Antenatal classes are currently being held virtually. To book your place, please follow this link.
For any queries about the virtual antenatal classes, please contact beststart@eyalliance.org.ukAdditional Resources
During your pregnancy there is so much information to read, access and try to make sense of. In Lincolnshire we have worked hard to design purpose made short films to assist you with all the decisions you have to make. Alongside our organisation we hope that by accessing these films we will help support you by signposting services, offering information on various topics and altogether help you on your journey to parenthood.
You can access all of the antenatal videos by clicking the link below.
The Physio Team from Lincolnshire Community Health Services have produced a series of videos to demonstrate safe exercises during pregnancy. These videos can be accessed by clicking the link below.
The Antenatal Pathway is also now ‘Live’ on the Better Births website which highlights services, information for families and supports families on their pathway to help them make informed choices. Please click on the link below to access this:
Antenatal pathway for Lincolnshire
The Continuity of Care Team Gainsborough have also developed some short films to help during the pandemic for those that could not access Antenatal Education classes – take a look.
It can be helpful to review events around pregnancy and birth. In Lincolnshire all maternity units have a birth reflection/listening service that can be accessed at any time after giving birth or when you return for subsequent pregnancies. To find out about how to access this service, speak to your community midwife.
Breastfeeding your baby can be one of the most rewarding experiences for some mothers, but like anything new it can take time to master. Here are some helpful short films produced by the local organisation United Lincolnshire Hospital Trust’s maternity team, in particular our Infant Feeding Specialist, along with some useful contacts for our local area.
Lincolnshire Children’s Centres
Click on the link below to find your local Children’s Centre. Alternatively contact them by phone by calling Tel: 01522 843000.Some of the groups and activities on offer at Lincolnshire’s Children’s Centres are detailed below. If you are interested in any of the groups/activities listed below or would like to find our more information, then please contact the Children’s Centres using the contact details above.BreastStart:
Members of the Children’s Health 0-19 Team offer breastfeeding support across Lincolnshire in the form of BreastStart Groups which take place at Children’s Centres. The groups are a fantastic opportunity to get advice, support and make contact with fellow breastfeeding parents. Contact your local Children’s Centre to find your local drop in BreastStart group.Members of the Children’s Health Team can also offer bespoke support with all aspects of infant feeding. To speak to someone please contact them on the telephone number above.3-4 Months, ‘Top Tips’
3-4 Months ‘Top Tips’ is a relaxed and informal session delivered by Early Years Practitioners at Children’s Centres across Lincolnshire. These drop-in sessions are FREE and include top tips about introducing solid foods, oral health, accident prevention and age-appropriate development. It’s a great opportunity to meet new families and find out what local services are available for your family.Baby Massage
Lincolnshire Children’s Centres offer a FREE 5 week ‘Baby Massage’ course for you and your baby. Baby massage is a lovely way to spend time and bond with your baby in a relaxed environment.Each maternity unit in Lincolnshire Maternity & Neonatal System offers three locations for birth: home, midwife led unit or obstetric led unit, please talk to your midwife to discuss your choice.
Within Lincolnshire if you choose to birth and/or labour at home you may wish to have the use of a pool. if so please click on the link to find out how you can hire one for your home
Community midwife teams
Lincoln County Hospital
Mon-Fri, 9.00-17.00
Tel: 01522 573772
Pilgrim Hospital
Mon-Fri, 9.00-17.00
Tel: 01205 445414
Health visitors
Tel: 01522 843000
Mon-Fri, 9.00-17.00
Lincolnshire Maternity and Neonatal hospitals include these core services:
- birthing pools
- obstetric-led care
- midwife-led care
- infant feeding specialists
- consultant cover
- home birth option (see below)
- specialist diabetes clinic
- ultrasonography services
- antenatal ward
- antenatal care in the community
- local neonatal care (see below for more details)
- postnatal ward
- postnatal care in the community
- postnatal care at home
- perinatal mental health specialists
- maternal mental health specialists
- ‘Preparation for Parenting’ antenatal classes – virtual (see below for more details)
Personal care
As your pregnancy progresses, your personal wishes or needs may change. Your midwife and/or obstetrician will explore your options with you and help you with any new decisions you need or want to make. See these short films relating to some aspects of antenatal care which may be of use.Preparation for parenting classes
These classes are delivered virtually. More information about the classes, dates and how to register can be found here.Home birth
Please speak to your midwife if you would like more information about having a home birth.For more information about hiring a birth pool and/or TENS machine for your home birth, please click the link below.Neonatal services
Neonatal services in Lincolnshire and the surrounding area vary in that they offer specialised care to babies born at different gestations. Where possible you and your baby will be advised to attend the most appropriate hospital for care if there are risks of premature birth. However, in some circumstances, and for your own safety and well-being you may have to be transferred to another unit following birth for specialised care for your baby. If you are pregnant and have been told that you may be at risk of delivering early you can be offered a ‘show round’ of the Neonatal Units in the hospital of your choice to become more familiar with the setting. Ask your midwife and this can be organised for you and we can support you through this.
Lincolnshire was the first NHS Local Maternity System to have an effective and working Neonatal Parent Voice Group. This group consists of mothers and fathers who have experienced premature births of their children and who could be of use as a support. Please go to the links below for additional information and virtual tours of the Neonatal Units.
Ask your midwife or health visitor about your local Maternity Voices Partnership group. These groups consists of mums-to-be, new mums, midwives, doctors and other allied health professionals who meet to discuss, learn and help share ideas for improved services across Lincolnshire.
