When can you expect to see your midwife?
Primary visit:
The day after you go home from the hospital a midwife will either visit you at home, or if baby is in NICU you may prefer to have an appointment at Burnley Birth Centre Clinic within the hospital. This will be completed by a midwife, who will check mum and baby’s wellbeing.
Day 3:
If baby has been/is receiving ANY breastmilk, you will be visited or offered an appointment on day 3 for baby to be weighed. This will include a full postnatal check for mum and baby
Day 5:
Usually an appointment in the Blood spot clinic with a specialist health care assistant, on Antenatal ward at Burnley Hospital. In certain circumstances, this will be completed at home. This appointment is mainly for a baby wellbeing check, weigh and the blood spot test. However, if mum has any other concerns with herself or baby that she feels she needs to discuss with a midwife, this will be facilitated.
Day 7:
Usually offered if there is a clinical concern e.g. with mum/baby's wellbeing, baby weight check needed, or to remove sutures post caesarean section. Completed by a midwife either at home or within a clinic (on the birth centre or within a children's centre)
Day 10-14:
If all is well with mum and baby and there are no ongoing concerns this will be the last visit/appointment with the midwife where you will both be discharged. All discharge information will be given, the midwife will write in your red book and make sure the necessary documentation has been provided for the health visitor to take over as primary contact for care of baby until age 5yrs. If baby has jaundice at this point, a routine blood test is offered at day 14 (day 21 if baby was born before 37wks) to check the jaundice levels in the blood (Serum Bilirubin) and plan accordingly.
If there are any ongoing issues/concerns with mum/baby’s wellbeing then you will not be discharged until appropriate (up to day 28 in some cases) and without a plan of care.
After this point, any concerns with baby would be addressed by the health visitor, and any concerns with mum should be discussed with the GP.
Where will your postnatal care be delivered?
At home:
If we are to visit you at home, a midwife will visit between 9-5pm on an agreed date. Unfortunately, due to the vast area we cover we are unable to specify a time other than between these parameters.
Children's centre clinics:
If you are due a visit/appointment on the day where there is a midwife clinic within a local children's centre, you will be offered an appointment to attend the clinic instead of a visit. With this system, you wont have to wait at home for a midwife to get to you as you will have a specified appointment time, and also if you have been having your antenatal care at the same clinic we aim for the same midwife to provide your postnatal care too—so it will hopefully be a familiar face to you.
Birth centre clinic/Blood Spot Test (BST) clinic:
These clinics run 7 days a week, 9am - 5pm including bank holidays, Christmas day, etc. They are run by a midwife (Birth centre clinic) or a specialist health care assistant (BST clinic). Many women prefer an appointment to attend these clinics rather than waiting in for the midwife at home and they are a great alternative for a visit if you are able to.