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Step 2: Your choice of maternity care

About your choice of maternity care

Choosing a maternity unit for your care

This app is for all new mums in England and their families. It contains specific local information and contact details for a number of NHS areas. You can still use all the information and advice in this app without selecting an NHS area. Continue to Step 3 to select your NHS area and your maternity unit.

Choosing a place of birth

Place of birth choices
You can discover where you can give birth according to your preferences and needs – in a labour ward, in a birth centre or at home. Watch the video to learn about the different options. Your midwife at your chosen maternity unit or your doctor can help advise you on the best choice for you. Video credit: NHS North West London maternity services.
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What to consider

What to consider?

Many women opt to book for care with their nearest maternity unit and there are some benefits to making this choice:
  • you are more likely to receive care from a small team of midwives, in a location close to home
  • you are more likely to get to know one midwife, and one team which can improve your maternity experience
  • you will have less distance to travel when you are in labour
  • if you would like to have a homebirth this must be booked through your local maternity unit, this may not be your nearest unit 
  • care at home after your baby is born is always provided by your local midwife team (this is likely to be a team that you have already met).

Other considerations when making your choice:

  • facilities available
  • public transport and ease of parking
  • ease of travel to and from your place of work
  • recommendations from your friends, family and others 
  • where you have previously received maternity or other health care.
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Hospital: Wycombe Hospital

Wycombe Birth Centre

Address

Queen Alexandra Road , High Wycombe , Buckinghamshire HP11 2TT
Website

Online self-referral
Essential contacts
"Our vision for maternity is to deliver the local, regional and national strategic objectives and meet the needs of women and families in our local community; making services even safer, kinder, more personalised and family friendly."

We are very proud to offer a freestanding midwifery unit at Wycombe Hospital where healthy women with uncomplicated pregnancies can choose to give birth. We offer the same care and facilities as on our Aylesbury birth centre but without on-site obstetric, anaesthetic or neonatal services. Please note there have been changes to services at the Wycombe Birth Centre.

More information is available at the Wycombe Birth Centre website.

Our specialist services include

Services offered at Wycombe:

Wycombe offers two options for place of birth; a freestanding midwifery led unit at the Wycombe Birth Centre and a home birth service. Wycombe also offers a number of specialist clinics and an ultrasonography service.

Wycombe Birth Centre (WBC)

WBC offers women and their families the opportunity to birth in a friendly and relaxed environment supported by one of our midwives who is passionate about physiological birth. We have three bright and airy birthing rooms, all of which are ensuite and fully air conditioned. We can also facilitate use of our pools, balls, stools, couches or our specifically designed birth bed which can support women to deliver in a variety of physiological positions. Midwives at WBC are able to support a number of analgesic options including aromatherapy, massage, TENS, hypnobirthing techniques, water and Entonox (gas and air) and Pethidine.Whilst the majority of births are uncomplicated and straightforward our highly skilled midwives and maternity care assistants are trained to identify and manage any emergency situations that could arise ensuring the ongoing safety of both mum and baby.

We have a single postnatal room for women who wish to stay following their birth, where we can facilitate birth partners staying too on our pull out bed.

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WBC is home to one of our Continuity of Carer (CoC) teams looking after women who are choosing to birth their babies here. As part of the CoC team you would have a named midwife who works as part of a small team based within the birth centre. Your named midwife will provide the majority of your antenatal care from designated clinics held within the WBC. You will be able to form and develop a meaningful and positive relationship with your named midwife as well as having the opportunity to meet the wider continuity team.

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Labour care is provided by one of the CoC team midwives whom you will have had the opportunity to meet during your pregnancy and who will be able to fully support you in the birth choices that you wish to make. Following the birth of your baby you will be offered postnatal appointments at WBC in clinics run by one of the CoC team midwives, with the opportunity to have at least one appointment with your named midwife.

Home Birth

The community midwives based at Wycombe Hospital also offer a home birth service for women experiencing an uncomplicated pregnancy. They provide a 24 hour service by means of an on-call system. If you wish to birth your baby at home, your community midwife will visit you during your pregnancy to discuss your personalised birth plan so that we can facilitate a positive birth experience. We are able to offer a variety of analgesic options in the home environment including Entonox (gas and air) and Pethidine.

