Please download and/or print one of our personalised care and support plan documents in the language with which you are most comfortable. You can hold onto this document, review and add to it throughout your pregnancy journey.
Inside you will find links to reliable information sources on subjects relevant to each stage of your pregnancy and prompt questions for you and your family to consider in making choices regarding your care plans inside this resource. Please take the time to review these and make notes accordingly. You can bring these to your midwifery appointments for further discussion and support in exploring your care options, which may include care outside of routine evidence based guidance. We want to make sure that each of your individual circumstances and health needs are taken into consideration when you are making plans for your maternity care, so please help us to help you by sharing your personalised preferences.
Your voice, your choice – deciding where to give birth to your baby
At SASH Maternity, we want to provide you with all the information relating to your care, so you can make the right decision for you and your baby.
The National Institute of Clinical Excellence states: “Healthy women who are at low risk of complications should have an opportunity to choose where to give birth”. We want to support you to make the right decision for you and your baby.
The birthplace study found that women having straightforward, healthy pregnancies with no medical complications planning birth at home or in The Birth Centre had significantly fewer interventions, for example; epidural, ventouse, forceps, caesarean, than similar women starting their labour in an obstetric unit (Delivery Suite).
Some circumstances mean that place of birth should be considered on an individual basis. These include if you have a medical condition which is stable, previous severe tears or bleeding during birth (third or fourth degree tears), being aged over 40 at booking, first time mum having a higher BMI (30–35 kg/m2), expecting a fifth or subsequent baby.
Wondering what to do if you are at increased risk of complications, or you need individual assessment, and have not been given a choice of place of birth?
Talk to a senior midwife about your birth preferences and place of birth to fully inform you of your options using the most up to date research available.
Please email Jo.willis2@nhs.net for further information.
Birth options team and deciding where to give birth
You may be referred to the birth choices team if you have had a caesarean section or if you are considering a caesarean birth. Dependent on your individual needs you will meet with either one of the birth choices midwives or consultant obstetrician at East Surrey Hospital or Crawley Hospital antenatal clinics.
The appointment will take place at around 22 weeks of pregnancy after which you will continue to have your routine community midwife or obsetetric-led care. Our team are focused on giving you the information you need to help you make the right birth choices for you and your family.
To contact the birth options team, email: sash.maternitychoices@nhs.net