Maternity Services
Visiting restrictions for maternity and paediatric services
One of the hardest decisions we have had to make during the pandemic has been the restrictions needed on hospital visiting, and accompanying pregnant women to appointments, to reduce the number of people coming into our hospitals and the risk of spreading the coronavirus. We realise this is really hard for partners and families but we must do everything we can to keep babies, parents and our staff safe.
We have been continually reviewing visiting throughout the pandemic and the latest arrangements for our maternity and neonatal services are as follows:
- Birth Units and Delivery Suite – one birthing partner
- Neonatal Unit – both parents at any time
- Transitional Care Ward (Wheal Fortune), one partner or support person can visit between 2pm and 5pm each day (must be the same person)
- Both parents to be present in the event of critically ill child
- Partners can attend 12 week scan and 20 week scan and others in exceptional circumstances that have agreed ahead of the appointment
We are doing everything we can to help families to stay in touch with parents, babies and children in hospital and can also support virtual attendance at all scans and ante-natal appointments. Please speak to your midwife or nurse about this.
For further up to the minute information please click on your Midwifery teams Facebook page
Our Inclusivity Statement
The maternity pages have information for women and people who are pregnant. For simplicity of language, sometimes we’ve used the term ‘women’, but this should be taken to also include all people who are pregnant, in labour and in the postnatal period.
If you are pregnant, but don’t identify as a woman, please tell your midwife your preferred pronoun and we’ll make sure it’s used on your records and throughout your care.
Contact the Maternity Team and Midwives (including who to call with concerns or complications)
If you’re in labour or it’s an emergency please call our triage team on 01872 258000
There will be someone to take your call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Please call the triage team on 01872 258000 if:
- you think you’re in labour
- you feel your baby’s movements have slowed down or stopped – please see below for more information about your baby’s movements
Or you experience any of the following:
- any vaginal bleeding after 12 weeks
- severe / moderate abdominal pain
- your waters break (ruptured membranes)
- visual disturbances like blurring, flashing or floaters
- severe pelvic pain
- regular contractions at any point
- feeling unwell with a high temperature
- sudden onset of swelling in hands, feet or face
- headache not relieved by paracetamol
If you think your baby’s movements have slowed down or stopped
Most women usually begin to feel their baby move between 16 and 24 weeks of pregnancy. A baby’s movements can be described as anything from a kick, flutter, swish or roll. The type of movement may change as your pregnancy progresses.
If you think your baby’s movements have slowed down or stopped, call the maternity triage team immediately – do not put off calling until the next day to see what happens.
You can find more information about your baby’s movements on the Kicks Count website
Community midwives
For any questions about your care, pregnancy or baby that aren’t an emergency, please call your community midwives if:
- skin rash or itchy skin
- show / mucous plug
- pelvic discomfort
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
- travel information
- concerns around emotional wellbeing
- wound infection or a problem with stitches
- feeding problems or questions
- jaundiced baby (If you can’t get hold of your midwife, call the triage number above instead)
| Bodmin | 01872 326528 |
| Bude and Stratton | 01288 320131 |
| Falmouth | 01326 430070 |
| Hayle/St Ives | 01736 571202 |
| Helston | 01326 430302 |
| Helston Birth Centre | 013269 430221 |
| Isles of Scilly | 07799 894582 |
| Launceston | 01566 761110 |
| Newquay, St Eval and St Columb | 01637 834825 |
| Penrice | 01726 873079 |
| Penzance | 01736 874180 |
| Redruth and Camborne | 01209 842172 |
| Truro | 01872 221420 |
| Wadebridge | 01208 834403 |
When to call your GP or 111
Call your GP in surgery hours, or 111 if your GP is closed.
- bleeding before your dating scan
- cold and flu symptoms
- diarrhoea and vomiting
- shortness of breath or chest pain
- vaginal discharge or itch
- urinary problems or infection
- vomiting
- childhood disease advice
- cysts and/or lumps
- varicose veins or leg pain
- prescription or repeat drugs
- constipation or piles
- nose bleeds
- mastitis (you can also get feeding help from your midwife)
If you have concerns about the midwifery care you or your baby have received
You can ask to speak to the Head of Midwifery, Deputy Head of Midwifery or the matrons if you are concerned about any aspect of your care. Please call 01872 252685 to make an appointment or arrange a call.
Kernow Maternity Voices Partnership – for better births across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly
Kernow MVP exists to support the implementation of Better Births across Cornwall and The Isles of Scilly. We listen to and engage with those who have recently used our local maternity services and feed this back to those that commission & provide them.
You can find out more about Kernow MVP on the Healthwatch Cornwall website, and on the Kernow Maternity Voices Partnership Facebook Page.
Your information, privacy and consent
Your information and privacy
We recognise the importance of protecting personal and confidential information in all that we do, and take care to meet our legal and other duties. Find out more about our approach to privacy and data protection.
Consent
You are in control of your treatment and care. We are committed to the principle of ‘no decision about me without me’, so please feel free to ask any questions at any time about your consent to treatment and care.
You can find out more about what consent means in these videos.