Specialist Outpatient Clinics

• Specialist consultant led antenatal clinic pathways providing:

• Early pregnancy assessment unit

• Community midwives hub

• Routine ultrasound scans

Transport

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Hospital: Women’s Centre, John Radcliffe

Address

Website
Essential contacts
'The vision for maternity services in Oxfordshire is for the right woman to get into the right part of the maternity services and to be cared for by the right professional. The aim is for every woman to experience personalised care from an early medical risk assessment through to birth and beyond. It encompasses real choice and continuity of care throughout the pregnancy, birth and postnatal period. 'It is our aim that all staff provide respectful, safe, compassionate and excellent care to all women and their babies in our care.'

Our specialist services include

Transport

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Hospital: Wantage Maternity Unit

Wantage Maternity Unit

Address

Garston Lane, Wantage OX12 7AS

Wantage Maternity Unit
Essential contacts

“The vision for maternity services in Oxfordshire is for the right woman to get into the right part of the maternity services and to be cared for by the right professional. The aim is for every woman to experience personalised care from an early medical risk assessment through to birth and beyond. It encompasses real choice and continuity of care throughout the pregnancy, birth and postnatal period.

“It is our aim that all staff provide respectful, safe, compassionate and excellent care to all women and their babies in our care.”

Wantage Maternity Unit

Wantage Maternity and Birthing Centre is a friendly, midwifery-led unit within Wantage Community Hospital. It is run by experienced community midwives and maternity care assistants. The unit is the smallest of the four Oxfordshire freestanding midwifery-led units and is the ideal place for women who have experienced an uncomplicated pregnancy and expecting a normal birth. It provides care for women in the Wantage and Abingdon areas, working closely with the Abingdon midwifery team. The unit has recently been completely redecorated, offering two birthing rooms, one with a large pool and a small kitchen to make refreshments as requested.

What we offer

Antenatal

We run several midwife led antenatal clinics from our unit and hold our own glucose tolerance test clinic on a Tuesday morning but we can also do these at any other time if needed. We run 'meet the midwife' sessions online for you to meet a wider range of our team.

Online video tours of the unit are available here: Oxfordshire Maternity Voices

Labour

The unit offers a safe and secure environment for women to give birth, with midwives providing one to one support in labour. Whilst in labour you are encouraged to make your birth environment your own and move into whatever position you feel most comfortable. We can aid in this with aromatherapy and massage, but you are encouraged to bring in any equipment such as balls, pillows or TENS machine that you may find beneficial. As well as the large birthing pool we offer a range of pain relieving options, heat pads, Entonox and Meptid (an injection). Most births are straightforward however the midwives and maternity support workers are trained to deal with emergencies and monitor you and your baby regularly through labour. Complications are swiftly recognised and if it is felt you or baby should be seen by a doctor then you will be accompanied in an ambulance the John Radcliffe Hospital Women’s Centre, Oxford.

Postnatal

Immediately after the birth if you wish, we will support you to breastfeed your baby and promote skin-to-skin contact after birth. Your length of stay may vary from a few hours up to six hours after your delivery. If you wish to stay for longer out of hours, we would recommend a transfer to Wallingford Midwifery Led Unit as it has 24 hour staffing. Our aim is that you leave the unit rested and confident in caring for your baby. Once you are home, we can provide breastfeeding support, either giving advice over the phone, booking an appointment at our unit to be seen with their baby or arrange to see you in your own home. There is a weekly newborn hearing screening clinic on a Tuesday. We can perform the newborn infant physical examination at the unit or at home. We also hire out breast pumps and valley cushions for a small fee. Women are free to contact us on tel: 01865 904832 between 8am & 4pm (after this time please call Wallingford on tel: 01491 826037) seven days a week for pregnancy related queries and labour triage. There is an answer machine for non-urgent enquiries.

Our specialist services include

Health Visitors

Your community midwife will notify your local health visiting team, who will make contact with you antenatally around 31-34 weeks pregnant and again postnatally when your baby is around 10 days old.

Transport

Get directions

Please use postcode OX12 7AS , when using online routefinders for directions to the Wantage Midwifery-Led Unit, to take you to the correct entrance.

