Your pregnancy
Once you have referred yourself to receive care from us we will inform you of your first appointment within two weeks. In the majority of cases women receive care from their midwives and GP. Should there be any complications or need for advice, care is also received from an obstetrician.
Top tip: Download the Your Pregnancy booklet which is full of essential information from the Mum and Baby app for iOS or Android, or ask your midwife for a paper copy:
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Where will my care be based?
Depending on where you live and any complications you may have, care is either based in your local community, such as in a children’s centre or GP surgery, or at the hospital site itself.
Birth choices
Our maternity services are proud to support you and your family to plan care that is individual to you while taking into account what is most important to you. We support your decision-making with robust, evidenced-based recommendations to help keep you and your baby as safe as possible.
Sometimes you may require enhanced support, time to understand the options before you, or to discuss your preferences for care. Our senior midwives run birth choices clinics at both hospitals to help this process, with the support of our obstetric colleagues.
If you would like to discuss your care options further, please talk to your midwife who can refer you to the clinic, or email chelwest.birthchoices@nhs.net.
Who will be involved in my care?
- Please see About the team
Safeguarding
From time to time it may be necessary for our maternity team to enlist the support and advice of local social service teams. We will do this in order to ensure the safety and wellbeing of mothers and their unborn or newborn babies. Usually these referrals are made with the full consent and cooperation of women and their families.
Safeguarding is a way of protecting people from harm, abuse and neglect. As with all of the health services we provide, your welfare and that of your baby is our highest priority. We will do all that we can to make sure that you both receive the support, compassion and care that you need.