Our maternity services
This page has details of all the different maternity services we offer at Airedale including:
Community Care | Early Pregnancy Assessment Unit | Antenatal Clinic | Maternity Assessment Centre | Labour Ward | Ward 21 | Neonatal Unit
Community Care
Community midwives at Airedale NHS Foundation trust work in small teams providing care during pregnancy and after the birth of your baby.
You will be allocated a named midwife early in your pregnancy and may meet other midwives in the team. All women are encouraged to make contact with a midwife as early in pregnancy as possible so that we can discuss your choices, plan your birth and ensure the best outcomes for you and your baby.
Community midwives provide care in a variety of settings including:
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GP surgeries
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Children’s centres
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Your own home
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Local health centres
If you’re considering a homebirth, please speak to your community midwife at any point in pregnancy.
The care we offer is based on NICE antenatal guidelines and is tailored to meet your needs. Information can be obtained by following this link https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/CG62
Early Pregnancy Assessment Unit
The early pregnancy assessment unit (EPAU) provides care for women who are between 6 and 20 weeks pregnant.
Referrals are received to the unit from health professionals such as your GP, midwife or via the emergency department. You are not able to refer yourself directly to the unit but staff are available to provide advice if you experience any pain, bleeding or other problem with your pregnancy in the early stages.
Antenatal Clinic
Our antenatal clinic is situated within the maternity unit and can be accessed via a separate entrance for children’s outpatients and the antenatal clinic. We also run two satellite clinics in the community if this is more convenient for you. Our experienced staff have the expertise to look after women with complex pregnancies or medical conditions which may impact their pregnancy.
We hold specialist clinics here for women who:
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Already have a medical condition (such as diabetes)
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Have had a problem in a previous pregnancy
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Develop problems during their pregnancy
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Are expecting more than one baby
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Any other type of pregnancy related conditions
If problems develop during pregnancy, you community midwife may refer you to our antenatal clinic to be seen by one of our consultant obstetricians.
Maternity Assessment Centre
The maternity assessment centre (MAC) is a telephone advice and assessment service for women who are more than 16 weeks pregnant and have serious concerns about their pregnancy. We see women in the unit:
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who have abdominal pain or bleeding (minimal) at any stage during their pregnancy;
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who think their baby may be moving less;
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who think their ‘waters’ may have broken;
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who feel that they may be in labour; and
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for any other reason where there is a concern about their pregnancy.
MAC can be contacted on 01535 292120/292410 during opening hours: 8.30am to 7.30pm, Monday to Friday. The unit can be found in zone B location B8 (opposite ward 19, location B7).
For any of the above concerns out of hours (or if the telephone in MAC is not answered) please contact the labour ward on 01535 292402 and a midwife will be happy to help you.
For all non-urgent pregnancy advice, please contact your community midwife or GP.
Labour Ward
Our midwives aim to provide you with a positive and safe birth experience which reflects each individual woman’s needs and wishes. If you think you may be in labour, always phone us first on 01535 292402 so we can prepare a room and allocate a midwife to your care.
On admission to the labour ward, we will review your pregnancy and assess your labour before making a plan of care with you. Our obstetric team are available 24 hours a day to support our midwives and your care.
Our labour ward offers:
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Single delivery rooms with en-suite facilities
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Two pool rooms for water births/active births
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Four rooms with outside decking areas
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Latest state of the art birthing equipment
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Four bedded induction suite
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Dedicated obstetric theatre
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Dedicated bereavement suite
In addition, we also offer:
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Televisions in some rooms
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Radios/CD players in rooms
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Birth mats
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Birthing balls
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Birthing stools
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Fans