Ward D is a mixed antenatal and postnatal ward. While on the ward, our staff will aim to provide and maintain excellent standards of care and help with parent education.

On admission to the ward, you will be shown to your bed and around the ward and will assigned a midwife to care for you. This is your associate midwife as your named midwife will be the person you are used to dealing with in the community.

All inpatients have access to nurse call, TV and radio. Each ward has its own nurses’ station and comfortable day room for patients who wish to spend time away from the wards. The day room contains a television and a drinks machine. Please remember to bring plenty of change with you for drinks and confectionery.

The ward is staffed by consultant obstetricians and midwifery, administrative and support staff. Consultants’ ward rounds take place Monday to Friday, although they do not see all patients.

Visiting times are between 1pm and 3pm or between 6pm and 8pm daily. Your birth partner may visit between 8am and 8pm. 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.

After the birth, you and your baby will be taken to a ward where your baby will remain with you. Every day, a midwife will check your condition to ensure that no problems are arising. Please ask about anything that is worrying you. The midwife will give you a postnatal exercise sheet and physiotherapist will be available to give you advice and encouragement.

If your blood group is rhesus negative and your baby is rhesus positive, you will be offered an injection of anti-D immunoglobulin within 48-hours of the birth to prevent antibodies developing which may be harmful to subsequent babies.

If you were not immune to rubella (German measles) antenatally, you will be offered immunisation by your GP six weeks after your baby is born. It is important not to become pregnant for at least three months after vaccination as German measles can affect unborn babies, particularly in early pregnancy. During your stay in hospital, you will be offered family planning advice.

If your pregnancy, labour and post-natal period have been normal, then the ward team or midwife will discharge you to the care of the community midwife at an agreed time, providing all is well with your baby.

Please ask a friend or relative to bring your own and your baby’s clothes and to make sure that adequate travel arrangements have been made for your baby. If you’re travelling home by car, your baby must have a rear facing safety car seat. Your hospital midwife will arrange for your community midwife to visit you at home.

Please check that:

  • You have emptied your locker and returned any loaned items
  • You have notified the ward staff if you are planning to go home to a different address
  • You have an adequate supply of medicine (if applicable)

You should telephone your GP’s surgery and inform them that you have been transferred home, preferably within 24 hours. Your GP will carry out a postnatal examination between six to eight weeks after delivery. Details about this will be given to you on discharge.

Remember that you should register the birth of your baby within 42 days of birth.