Support at home – what to expect going home

Support at home – what to expect going home

After you are discharged from the hospital, community midwives will visit you at home the following day between 9am and 5pm. For the first visit, you may not be given a specific time.

During this postnatal visit, an individualised care plan will be created with you, and the frequency and location of future visits will be discussed. These visits may take place at your home or at children’s centres.

Please note that community midwives will not visit every day after discharge. Typically, midwives provide care for you and your baby for the first 10 days after birth before transferring care to a health visitor. However, if additional support is needed, the maternity team may continue to visit for up to 28 days after the birth.

If you haven’t been visited or had contact from a community midwife or continuity team by 3pm and you are expecting a visit at home, please call the community office on:

• Severn Valley Community Midwives – (Bewdley, Kidderminster, Stourport)
  01562 826377 

• Cathedral Community Midwives – (Malvern and Worcester)
  01905 760582

• Avoncroft Community Midwives – (Bromsgrove and Droitwich)  
  Bromsgrove – 01527 488141
  Droitwich – 01905 681042
  
• Abbey Community Midwives – (Evesham and Redditch)  
  Evesham – 01386 50232
  Redditch – 01527 512056 (extension 42056)

Continuity Teams :

If you cannot reach a community midwife in your team about an expected visit, you can contact the postnatal ward on 01905 760570 who will be able to assist you.

Usual pattern of visits and screening tests  

1-2 days after birth:

• Both you and your baby will have a postnatal check. This will either be on the postnatal ward or at home if you have already been discharged. Read more about this on our care on the postnatal ward page (go to Postnatal checks).
• Safe Sleep Discussion: We will talk with you and your family about how to ensure your baby sleeps safely. When you are visited at home the community midwife will ask to see where your baby is sleeping to make sure it is a safe environment. You can see further information about safe sleep on our support at home – keeping your baby safe page.

Day 3 after birth:

A midwife will visit you at home to do another postnatal check for yourself and baby:

• We will offer to weigh your baby. It is normal for babies to have lost some birth, but if your baby has lost more weight than we expect we will talk to you about this.
• We will ask how feeding is going and can offer extra feeding support.
• Your baby will be assessed for jaundice – this is a visual check and if your baby looks jaundice a bilirubinometer can be used at home or hospital to measure the jaundice levels. Read more about this on our postnatal care page (go to the Jaundice tab).

Day 5 after birth:

We will offer a screening test known as a newborn blood spot test. This test screens for 9 very rare but serious conditions including congenital hypothyroidism, sickle cell and thalassaemia, cystic fibrosis and an array of metabolic disorders. 

The test involves taking a small sample of blood from your baby’s heal and can be done at home. Newborn blood spot test – NHS.

If your baby has lost a bit more weight than usual on day 3 then we will offer to weigh your baby again at this visit.

Day 6-10 after birth:

Wellbeing visits may be arranged during this period to; support with breastfeeding, reweigh babies on a feeding plan, provide emotional support or continue to provide observational monitoring related to obstetric/medical conditions. If visits are required these will be agreed on an individualised basis.  You may be invited to attend additional appointments such as a newborn hearing check if this wasn’t conducted on the postnatal ward.

Day 10-14 after birth:

You will usually have a final check up with you midwife at around 10-14 days after birth. The Midwife will offer to weigh your baby again. If all is well this will be your last appointment with your midwife. Your care will be transferred to the health visitor and the GP. 

Infant feeding

If you have any questions or concerns about your baby’s feeding, there are several ways to get help. Your community midwife will be visiting regularly at home over the first week and can offer feeding advice.

If you need additional support, you or your midwife can access help from the infant feeding team or community breastfeeding team. For more details, visit our Infant feeding page.

Health Visitor Role  

Health Visitors are nurses or midwives, who have had specialist training in child development and health promotion. In Worcestershire health visitors work for the Herefordshire and Worcestershire Health and Care Trust. Their role is to support families to prevent illness and promote good health.  

After you have given birth and have settled back at home, a Health Visitor will contact you and arrange to come to visit. This usually take place 10 -14 days after you have had your baby. but may take place up to 21 days after your baby was born. If you haven’t had contact from a health visitor by 2 weeks after birth, please call the health visitor line 01905 520 032.  

During the first appointment at home the health visitor will ask how you, your partner, family, and baby are feeling. They will provide any information, advice and support you may require about caring for your new baby. They can also provide support and advice with infant feeding. 

After the first visit they will arrange follow up visits or give you details about how to contact them.  You will be under the care of the health visiting team until your child turns 5 years old for behaviour/sleep advice and developmental assessments including speech, physiotherapy, hearing and eyesight. They will record all this information in your child’s personal child health record (PCHR) known as the “red book.”

Your baby’s health and development reviews – NHS 

To contact a health visitor, you can call the Telephone Advisory Service (TAS) on: 01905 520 032, which is available Monday – Friday from 9am-1pm to discuss any concerns you may have.  

For further information about the health visiting service in Worcestershire, go to: Worcestershire Health Visiting Service | Starting Well.

6-8 Week GP check

You will be offered a postnatal check 6-8 weeks after your baby’s birth at your GP surgery to make sure you feel well and are recovering properly. Your baby will also be checked around this time and these checks will often happen together at the same appointment.

You can request an appointment yourself; some GP’s will send out an appointment once you have registered your baby at the GP surgery. Please check with your local GP surgery.

Postnatal check for mum:

Below outlines what you will have happen at this postnatal check:

• You will be asked how you are feeling.
• You will be asked about vaginal discharge and whether you’ve had a period since birth.
• Your blood pressure will be checked if you have had problems during your pregnancy or after birth. 
• You may be offered an examination to check your stitches have healed.
• Your cervical smear will be arranged for 12 weeks after the birth if you are due cervical screening. Find out more at: www.nhs.uk/conditions/cervical-screening/ 
• Contraception will be discussed.
• You may be given advice about vitamin D supplements if you are breastfeeding.

If you have any symptoms that you are unsure of, need help with, or are feeling sad or anxious, please seek help and advice at this appointment.

More information on this check is available on the NHS website: Your 6-week postnatal check – NHS

Postnatal check for your baby:

At the 6-8 week check your baby will have a thorough examination usually by the GP. Your baby’s eyes, heart, hips – and for boys, testicles – will be checked. They’ll also have their weight, length and head circumference measured.

A GP or health visitor will discuss your baby’s vaccinations with you. These are offered at 8 weeks, 12 weeks, 16 weeks and 12 months old, and before your child starts school.

More information is available on the NHS website: NHS vaccinations and when to have them – NHS 

Registering your baby’s birth

In England and Wales, you have a legal responsibility to register your baby’s birth within 42 days of the birth. You can do this at your local registry office.

For full details and to arrange an appointment, visit: Register a birth | Worcestershire County Council

NEXT PAGE
Caring for yourself after birth

Go back to ‘After your baby is born – support at home‘