Community Midwives

Your named Midwife

You will have a named community midwife who is linked to your GP’s surgery and who works as part of a community team.

Your midwife will:

• Be in contact with you soon after you have informed us that you are pregnant
• Take your initial booking details and write in your green hand held pregnancy records. She will also provide you with an introduction to our maternity services.
• She will offer you information relating to your choices for place of birth (link place of birth leaflet).
• She will outline your pregnancy plan and point out if there are any concerns that need a doctors involvement (link to pregnancy planner)
• Carry out your regular antenatal checks.
• Your named midwife or a colleague from her team will provide you with your postnatal care.

South Birmingham

Birmingham Women’s Hospital covers the South Birmingham area. We have 5 community teams of midwives all providing care linked to your GP and home address.

Name of Community Team	Contact telephone number Monday – Friday 9-5
Weoley Castle	0121 426 0508
Charlotte Road	0121 459 7884
Quinton Lane Team	0121 446 2511
Edward Road	0121 446 2300
Sparkhill	0121 702 2107

Each team of midwives can be contacted at their base number during weekdays.

Midwives are usually at the base from around 09.00 hours for an hour or so before carrying out their visits. They are usually available again late afternoon before 5pm. You are welcome to leave a message out of these times and your call will be returned.

Across Boundary

Some women live just outside our catchment area of South Birmingham and have booked to have their baby at the Womens. If so you will receive your care from midwives employed by another hospital.

Shared Care

Some women may need to have ‘shared care’. This means that care is shared between your community midwife and a consultant or specialist midwife at the hospital. At each appointment, your plan of care for your pregnancy will be reviewed and discussed with you. We aim that women receive the majority of their care close to their home where possible. Some women have problems with wither this pregnancy or a previous pregnancy or a medical concern. If this is the case then you are likely to be seen more often at the hospital clinic for specialist advice (link to antenatal clinic)

Following a positive pregnancy test

Your first contact with a health professional can be with either a community midwife or with your GP. A referral will then be made to the hospital of your choice for you to have your baby.

For residents who live outside south Birmingham, please contact your GP’s surgery and ask how you contact your local team of midwives.

Remember for your antenatal appointments

• Please take your green pregnancy hand held records with you for all of your appointments.
• Always take a recent urine sample to each visit (please clean your pot and rinse with boiled water and let it dry after each visit),
• Refer to the pregnancy planner (link to pregnancy planner) for a guide of when you need to be seen during your pregnancy and what you can expect at each visit.
• If you have any concerns before you are 17 weeks, we advise you to see your GP.  It is only your G/P who can then refer you to our early pregnancy assessment unit (EPAU).
• After 17 weeks ideally see your GP or speak to your midwife. They are often able to help and answer any queries you might have.
• We have a triage service (see link to triage) available for additional assessments if required.  This is an emergency only service.
• You will find all relevant telephone numbers on the front of your green pregnancy notes.

This page was last modified on Thu Jul 29 2010