Additional Services

The Stockwood Health Centre GPs share maternity care with the midwifery team. 

Tommy’s Charity offers detailed information on preparing for pregnancy – Planning a pregnancy | Tommy’s.

You can find useful guidance on contraception and fertility at Contraception Choices. Or NHS information on trying for a baby at www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/trying-for-a-baby/.

By signposting these resources, healthcare providers enable women to access further advice in their own time, empowering them to take control of their preconception health.
Please see below for details of useful websites and apps in the post natal period.
Contents;

Advice for when your child is unwell:
HANDi app – NHS BNSSG ICB

Breast Feeding Support
Breast Feeding in Bristol

Crying baby advice:
About – ICON Cope

General advice:
Home – Healthier Together

Safe sleeping advice:
Home | The Lullaby Trust

Pelvic floor exercises:
Squeezy (squeezyapp.com)
Early Postnatal Physiotherapy Advice

Postnatal mental health advice:
Perinatal and postnatal mental health – Mind 
Postnatal depression – NHS (www.nhs.uk)

Vitamins advice:
Vitamins for children – NHS

Self referral – Women’s Health Physiotherapy:
It is possible to self refer to the pelvic health physiotherapist who will see women from 12 weeks gestation to 6 months post delivery. They are able to give advice on pelvic floor symptoms, including incontinence and pain.
https://myjointhealthhub.bnssg.nhs.uk/

Antenatal and Midwifery Care

Your team of Midwives and Midwifery Support Workers (MSW) are:

  • Tracey-Morse – Midwife
  • Amy Malak-Mekhail – Midwife
  • Lauren Haynes – Midwife (Maternity Leave)
  • Siobhan Sayers – Midwife
  • Gaynor Milkins – MSW

How to book your first appointment

To make your first appointment with a midwife please complete the online booking form, or call the Antenatal Booking Team on 0117 342 0850.

Tours of St Michael’s Hospital for expectant parents on Sunday Afternoon 2pm or 3pm and Wednesday evening at 7pm.

If you are having your first baby and would like to look around the hospital, please book a place on the tour, by calling one of the numbers below:
0117 3425241
0117 3425758
Lines open (10am to 12pm Monday – Friday).

The tours are run by a group of volunteers who have been trained to undertake this role. The volunteers have no clinical midwifery knowledge and will be unable to answer questions related to clinical midwifery care.

You need to book a place to allow us to comply with Health and Safety procedures.

Please do not just turn up as we will have to turn you away.

Please do not attend a tour if you or your partners are unwell, have flu like symptoms or have been in contact with anyone who has a communicable infection.

There may be times, due to the prevention of infection, that tours may be cancelled.

The midwives and MSWs are all based at South Bristol Community Hospital so if you need to speak to them please contact them on 0117 3429841. They have an answering machine so please feel free to leave your name and a message and for non-urgent calls they will reply within 48 hours. Of course if your call is more urgent they will respond the same day or you can contact your GP for advice.

They run antenatal clinics on a Wednesday morning however they are flexible and will make appointments to suit you should this time be inconvenient.

They also offer ‘Preparation for Parenthood’ classes which are currently held in Burnbush Children’s centre. They discuss all aspects of labour, how your birth partner can support you; when to recognise labour and when to go to hospital; pain relief and what is available to you; the postnatal period and bringing your baby home. They hope to answer any questions you may have so you feel more prepared for your birth experience.

They like to see you for your first appointment before you are 10 weeks pregnant so please contact them when you find out you are pregnant and they can plan ahead and arrange your ‘booking appointment’ and your dating scan appointment.