Transport options

Travel within Oxfordshire

Parking

Parking is pay and display at this site. Disabled parking spaces are available and subject to pay and display.
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Hospital: Wallingford Maternity and Birthing Unit

Wallingford Maternity and Birthing Centre

Address

Wallingford Community Hospital

Reading Road

Wallingford OX10 9DU

Wallingford Maternity and Birthing Centre
Essential contacts
“The vision for maternity services in Oxfordshire is for the right woman to get into the right part of the maternity services and to be cared for by the right professional. The aim is for every woman to experience personalised care from an early medical risk assessment through to birth and beyond. It encompasses real choice and continuity of care throughout the pregnancy, birth and postnatal period. “It is our aim that all staff provide respectful, safe, compassionate and excellent care to all women and their babies in our care.”

Wallingford Maternity and Birthing Centre

Wallingford Maternity and Birthing Centre is a friendly, midwifery-led unit within Wallingford Community Hospital. It is run by experienced community midwives and maternity care assistants. The unit is fully equipped to support those who have experienced an uncomplicated pregnancy and expecting a normal birth. We have a private sitting room with television for you to relax in early labour. The unit has three delivery rooms, two with birth pools and en-suite. We have a two-bedded postnatal ward with dining area and sitting room.

What we offer

Antenatal

Online video tours of the unit are available here: Oxfordshire Maternity Voices If you live outside Oxfordshire but you still wish to have your baby at the unit please discuss this with your local community midwife and make contact with us as early as possible in your pregnancy to arrange an appointment. We can hire TENs machine to you from 37 weeks gestation should you want to have them for use at home in early labour.

Labour

We offer one-to-one care during labour with a midwife who you may already have met or is known to you and is highly experienced in natural childbirth. During labour your midwife will encourage you to find comfortable, supported upright and forward-leaning positions as labour progresses, using equipment such as a bean bag, floor mattress, birthing ball or the birthing pool. Most of our women use the pool either in labour or to give birth in. Your own choice of music is encouraged along with a dimly lit and undisturbed birthing environment. Massage, aromatherapy, TENs, Entonox and the pain relieving Meptid injection are also available should you require them. Most births are straightforward however the midwives and maternity support workers are trained to deal with emergencies and monitor you and your baby regularly through labour. Complications are swiftly recognised and if it is felt you or baby should be seen by a doctor then you will be accompanied in an ambulance the John Radcliffe Hospital Women’s Centre, Oxford.

Postnatal

Our unit has been awarded the UNICEF Global Baby Friendly Award for our commitment to helping mothers to breastfeed. If you wish we will ensure you have undisturbed skin to skin contact with your baby following their birth and you are welcome to stay with us until you feel confident in breastfeeding and caring for your baby. As our unit is staffed 24/7, providing there are beds available, some mothers like to transfer to the Wallingford Maternity and Birthing Centre for their postnatal care following their birth on Delivery Suite or another midwifery-led unit. Once you are home, we can provide feeding support, either giving advice over the phone, at any time, booking an appointment at our unit to be seen with your baby or arrange to see you in your own home. Please contact us on tel: 01491 826037, this is manned 24/7.

Our specialist services include

Health visitors

Your community midwife will notify your local health visiting team, who will make contact with you antenatally around 31-34 weeks pregnant and again postnatally when your baby is around 10 days old.

Transport

Get directions

Please use postcode OX10 9DU, when using online routefinders for directions to the Wallingford Midwifery-Led Unit, to take you to the correct entrance.

Transport options

Travelling within Oxfordshire

Parking

Parking is pay and display at this site. Disabled parking spaces are available and subject to pay and display.
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Hospital: Stoke Mandeville Hospital

Stoke Mandeville Hospital

Address

Stoke Mandeville Hospital

Mandeville Road

Aylesbury

Buckinghamshire HP21 8AL

Website
Self-referral link

Essential contacts
"Our vision for maternity is to deliver the local regional and national strategic objectives and meet the needs of women and families in our local community; making services even safer, kinder, more personalised and family friendly."Having a baby is an exciting time for all the family. At Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust, we want to provide you with excellent care and support throughout your pregnancy and birth. We pride ourselves on providing a friendly, kind, safe and personal service to everyone who comes to us. Our highly skilled and dedicated maternity team will work closely with you and your family to ensure that you feel comfortable, cared for and in control at every stage of your pregnancy. We provide care to women from Buckinghamshire and from outside of county borders including Oxfordshire, Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire. If your pregnancy is low-risk we would encourage you to plan to give birth in one of our midwife-led birth centres or at home. If you have medical or obstetric complications or risk factors then your care will be led by an obstetric team. We may recommend that you plan to give birth at our Stoke Mandeville Hospital obstetric unit.

