Maternity care in Newham
Summary
We engaged with 77 mothers, from various backgrounds, who used different maternity services across the borough between September 2016 and January 2017. Responses showed that mothers in Newham had mixed experiences with care - some highlighted the dedication of the long-standing midwives and some mothers did not have a named midwife. Overall, mothers value the contact and relationships they develop during the period of their pregnancy and after the birth, which demonstrates the vital role that professionals, specifically midwives, play in the lives of mothers and their babies.
[I’d like] more [support with] breastfeeding. I was a young mum and I was so confused and stressed. As a result, … I gave up on breastfeeding. If they had helped me, I might still be breastfeeding
Key findings
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Information and communication: Information was not consistently provided to mothers at time of emergency, delays or non-clarity.
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Breastfeeding support: It was often either limited or not provided.
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Postnatal care of community midwives and health visitors: They were described generally as ‘very good’ and ‘caring’, but often ‘rushed’. Some midwives were described as ‘refused to help’, ‘noted down inaccurate information’, or ‘advised to go to a drop-in clinic for advice’.
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Hospital discharge: 38% were discharged in the evening or late at night. At Newham Hospital, there were delays in hospital discharge waiting to see a doctor, while some mothers were being discharged without final check-ups, or being discharged late in the evening.
Recommendations
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Ensure that community support is an integral part of the postnatal support and defined within the service specification, for example, breastfeeding support, signposting, information and advice after the birth and home visits.
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Consider commissioning services which incorporate increased support for breastfeeding postnatal care, and signposting to community services, including peer support and working with the voluntary sector.
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Ensure that mental health support is an integral part of the postnatal care provided to mothers.
The midwife who attended my house was cheerful and full of advice.
