In these challenging circumstances, our maternity services are here to support you. See below a range of information based on frequently asked questions we have received from those expecting a baby, and their families.
Our number one priority when you enter the hospital is to offer you as much protection as possible and prevent the spread of COVID-19. Please help us to help you by following the COVID-19 guidance below.
More detailed information in leaflet form is available under the 'Information' tab below, in multiple languages.
If you receive a positive COVID-19 test result, please contact your midwife as soon as possible.
ADU - 01282 804274
Out of Hours call Triage - 01282 804213
English
Coronavirus: Planning your birth
Coronavirus: Looking after yourself and your baby in pregnancy
Coronavirus: Parent Information for newborn babies
Coronavirus: Illness in newborn babies
How to look after yourself at home if you have coronavirus
عربى (Arabic)
فايروس كورونا: التخطيط لولادتك
فايروس كورونا: كيف تعتني بنفسك وبطفلك أثناء فترة الحمل
فايروس كورونا: معلومات الوالدين لألطفال حديثي الوالدة
املرض عند األطفال حديثي الوالدة
বাংলা (Bengali)
করোনাভাইরাস: নবজাতকের জন্য পিতামাতার তথ্য
(Parent Information for Newborns)
নবজাতক শিশুদের মধ্যে অসুস্থতা
(Illness in newborns)
廣東話 (Cantonese)
Français (French)
Coronavirus: Planifier la naissance
Coronavirus : Vous occuper de vous et de votre bébé pendant la grossesse
Coronavirus: informations pour les parents de nouveau-nés
ગુજરાતી (Gujarati)
કોરોનાવાયરસ: તમારા જન્મની યોજના
કોરોનાવાયરસ: ગર્ભાવસ્થામાં તમારી અને બાળકની સંભાળ રાખવી
કોરોનાવાયરસ: નવજાત માટે માતાપિતાની માહિતી
普通话 (Mandarin)
Polski (Polish)
Koronawirus: Planowanie porodu
Koronawirus: Jak dbać o siebie i nienarodzone dziecko w ciąży
Koronawirus: informacje dla rodziców noworodków
Portuguesa (Portuguese)
Coronavírus: Planeamento do nascimento
Coronavírus: Cuidar de si e do seu bebé na gravidez
Coronavírus: informações para os pais acerc dos recém-nascidos
ਪੰਜਾਬੀ (Punjabi)
ਕੋਰੋਨਾਵਾਇਰਸ: ਆਪਣੇ ਜਨਮ ਦੀ ਯੋਜਨਾ ਬਣਾ ਰਹੇ ਹੋ
ਕੋਰੋਨਾਵਾਇਰਸ: ਗਰਭ ਅਵਸਥਾ ਵਿੱਚ ਆਪਣੇ ਅਤੇ ਬੱਚੇ ਦੀ ਦੇਖਭਾਲ
ਕੋਰੋਨਾਵਾਇਰਸ: ਨਵਜੰਮੇ ਬੱਚਿਆਂ ਦੇ ਮਾਪਿਆਂ ਲਈ ਜਾਣਕਾਰੀ
اردو (Urdu)
کوروناویرس: آپ کی پیدائش کی منصوبہ بندی کر رہا ہے
کورونا وائرس: حمل میں اپنے اور بچے کی دیکھ بھال کرنا
Topics covered in these resources are:
- If you are pregnant and Black, Black British or Asian, Asian British – you might be more vulnerable.
- Trust your instincts – call your midwife or maternity team anytime if you are worried about your pregnancy or if you have symptoms of COVID-19.
- It is safe to attend for your care and appointments during the pandemic.
- Is your mood ok? Who to speak to if it is not ok.
- What to do if you miss an appointment.
- Signs of labour and what to do if you think you are in labour.
- What to do if you have signs and symptoms of pre-eclampsia.
- The importance of taking Vitamin D.
- Feeling safe in your own home and how to find support if you don’t.
- Looking after you and your unborn baby.
If you are experiencing any of the COVID-19 symptoms below, please contact your community midwife to postpone or re-book your antenatal clinic appointments or scans.
- A new, continuous cough
- A high temperature or fever
- A loss of, or change to, your normal sense of taste or smell
Individuals are not required to isolate due to other household members testing positive with COVID-19, but we would encourage everyone to observe their own wellbeing and contact us to reschedule their appointment if they had symptoms.
Content last reviewed 18 August 2022.
All antenatal outpatient appointments at Burnley General Teaching Hospital, Royal Blackburn Teaching Hospital and East Lancashire community midwifery clinics are still taking place.
Whilst attending your appointment, please be assured that all necessary health and safety precautions, in-line with national guidance, have been implemented. Face masks are available for you to wear when required (your midwife or doctor will advise you about this when you attend your appointment).
Content last reviewed 30 August 2022.
Important information for patients using maternity services
From Monday 12 April 2021, partners are welcome to accompany pregnant people to all antenatal scans.
Face masks are available for you to wear when required (your midwife or doctor will advise you about this when you attend your appointment).
You or your partner must not currently have, or in the ten days prior to the scan:
- A new, continuous cough
- A high temperature or fever
- A loss of, or change to, your normal sense of taste or smell
- Be waiting for a COVID test or the results of a COVID test
If you, your partner, or anyone you live with have symptoms or have tested positive for COVID-19 then please contact your midwife for advice before attending your appointment.
Content last reviewed 18 August 2022.
Please continue to check the 'Place of birth choices' page which will keep you updated on the availability of our birth locations.
You should expect to be invited to take your baby for a check with your GP at around six to eight weeks after they are born. As part of an overall check of the health of your baby the following will be considered:
- Weight of baby
- Measurement of head circumference and plotting on the growth chart
- If you are breastfeeding
At this appointment you will also be offered a series of vaccinations for your baby, along with a postnatal check for you.
