Important messages from your UHDB Maternity Team
We have developed a specific page for Maternity Services during Coronavirus, which includes advice for pregnant women and details on any changes to our services. You can view the page here: Maternity Services during Coronavirus
Our latest key messages and changes to services are below:
Please continue to access care
It is extremely important that during the Coronavirus pandemic, all pregnant women continue to access regular care throughout their pregnancy and following the birth of their baby. Here at UHDB we are continuing to provide routine antenatal care in community midwifery and hospital settings at both our Derby and Burton sites.
We are still providing routine face to face appointments for expectant mothers or new mothers and babies when it is safe to do so, some appointments can now take place over the telephone. Whilst we continue to provide regular appointments, the venue for these may change and if this is the case you will be informed by your community midwife or the hospital team in advance.
Your baby’s movements matter
If you notice that your baby is not moving or the movements have changed or reduced, you still need to call the hospital you are booked to give birth at immediately. Even if you think you may have COVID 19 symptoms you must contact the hospital and we will arrange for you to be seen in an isolation area to check you and your baby are healthy. Do not wait for your next midwife appointment.
Help us to keep you and our staff safe
Due to the ongoing risk COVID 19 poses to all patients in our hospitals we are asking you to help keep you and our staff safe. To do this we have made a few changes so that all women are socially distanced whilst they need to be in hospital.
This includes induction of labour at Royal Derby Hospital, where possible admission will now take place in a two bedded assessment bay on the labour ward. We ask that if a birthing partner attends he/she stays for the initial admission to the ward and then returns home. When labour starts and women are transferred into a labour room, their birthing partner can then join them.
The advice for Queen’s Hospital Burton remains unchanged and can be viewed here: Maternity Services during Coronavirus.
Use of the birthing pool during labour and birth
As long as you do not have any symptoms of COVID 19, we are still able to offer the use of the birthing pool for labour and birth at both our Derby and Burton sites. The midwives caring for you will be required to wear PPE.
Remember we are wearing smiles behind the masks
Due to a recent change in Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) requirements, all staff in all clinical areas of the maternity departments and community will wear a face mask and eye protection when providing clinical care, even if you don’t have any symptoms of COVID 19. We know that this might cause some anxiety however the masks are there to keep you and the staff safe and although you can’t see it, the staff will still be wearing their smiles.
If you require any more information please contact your maternity team.
The Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (RCOG 03/04/2020) have also recently updated their information for pregnant women which can be found here: