If your maternity care is provided by Princess Royal University Hospital, some of your antenatal appointments may be held here at Queen Mary’s Hospital.

Booking your antenatal care

It is very important to arrange your antenatal booking appointment with one of our midwives early in pregnancy – ideally, by 10 weeks. This can help you and your baby have a healthy start to your pregnancy. You can refer yourself or ask your GP to refer you – see the ‘Referral’ section below. We aim to arrange your first antenatal appointment within two weeks of hearing from you or your GP.

Antenatal care (before birth)

Your antenatal care will be provided by a hospital or community-based midwife, or by your GP or obstetrician. During your pregnancy they will see you regularly to ensure that both you and your baby are well. You can benefit from local antenatal care as well as access to internationally-renowned experts in fetal medicine.

We provide antenatal care at Princess Royal University Hospital, Orpington Hospital, Queen Mary’s Hospital, Sidcup, and Beckenham Beacon. Our community midwives also give antenatal care at local GP surgeries and children’s centres.

Your care includes routine health checks such as blood tests and other screenings. Your screening options are explained in a screening information leaflet, which is produced by Public Health England and available in several languages.

Specialist care

We also offer parent education sessions plus a range of specialist support if you are:

• having a multiple birth or planning a natural birth after a caesarean section
• diabetic and need extra support, which is provided at our specialist clinic at Princess Royal University Hospital
• diagnosed with Hepatitis B during pregnancy – our Hepatitis B – you and your baby (pdf) leaflet explains more.

Enhanced 12-week ultrasound scan

You can have an enhanced 12-week ultrasound at the Harris Birthright Centre at King’s College Hospital – an international centre of excellence for fetal medicine. This includes:

• a more detailed scan, carried out by a specialist fetal medicine doctor
• results within an hour (rather than waiting 7-10 days)
• the opportunity to discuss your scan results with the same doctor, straight away
• an assessment of the risk of having your baby too early or of developing raised blood pressure
• a fetal DNA (Harmony) test if there is an increased risk of Down’s syndrome. This is normally only available privately and avoids the needs for the standard, more invasive test.

To book an enhanced ultrasound, select King’s College Hospital on your self-referral form (see ‘Referral and contact details’ below) or let your GP know you would like to have your 12-week ultrasound at King’s College Hospital. Alternatively, select a regular 12-week ultrasound, which will take place at Queen Mary’s Hospital.

Birth (labour)

You can choose where to give birth. Your options are:

• at home, if your pregnancy is assessed as low risk
• at the midwife-led Oasis Birth Centre. This has six beds and a range of facilities including birthing pools, shower rooms and a communal lounge for families
• on the Labour ward.

The Labour ward and Oasis Birth Centre are in Princess Royal University Hospital’s Maternity Department, on level 3 of the South wing.

If you think you are in labour

• Call the Labour Line for support and advice from experienced midwives. It is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, including bank (public) holidays.
  o    Labour Line, tel: 01689 864189
• If the phone is engaged and your call is urgent, please contact either the Delivery Suite or the Oasis Birth Centre directly, depending on where you are planning to give birth.
  o    Labour ward/delivery suite, tel: 01689 864839
  o    Oasis Birth Centre, tel: 01689 864750

If you pregnancy is overdue

If your pregnancy is overdue you may need to be induced. Induction of labour – post dates (overdue) pregnancies (pdf) leaflet gives you information about the process and explains your choices.

After birth (postnatal)

The most comfortable place for you to be after your baby is born is in your own home, where you can be together as a family. So, if you have given birth at the Princess Royal and everything has gone well, we encourage you to go home within a few hours of delivery. A midwife will visit you the next day and you will be given emergency contact numbers to call if you have any worries.

You can have your postnatal care at one of our hospitals, in the community or at home. It includes regular check-ups for you and your baby and support with breast feeding.

Bexley Maternity Voices MSLC and Bromley Maternity Voices MSLC

Bexley Maternity Voices (MSLC) and Bromley Maternity Voices Maternity Services Liaison Committee (MSLC) are groups for people who have had a baby in the past three years and would like to help make a difference to maternity services in the borough. It includes local parents as well as midwives, and hospital, community and council staff. The group oversees services for pregnant women and new parents and recommends improvements where needed.

For more information or to share your views for Bromley Maternity Voices MSLC, email bromleymslc@outlook.com or visit Bromley Maternity Voices’ Facebook or Twitter pages or visit their website.

For more information or to share your views for Bexley Maternity Voices MSLC, visit Bexley Maternity Voices’ Facebook or visit their website.

Referral

• GP referral: fill in the GP referral form, including your patient’s 12-week scan choice, and email it to kch-tr.br-maternitypruh@nhs.net.

Labour and delivery wards

• If you think you are in labour, call the Labour Line for support and advice from experienced midwives. It is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, including bank (public) holidays.
  o    Labour Line, tel: 01689 864189
• If the phone is engaged and your call is urgent, please contact either the Delivery Suite or the Oasis Birth Centre directly, depending on where you are planning to give birth.
  o    Labour ward/delivery suite: 01689 864839
  o    Oasis Birth Centre: 01689 864750