National guidance on babies checks, including six to eight week checks is here.
Information about vaccinations is here.
Postnatal check for new parents
Usually (but not always) at the same appointment as your baby’s six to eight week check with the GP, you will be offered the opportunity to discuss the following:
- How you are feeling, as part of a general discussion about mental health and wellbeing
- If you still have any vaginal discharge and whether you have had a period since the birth
- Blood pressure check, and if you had problems during pregnancy or immediately after the birth
- Wound check after an episiotomy or caesarean section
- Cervical screening check if this was due during pregnancy, this should be rescheduled for 12 weeks after the birth
- Contraception check
- Weight check if overweight or obese, with a BMI of 30 or more. You will be offered advice around weight loss and guidance on healthy eating and physical activity
National guidance on post-natal checks is here.
Health Visitor and Child Health Clinics
The service offer for health visiting is different depending on where you live.
Blackburn with Darwen
Face to face appointments are taking place for:
- antenatal visits to parents expecting their first baby
- all new parents, for six to eight week checks
- vulnerable families
Virtual appointments are taking place for:
- those giving birth to their second plus baby
- eight month and two year checks
Child Health Clinics are being reinstated gradually by appointment only.
For more information, click here.
East Lancashire
Baby clinics are still closed, however, discussions are in progress for a phased approach to reinstating them. Updates will be shared here.
- Antenatal visits will be undertaken over the telephone
- New birth visits will continue face to face where possible, following appropriate telephone screening
- Visits to support vulnerable families and safeguarding visits will continue following appropriate telephone screening.
- All safeguarding and Looked After Children will continue to be prioritised
- Follow up visits for high risk mothers, babies and families will continue following appropriate telephone screening.
- Blood spot screening will continue.
Following several changes to community midwifery care within the Trust and the facilities we have within the community setting, the following changes to community clinics will continue throughout the summer.
As several Children's Centre's closed at the start of lockdown we have had to facilitate movement of these clinics to other areas in order to continue providing antenatal and postnatal care effectively. The community midwives have been making daily contact with those who are affected by these changes but please see further information below regarding the locations of some of the clinics with the Pendle/Burnley/Rossendale Areas.
Barnoldswick Children's Centre - All dates and appointment times remain the same but the location is now the Rainhall Centre, Rainhall Road, Barnoldswick.
Colne Children's Centre - This clinic is now running from Colne Health Centre all day on a Monday, all day on a Tuesday, and half a day on Wednesday and Thursday. Please still ring the booking line for an appointment and then a midwife will contact you the week before to inform of the change in location and if any change to the time or date is required.
Ightenhill Children's Centre - All dates and appointment times remain the same but the location of the clinic is now at South West Children's Centre, Tay Street, Burnley.
Family Tree Children's centre
- Monday Clinic - All dates and appointment times remain the same but the location of the clinic is now at South West Children's Centre, Tay Street, Burnley.
As these are booking appointments (first appointments), the midwife will attempt to contact you before your appointment to complete some of the booking over the phone to reduce the time required for a face to face appointment.
- Tuesday Clinic - This clinic is now held on a Wednesday but all appointment times will remain the same and the location will be the Chai Centre, Hurtley Street, Burnley.
Whitefield Children's Centre - All dates and appointment times remain the same but the location of the clinic is now at the Chai Centre, Hurtley Street, Burnley.
Chai Centre - Remains open, no changes
Haslingden Children's Centre - All dates and appointment times remain the same but the location is now at Rawtenstall Primary Care Centre, Bacup Road, Rossendale.
Maden Children's Centre - Remains open, no changes
Waterfoot GP Surgery - Now based at Rawtenstall Primary Care Centre, Bacup Road, Rossendale
Whitegates Clinic - back to original base at Whitegates Children's Centre, Victoria Road, Padiham, Burnley.
*Birth notification information is sent to the health visiting team for your area once your baby has been born.
You should be contacted to arrange further check-ups for your newborn baby, once you have been discharged from the community midwife.
Content last reviewed September 2022.
Flu vaccine and coronavirus (COVID-19)
Flu vaccination is important because:
- if you're at higher risk from coronavirus, you're also more at risk of problems from flu
- if you get flu and coronavirus at the same time, research shows you're more likely to be seriously ill
- it'll help to reduce pressure on the NHS and social care staff who may be dealing with coronavirus
If you've had COVID-19, it's safe to have the flu vaccine. It'll be effective at helping to prevent flu.
Click here to find out more about the flu jab and COVID-19.
Why are pregnant people advised to have the flu vaccine?
The flu jab will help protect both you and your baby.
There is good evidence that pregnant people have a higher chance of developing complications if they get flu, particularly in the later stages of pregnancy.
One of the most common complications of flu is bronchitis, a chest infection that can become serious and develop into pneumonia.
If you have flu while you're pregnant, it could cause your baby to be born prematurely or have a low birthweight, and may even lead to stillbirth or death.
You can access the flu vaccination at your GP practice, at your antenatal clinic, and it's also provided at Blackburn Birth Centre. If you're unsure, speak with your midwife.
Is the flu vaccine safe in pregnancy?
Yes. Studies have shown that it's safe to have the flu vaccine during any stage of pregnancy, from the first few weeks up to your expected due date.
Those who have had the flu vaccine while pregnant also pass some protection on to their babies, which lasts for the first few months of their lives.
It's safe for parents who are breastfeeding to have the vaccine.
Click here for more information on the flu jab in pregnancy.
Click here for a guide to the Covid-19 autumn booster.
Click here for a guide on the Covid-19 vaccine for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.
Click here for a leaflet on immunisations to protect you and your baby from infectious diseases.