Health

Antenatal health

Once your pregnancy has been confirmed there is a programme regarding your health that you will usually follow during your pregnancy. You will meet with a community midwife who is based at your health centre or doctor’s surgery. They have been specially trained to look after you during pregnancy, labour and afterwards. They will be able to answer your questions and advise you to look after yourself and your baby. You can have a choice of medical care during your pregnancy, either shared care or hospital care and you can ask your midwife about antenatal checks and antenatal classes.

The Parentcraft Midwives in the hospital usually run the antenatal classes for you and your birth partner. They will meet with you when you go to hospital for delivery. They can help you draw up a ‘birth plan’ to help you cope with labour. Once your baby is born the midwives will show you how to look after your baby and establish a good feeding routine. You are able to go home once you have agreed this with the midwife and when you feel ready, usually after two or three days.

Postnatal health

Once you are home the community midwife will visit you at home until the baby is about 10 days old or up to 28 days if necessary. The community midwife will examine both you and your baby regularly and help you to adapt to your new role. They will also encourage you to get rest and show you how to look after yourself and your baby.

The health visitor is a registered nurse who has had special training and as part of their role they are responsible for helping families, especially families with babies and young children, to avoid illness and keep healthy. The health visitor will visit every new-born child after their birth and at key stages of their development for the first five years of their lives.

You can talk to your health visitor if you are feeling low, depressed, anxious or have a worry about your child’s health or your own health. They will offer advice and help you obtain support that you feel you might need, such as parent and toddler groups, nursery schools or playgroups. They can give you contacts for information such as benefits and housing. Your health visitor can offer you advice and support on a range of issues including postnatal depression, family planning, parenting, healthy eating and child development.

Your health visitor will usually make their first visit to you after your baby is 10-14 days old. The health visitor will continue to see you and your baby regularly by visiting your home or at the clinic, for example, when your baby requires immunisation. You can contact the health visitor at your local health centre or through your doctor’s surgery. You can also ask the health visitor to visit you at your request. The health visitor will visit you regularly in order to assess your child’s pre-school development.

Child’s health

On the health visitor’s first visit to you, they will give you your child’s personal health record (sometimes called the ‘red book’). This is an important book which will record your child’s health, growth and development. The details of your contact with your health visitor will also be kept in this book. The book contains information on the following:

• Breast feeding, bottle feeding and weaning
• Crying babies and behaviour
• Sleeping routines and reducing the chances of cot death
• What to do of your child is ill
• Recognising meningitis and meningococcal septicaemia
• Immunisations
• Play and stimulation
• Dental care