We are a 22 bedded mixed antenatal and postnatal ward, we aim to keep these separate where possible, but at busy times, unfortunately the bays can be mixed. We are a locked ward for the security of our babies.
On admission to the ward, you will be allocated a bed, this may change over the duration of your stay, due to medical need. You have a night light overhead and there is a buzzer that should be given to you by the staff member – please find a member of staff or buzz at any time if you need assistance.
You will be given an ID band and you may be asked to wear some TED stockings whilst in hospital. If you are less mobile these can help prevent blood clots forming in your legs. You will be risk assessed for blood clots on admission and during your stay if anything changes.
As you enter the ward to the left there is the patient kitchen, this is open all day, except for visiting hours. You can help yourself to breakfast between 06.30-09.30 and it is open for refreshments. Breakfast is self served in the kitchen, if you are unable to mobilise, our Housekeeper will be happy to make you breakfast, there is toast and cereal.
A little further down on the left there is a visitor toilet, a patient toilet, a shower room, and a bath. Then there is the Midwife’s office, the Ward Staff and the Doctors are often present in here doing notes and discharges, organising tests, and looking up blood results, at times the door may be closed for confidentiality – please knock.
There are further toilets on the left and a further 2 shower rooms. There is a toilet outside of side room 10 on the right. If you are allocated a bed in a bay, we ask that the curtains remain open unless you are changing or undergoing an examination or procedure and need privacy. We also ask for the safety of yourself and the staff the floor area is kept clear to avoid slips, trips, and falls.
We have two different time slots for visiting hours, these are between 14.30-16.30 and 18.00-19.00.
Staff handover takes place at 07.30-08.15 and 19.30-20.15 and at this time you will be allocated a named Midwife till the next handover, they will come round and see you and introduce themselves during the shift.
Each day the Consultant does a ward round with their team, all patients are reviewed, and risk assessed, and the Doctors see some but not all patients, if you want to see the consultant, please ask your Midwife.
Visiting times are between 2.30pm and 4.30pm or between 6pm and 7pm daily. One birth partner is welcome to stay 24 hours. It is helpful to the ward staff if you can nominate one friend or relative to make enquiries about you and your baby and pass on the information as the ward telephones are very busy.
All doors to Maternity are kept locked and only members of staff who work in the department can gain entry with their personal access fobs.
The doors are unlocked during visiting hours so extra vigilance is required and babies should not be left alone. All visitors are vetted via a camera and intercom system before they can enter or leave a ward.
The staff liaise closely with all patients to gain an understanding of who should be visiting them. For security reasons, visitors are asked not to let any person into or out of a ward.
Antenatal ladies will generally have one CTG a day (if over 26 weeks) to monitor the baby or more often if indicated or in an individualised care plan. The Midwives on duty will bring you medication that is prescribed regularly, and if you need extra analgesia then you just need to ask. We can also supply you with maternity pads whilst you are with us, please just ask. Upon discharge you may need medication and this will be ordered by the doctors from pharmacy, we need to wait for it to arrive before we can safely discharge you.
Induction of labour is a process that is offered to ladies when a risk has been identified and the Doctor has decided that your baby needs to be born sooner than waiting for your body to labour spontaneously. This process can take time, the Doctor will write an individualised care plan, and this will be followed by your Midwife. The Midwives on duty will bring you medication that is prescribed regularly, and if you need extra analgesia then you just need to ask. We can also supply you with maternity pads whilst you are with us, please just ask.The aim of the induction is to get you into labour or to the point where we can rupture the bag of water around your baby, this is called an ARM (artificial rupture of the membranes). The ARM happens on Delivery Suite when there is a Midwife and a room available to give you one to one care, this can’t be done on the ward where the care is generally between eight and eleven to one Midwife.
Postnatal ladies will have a postnatal check and baby check once a day, this may be more often if indicated or in an individualised care plan. The Midwives on duty will bring you medication that is prescribed regularly, and if you need extra analgesia then you just need to ask. We can also supply you with maternity pads whilst you are with us, please just ask.
If you are postnatal then before your Midwife can send you home, your baby will need to be seen by a Paediatrician and have a routine new-born examination and they will tell the midwife your baby is fit for discharge. You may need to see a Doctor who will need to go through your delivery with you and sign you fit for discharge, you may also require medication that the Doctor will need to order from pharmacy, we need to wait for your medication to arrive before we can safely discharge you. During the weekdays there are specialist breastfeeding support staff available at times during the day, outside of this please ask your Midwife or Maternity Support Worker, who will be happy to help or alternatively, you can access breastfeeding tips, along with other information on this link: https://www.bfwh.nhs.uk/our-services/maternity/patient-information-for-discharge/
We hope you have a pleasant stay on Ward D, please don’t hesitate to ask any questions about your care or the ward. If you wish to raise any concerns, then you can speak to the Ward Manager, Tracey or the Manager on call.
Contact details:
- Ward D 01253 953634
- Delivery Suite 01253 953618
- Triage/Maternity Day Unit 01253 956820
- Neonatal Unit 01253 953636