Antenatal care

Your antenatal care will be provided locally by your named community midwife and if necessary, a consultant or specialist team at Wycombe Hospital or Stoke Mandeville Hospital. The frequency, type, and location of your antenatal appointments will be personalised to you based on your personal circumstances.

Aylesbury Birth Centre

Our birth centre is run by a dedicated team of highly qualified and professional midwives and midwifery care assistants who provide personalised care for you and your baby. They offer the reassurance of having extra support on hand during labour and birth as well as a comfortable and homely environment with the latest birthing aids available. We work hard to offer continuity of carer to women birthing at the Aylesbury Birth Centre so you can get to know your team of midwives before the birth and see a familiar face afterwards. All our rooms have an ensuite and have adjustable lighting and heating to enable you to be as relaxed as possible. The centre has access to aromatherapy oils, birthing balls, cushioned mats and birthing stools to help you be as comfortable as possible throughout your labour and birth. Birthing pools are available for you to use during labour and birth and all our midwives are fully trained in facilitating water births.

Stoke Mandeville Delivery Suite

Our team of midwives, maternity support workers and medical staff (obstetricians, anaesthetists and paediatricians) offer support during labour and birth if you have an pre-existing medical condition or have developed complications during your pregnancy or labour. We are committed to supporting you to have a safe, positive experience on our labour ward. All our rooms have ensuite facilities. We encourage the use of birthing balls and bean-bags and positions to support physiological birth. All the rooms have adjustable lighting and we have a range of aromatherapy oils available for use to aid relaxation. We also have a range of monitors to enable us to ensure the wellbeing of you and your baby whilst enabling you to move about the birth room. The full range of pain relief is available to women on the labour ward including gas and air, pethidine and mobile epidurals. Through our birth options service we can often facilitate a water birth with continuous monitoring of your baby if you are not eligible to use our birth centres but would still like to use a pool for labour and birth. We have disabled access to a number of our rooms and we work closely with the National Spinal Injuries Centre which is onsite. We also have larger rooms if you are expecting more than one baby. Our labour ward sits alongside our two operating theatres and our neonatal unit, which provides specialist care for babies who need closer monitoring or additional support in the early days following birth. We also have four observation rooms if you require additional care immediately after birth.

Wycombe Birth Centre

We are very proud to offer a freestanding midwifery unit at Wycombe Hospital where healthy women with uncomplicated pregnancies can choose to give birth. We offer the same care and facilities as Aylesbury Birth Centre but without on-site obstetric, anaesthetic or neonatal services. More information is available on the Wycombe Birth Centre website.

Home Birth

If you are experiencing an uncomplicated pregnancy and have no existing medical conditions, a home birth can be a very safe and positive option for you and your baby. Our community midwives are trained and experienced in providing safe home birth care.

Postnatal care

If you give birth at Wycombe or Aylesbury Birth Centre and you and your baby are well, you can go home as early as a few hours after the birth. If you give birth on our delivery suite at Stoke Mandeville Hospital your postnatal care will be on our postnatal ward. How long you stay will depend on your individualised care plan. After you are discharged, your named midwife will be there to support and guide your transition into parenthood along with our team of community midwives, health visitors and support workers. We offer home visits and run regular local drop-in sessions. This is normally done within your local children's centre, to support you and your baby and to look after your health and wellbeing.

Our specialist services include

Our specialist services include:

  • Specialist consultant led antenatal clinics for women with medical or obstetric complications
  • Specialist fetal medicine clinic
  • Specialist pre-term birth clinic
  • Perinatal mental health midwifery team which are a part of a regional perinatal mental health network
  • A consultant-midwife led birth options clinic to offer additional support with birthing choices, individualised care planning and high quality midwifery care
  • 2 midwife-led birth centres at Aylesbury and Wycombe
  • Level 2 neonatal unit
  • Private rooms available on the antenatal/postnatal ward
  • Local support to get and keep healthy: www.livewellstaywellbucks.co.uk
  • A local service to help you stop smoking. Tel: 01628 857311 or text ‘QUIT’ to 85222

Transport

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Transport options
Parking