The Maternity Ward at Russells Hall Hospital comprises of both antenatal and postnatal beds.
Antenatally
We care for those women admitted during pregnancy who require medical and midwifery care.
We also admit those ladies undergoing the induction process.
Postnatally
We have three postnatal bays each having four beds allocated to them.
Here, mothers and babies are cared for and supported during their initial postnatal period. We also care for mothers and those babies who may require a little more care and an extended stay in hospital, e.g those who are on antibiotics, or need treatment for neonatal jaundice. This may be with the help and support of neonatal nurses.
The space in the bays is limited so we would request that personal belongings are kept to a minimum. Each bed area is curtained and these should remain open, unless women are breastfeeding, in order for the staff to observe both women and babies. Partners are requested to use the chairs provided in the bays.
All staff are trained to provide feeding support to you and your new born baby. During the day and evenings , Maternity Infant Support Assistants (MIFAs) are also available to help (see infant feeding page for more information). Friends and relatives who have a Mom2Mom Passport must adhere to the rules and terms outlined in the passport (see classes and support page for more information about Mom2Mom support and the Mom2Mom passport).
Grandparents may visit for half an hour outside visiting hours once the midwife is happy that mother and baby are well enough.
Parentcraft sessions are offered daily to assist mothers in their new role.
We aim to perform the full Examination of the Newborn before you go home. You can find further information about this examination in the Screening tests for you and your baby leaflet (developed by Public Health England). This examination need not delay your discharge as many of our community midwives are qualified to perform this.
You will also be offered a hearing test for your baby before you go home. You can find further information about this examination in the Screening tests for you and your baby leaflet (developed by Public Health England). This screening is recommended for your baby as finding hearing loss early is important for your baby’s development. Hearing clinics are also available by appointment at an outpatient clinic during a weekend.
Length of Stay
Your length of stay following birth could be as short as 2 hours. It will depend upon the needs of you and your baby. Women having an elective Caesarean Section with no complications can expect to be discharged around 24 hours following delivery.
Induction of labour
If you are booked in to have your labour induced, please call the unit at 10am on the day of your booking and you will be advised what time to come in.