As a general rule they will see you at:

8-10 weeksBooking appointment
12 weeksUltra sound scan to date your pregnancy at your hospital of choice
15-17 weeksMidwife appointment
20 weeksUltra sound scan at the hospital of your choice
25 weeksMidwife appointment (if this is your first baby)
28 weeksMidwife appointment
31 weeksMidwife appointment (if this is your first baby)
34 weeksMidwife appointment
36 weeksMidwife appointment
38 weeksMidwife appointment
40 weeksMidwife appointment
41 weeksMidwife appointment
41 weeks +3 daysAppointment with your hospital of choice to discuss induction of labour

The booking appointment can last for up to an hour and a half, in this time we gather information about your health, the health of your partner and close family members. At this appointment we will also require you to bring along a urine sample and carry out routine blood tests, blood pressure check and measure height and weight.

It is a good idea to write down any questions you may want to ask before coming to meet us.

Antenatal Classes

You are invited to attend the antenatal sessions where the midwife team will discuss:
– How to recognise labour and what to expect;
– Pain relief for labour and how to help yourself;
– Your partner’s role to support you in labour;
– The postnatal period and what to expect;
– Feeding your new baby;
– And anything else you would like to know.

Self Referral – Women’s Health Physiotherapy
There are also Physiotherapy antenatal classes held throughout the Community and your Midwife can give you details of these.

It is possible to self refer to the pelvic health physiotherapist who will see women from 12 weeks gestation to 6 months post delivery. They are able to give advice on pelvic floor symptoms, including incontinence and pain.

Tiredness and Sickness

Tiredness and sickness are common in early pregnancy, try to eat little and often and drink plenty of water. 

  • If you feel tired, listen to your body and rest when necessary. 
  • Nausea and sickness usually subside after the first 12 – 16 weeks. 
  • It is important to take folic acid as soon as you find out that you are pregnant, this helps with healthy development and growth. 

To access further information on eating, drinking and keeping well in pregnancy go to NHS at www.nhs.uk.

When you have delivered your baby and come home they will visit you to offer you and your family guidance, support and advice about caring for yourself and your new baby; feeding your baby; how you feel about your birth experience and how you feel in general.

If you require further information on pregnancy and childbirth please visit www.nctpregnancyandbabycare.com.

Menopause Services & Support

Prior to your appointment we ask that you complete a Menopause questionnaire. This can help us better understand the extent of your symptoms and can be helpful for monitoring if treatment is working.

Please print and complete the questionnaire, and bring this to your appointment.

You may wish to read more about menopause and HRT before your visit. Reading about the different types of HRT can help us find the best one for you. Below are a variety of sources of information

General Information

Women’s Health Concern
– Confidential advice, reassurance and education

Rock My Menopause
– Menopause information

Menopause Fact Sheet
– Self Care information

Menopause Easy Read Guides
– Learning Disability Wales created information

Perimenopause and HRT Leaflets
– University of Bristol created information, available in English, Arabic, Punjabi, Somali and Urdu

Understanding Menopause
– Menopause support booklet

Understanding Menopause for Partners
– Menopause support booklet for partners

Cognitive Behaviour Therapy for Menopausal Symptoms
– Women’s Health factsheet

Silvercloud
– Self-referral for computerised CBT-i service

Sleep Hygiene Advice
– The Sleep Charity created advice

Menopause and Insomnia
– Women’s Health Concern factsheet

Nutrition in Menopause
– Women’s Health Concern factsheet

Complementary and Alternative Therapies
– Women’s Health Concern factsheet

Emotional Wellness in Menopause
– Women’s Health Concern factsheet

Symptom Tracker
– Balance App

HRT PPC
– NHS Hormone Replacement Therapy Prescription Pre-payment Certificate (HRT PPC) NHSBSA

Genito-urinary Syndrome of Menopause

Vulval Care
– Patient information leaflet

Yes natural vulval moisturisers and lubricants
– Website for purchases

Self-referral for pelvic health physio at St Michael’s
– Self referral information and form

Patient Support Groups

Black Women in Menopause
– Black Health and Beyond

Queer Menopause
– LGBTQIA+ experiences of menopause

Daisy Network
– Charity for Women with Premature Ovarian Insufficiency

M Power
– Monthly group to discuss all things menopause at Greenway Centre, Bristol

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