Frequently Asked Questions
FAQs
Can my partner stay with me?
We know that birth partners are an essential source of support to labouring women and throughout the pandemic we have never restricted partners from attending throughout labour and birth. Other than for labour and birth, partners are not allowed to stay on our wards after 8pm at night.
How do I find out about transfer rates from home birth to hospital?
No matter where birth takes place, there will always be some mothers or babies that unexpectedly need extra help and support. If this situation arises at a home birth it is standard procedure for the midwife to transfer to Consultant Led Care and bring the woman to Labour Ward where enhanced support and expertise are available. We monitor care through regular audit of the reasons for transfer, if you would like to know the most recent rates, please ask your named midwife.
What are my options if I want to use a birthing pool?
We have five birthing pools two at each birth centre and one on Labour ward. It’s a good idea to inform the midwife that you would like to use a pool when you phone to tell us you think you are in labour, as his will help preparations for your arrival.
If you are having a home birth you could hire a birthing pool and have this available and ready to set up in your home anytime from 37 weeks gestation.
Can I book to birth here if I live outside Calderdale & Huddersfield?
You are very welcome to have your baby in one of our Birth Centres or Labour Ward regardless of your home address. If you live outside of our catchment area please self-refer through the website as soon as you know where you want to give birth.
Community Midwives cannot practice outside the boundaries of Calderdale and South Kirklees, so our Antenatal Clinic midwives will take care of your booking appointment, screening tests, scans and hospital appointments. You can then choose whether to come to us for all of your antenatal care or access a community midwife nearer to your home.
I have been told I’m ‘high risk’ so I don’t have a choice of where to give birth?
We will let you know when our Guidelines recommend that Consultant led care on Labour Ward is the safest option for you to birth.
This might make some mothers feel their choices are limited, so it is important to think about what will help you to feel safe, calm and comfortable in the place in which you will give birth. Your Midwife can help you explore how you can recover a sense of choice and control by, adapting birth spaces or care practices to reflect your birth wishes.
If having discussed place of birth with your midwife, you might still want to choose to birth in an area outside of our guidelines/ recommendations. In this case we will make an appointment with a senior member of the team to discuss a risk-assessment with you and plan for any emergency situation that may develop.
What about car parking when I give birth?
Homebirth: on your drive - where can your Midwives park?
Everything you need to know about parking at our hospitals can be found here:
https://www.cht.nhs.uk/patients-visitors/finding-us/car-parking/
What is Bounty?
We offer Bounty Packs to women at different stages of their pregnancy. These packs contain information about various products and services that parents-to-be might be interested in.
https://www.bounty.com/about-bounty/bounty-packs Bounty is a commercial service and we do not endorse any of the products or services Bounty provides.
Bounty personnel visit our Birth Centres and post-natal wards daily with a Bounty pack for new parents. You can tell our staff in advance that you do not want Bounty personnel to enter your birth room.
Bounty also offer photography services to parents who would like to have pictures taken of their baby soon after birth. Bounty charges a fee for this service but it is not something you have to purchase and you can decline the offer to have photographs taken. You can choose whether to take up any of Bounty’s offers or not.
