Post Natal Care

[Katrina33]

Hi,

I'm currently pregnant with my first baby and due in 5 weeks. I'm thinking about going to stay with my Mum for one or two weeks following the birth but I'm wondering how this will work with post natal care? She lives over an hour away so obviously I won't be able to see my own midwife or health visitor during that time.

Does anyone know if it's possible to see a midwife close to my Mum's just for a couple of weeks and then continue with my normal post natal care once I'm home again?

Ooops posted too soon! Meant to say any advice much appreciated, thank you!

I did something similar to this and had to travel back for my midwife & health visitor appointments.

We had a property we were renting, and one we owned that had just finished being renovated so wanted to go home from the hospital to there, but it wasn't possible (even though it was only about 30 minutes away!) so we had to go back to our rental house for appointments for a couple of weeks. This was Epsom.

Not quite the same but I returned to the UK at 38 weeks and then moved an hour away when he was ten days old so had to organise getting in the system twice! Perfectly possible to temporarily register at your mum's gp and be put under the care of the local midwives.

It may be worth checking how stretched they are though, where I was initially it was three midwife visits in first ten days and here it would of been every day. Some places you have to traipse along to the clinic. It does vary from place to place which is worth considering.

Also you have to be a bit bolshy and organise things yourself but a phone call or two gets things moving.

Completely difference experiences there then Georgie. I'm up North though I don't know if that makes a difference. If you'd of moved they'd of had to transfer you though surely?

Thanks guys. How many appointments should I expect to have in the couple of weeks following the birth? I'm just wondering if I'd be best popping home for them. Thanks again!

It's possible to be a temporary patient and be seen by community services in a different area. Your midwife may be able to arrange a transfer of care, talk to her at your next visit. The alternative is to register a temp patient at the GPs surgery local to where you will be staying.

How many appts you get will depend on how your labour and birth go and how you and baby are postnatally so no way of knowing for sure now. Each trust also operates a slightly different policy to home visits.

In my trust this is what happens:

Standard care, assuming you had an uncomplicated PG, labour and birth and were discharged from hospital feeding your baby successfully. You will see your midwife on day 5 for a feeding assessment (sometimes done at home, sometimes you have to come to a community clinic) and then again on day 10 for the baby to be weighed and then both of are you discharged (as long as your baby has regained birth weight and you are OK) at which point care will transfer to your HV service.

Your HV will see you, at home, between day 10 and day 21 (but ideally before day 17). After which you will either get a follow up visit at home within the next fortnight or you'll be invited to attend well baby clinic as and when you want. Any problems, questions etc you can ring them.

That's really helpful rightup, thank you!