you whilst you are having your baby. Due to CDS being a busy acute area, there is no swapping of birthing partners. If you are coming in for an elective caesarean section, you can have one person come in with you and accompany you into theatre. If you are coming in for Induction of Labour you will be allowed one person with you until your labour is established.

Q: : Does my partner have to bring food or will they be fed?

A: We advise that your partner brings refreshments or money with them as we do not provide food for partners although in the birthing centre there is the facility to make drinks and pay via an honesty jar system.

How quickly can I go home following the birth of my baby?

A: If everything goes well and feeding establishes you can go home 6 hours following the birth. However, if there are any complications or concerns raised you may be required to stay in for monitoring of yourself or your baby for 1-2 days on average.

Q: How will I be supported with feeding my baby?

A: We believe that all mothers, birth givers and families should receive support however you decide to feed your baby. In order to make an informed choice, we offer a feeding antenatal class with a choice of venues and times, please ask your community midwife for more information, or contact your local childrens centre. We encourage all mothers and birth givers to have skin to skin as soon as their baby is born, this helps keep baby warm, regulate the heart rate and breathing and is calming and reassuring for both you and your baby. It also ensures you begin to build a strong bond with your baby and stimulates your baby to want to feed. Usually this process takes about an hour for your baby to show an interest in feeding. If you plan to formula feed your baby, we encourage you to feed your baby the first feed whilst holding your baby skin to skin. If you are planning to chestfeed/breastfeed your baby, skin to skin ensures that chestfeeding/breastfeeding can get off to a great start, as baby begins its journey to find the chest/breast and begin to suckle.

Q: How do I provide feedback about my care?

A: You are able to ask any member of staff for a feedback form. Alternatively you can contact our PALS service.

Useful Contacts:

  • Antenatal Clinic 01553 613866
  • Antenatal Screening Team 01553 613840
  • Brancaster Ward 01553 613710
  • Triage 01553 214829
  • Centeral Delivery Suite 01553 613720
  • Day Assessment Unit 01553 613904
  • Maternity Notes support 01553 214777
  • Booking Coordinator 01945 469259
  • Waterlily - Midwife Led Birthing Unit 01553 214635
  • Juniper Community Midwives (Covering Downham Market, Swaffham and Fakenham) 07880 420435
  • Rowan Lodge Community Midwives (Covering Wisbech, Long Sutton, Sutton Bridge, Terrington St John and surrounding areas) 01945 469257 or 01945 469260
  • Maple Community Midwives (Covering Kings Lynn and Coastal areas) 07788 309201

Useful Links:

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