Maternity services
Our hospitals provide maternity care for more than 8,000 women every year
After Baby is Born (Postnatal)
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Postnatal care
At NUH Maternity, we know that having your baby is the start of a new journey.
Whether you have a home birth, early discharge, or a longer stay in the hospital, we aim to provide you with support and care in this transition to a new stage in your life.
Please find below links to further information which you may find useful. If you have any questions or need further information, please speak to your community midwife, parent education midwife or named obstetrician.
Staying in hospital
Before your baby is born you may be offered the option of being admitted to hospital for monitoring or treatment. If you are not already under the care of an obstetric consultant, you will be allocated to one at the time of your admission. The Midwifery team will care for you and you will be visited on the ward every day by one of the team of doctors who work with your consultant. The team will discuss and agree a plan of care with you.
After your baby is born you may choose to stay in hospital overnight, even if the birth has been straightforward or a midwife or doctor may recommend that you stay in hospital for monitoring or treatment. the plan of care will be discussed and agreed with you. Depending on the reason for admission, you may be cared for by the midwifery team alone, or both midwives and doctors.
More information, including mealtimes and menus, will be available by your bed.
Community Postnatal Care
If you have a home birth or an early discharge from hospital, your midwife will provide details of the hearing screen clinic and arrangements for the newborn examination. If any abnormality is detected, follow up will be arranged with you.
Routine postnatal care consists of 3 routine support visits.These will be offered by a midwife and/ or midwifery support worker.
The first visit will be in your home, then there will be a choice of home or clinic visits offered. Where extra support is required, this will be arranged on an individual basis.
The baby will be weighed between day 5 and 8 of age, and a Newborn Blood Spot is recommended at this time.
Contraception
It is important to consider which form of contraception you wish to use after the birth of your baby.
You can get pregnant again before your periods have restarted, even if you are fully breastfeeding.
All progesterone only methods (e.g. progesterone only pill, contraceptive injection, coil, implant) can be safely used while breastfeeding.
Postnatal reviews
You may be offered an appointment to meet with members of our multi-disciplinary team to discuss events surrounding your birth. If there has been a complication during your birth, our team will discuss this with you.
If you have not been offered an appointment, but feel you wish to discuss pregnancy or birth events, you may request an appointment.
You can speak to your midwife, or if you have been discharged, ask your GP to refer you for a postnatal review.
Your appointment will usually be longer than a routine clinic visit, and will take place at a meeting room outside of the clinic setting
Registering your baby’s birth
You should register your baby within six weeks of their birth
Useful links and resources
| Your health after birth |
Your emotions after childbirth: Postnatal depression and perinatal mental health: Your body just after birth: Your post pregnancy body: Physical activity for women after childbirth: Venous thromboembolism after birth: MMR vaccination after birth: Anti-D after childbirth (if Rhesus negative): |
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| Your baby’s health |
Your baby’s ‘red book’: Newborn Physical Exam: Newborn hearing screening: Newborn bloodspot test: Does your baby need a BCG? Baby Check App: Neonatal jaundice: |
| You and your partner |
Your emotions after childbirth: Relationships after having a baby: Maintaining a healthy relationship: Changes to relationships: Sex and contraception after childbirth: |
| Caring for your baby |
NHS tips for new parents: Baby Check App: Safe sleep advice & SIDS: Caring for your baby at night: Responsive feeding guide: Smoking after birth & SIDS: The Dad Pad Neonatal: Dad’s still face experiment video: Registering your baby’s birth – Nottingham City: Registering your baby’s birth – Nottinghamshire County: Keeping your baby safe: Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) video: |
| Understanding your baby |
Building a happy baby:
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