Tel: 01522 510041
Website: www.edanlincs.org.uk
Donate
Charitable Trusts
Hospital charities raise money via fundraising activities for patients and staff and by coordinating and receiving charitable donations. Money raised is re-invested into service improvement projects. To find out more about your local NHS hospital charity, follow the link below:
Email: charities.team@ulh.nhs.uk
Tel: 01522 572221
You can decide where in Lincolnshire you want to receive your maternity care during pregnancy, birth and beyond.
When you find out you are pregnant it can be really easy to register. Take a look at this quick and simple video for help:
UPDATE: The online self referral form can now be used by women across Lincolnshire to register their pregnancy.
Lincoln County Hospital
Tel: 01522 707071
Pilgrim Hospital
Tel: 01205 446243
If you would like to write to PALS, please use the following address:
Patient Experience Team
Grantham & District Hospital
101 Manthorpe Road
Grantham
Lincolnshire NG31 8DG
You can also access your local Maternity Voices Partnership (MVP) to give feedback on your care and share your experiences, by visiting LincsMVP@gamil.com and https://www.facebook.com/LincsMVP
We would love to hear from you.
Feedback on Lincolnshire’s website
Women and their families are encouraged to provide feedback via our purpose-built feedback website. This information collected on this website is taken directly back to our hospitals to ensure continued improvement of services.
Lincolnshire has a Local Maternity & Neonatal System board which meets once bi-monthly to work together in driving maternity improvements across the sector. Visit the better birth Lincolnshire website to find out more about how you can get involved in health improvement projects in your area.
Being discharged from hospital
In Lincolnshire we have developed a postnatal discharge film in collaboration with the organisation to help you when you are discharged home. This can be a daunting and exciting time but again it may feel like there is so much to remember so a short film may help with those worries. Please see the links below:
Reducing Parental Conflict
Arguments and conflicts in relationships happen to all of us. For some people, the reality is that they are unable to resolve these arguments. We know there are many different reasons for conflict in families and we are working hard to make families aware of the support on offer. Click below to access support in Lincolnshire:Me, You and Baby Too
This free online course is offered to help new and expectant parents adapt to the changes that parenthood can have on their relationship, raise awareness of the impact of stress and support parents to develop skills to manage conflict constructively.Reducing Parental Conflict
Arguments and conflicts in relationships happen to all of us. For some people, the reality is that they are unable to resolve these arguments. We know there are many different reasons for conflict in families and we are working hard to make families aware of the support on offer. Click below to access support in Lincolnshire:Me, You and Baby Too
This free online course is offered to help new and expectant parents adapt to the changes that parenthood can have on their relationship, raise awareness of the impact of stress and support parents to develop skills to manage conflict constructively.For more information on how to do this, please contact: OverseasIncomeTeam@ULH.nhs.uk
Your midwife or health professional can assist you with this.
NEW to Lincolnshire!
We are excited to introduce the new Military Maternity Voices Partnership (MMVP) which is aimed at supporting military families living in Lincolnshire.To find out more about this exciting new project and the Lincolnshire Maternity & Neonatal Military Care Programme please click on the link below to watch a short video.Contact details for the Military Care Navigator and MMVP can be found below.Dave James – Military Care Navigator
Tel: 07790 775475
Email: david.james28@nhs.net
Susie Dachtler – Military Maternity Voice Partnership Chair
Email: susanna.dachtler@nhs.net
Lincolnshire Maternity Voices Partnership(MVP)
Ask your midwife or health visitor about your local MVP group. These groups consist of mums-to-be, new mums, midwives, doctors and other allied health professionals who meet to discuss, learn and help share ideas for improved services across Lincolnshire.Email: lincsmvp@gmail.com
Facebook: Lincs MVP
Neonatal Parent Voices
Lincolnshire was the first local maternity system to have an effective and working Neonatal Parent Voice Group. This group consists of mothers and fathers who have experienced premature births of their children and who could be of us as a support. Please visit the websites below for additional information and virtual tours of the Neonatal Units.You can also access this service via our website:Maternity care in Lincolnshire Local Maternity & Neonatal System
This app, originally developed by North West London Local Maternity System, has been adapted for use in Lincolnshire Local Maternity & Neonatal System.
The Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (LPFT) supports our women and families, working in tandem with many services to ensure that our families are cared for appropriately. This includes services to help support mental health and awareness, as well as health visiting advice.
The single point of access line number can be used to access advice and also to request mother and baby vitamins during pregnancy for those families that require additional support.
Tel: 0303 123 4000
The Lincolnshire Mental Health and Wellbeing helpline is open 24/7:
Tel: 0800 001 4331
There are also services to be aware of that discuss Perinatal Mental Health please see:
Perinatal Mental Health – Better Births
Steps2Change talking therapies in Lincolnshire
Steps2Change provides talking therapies for people 16 years and older experiencing problems with anxiety, depression, stress, and offers help with issues like bereavement or the impact of a traumatic event.
If you feel that you would like to access talking therapies you don’t need to make an appointment with your GP or healthcare professional. Find out more here:
You can call: 0303 123 4000
Or self-refer to our service:
The Maternity and Neonatal Safety Improvement Programme (MatNeoSIP)
This project aims to improve the safety and outcomes of maternal and neonatal care by reducing variation in practice and providing a high quality healthcare experience for all women, babies and their families across England.
PReCePT (Prevention of Cerebral Palsy in Preterm Labour)
The PReCePT programme aims to reduce the incidence of cerebral palsy in babies born prematurely by giving women a medication called magnesium sulphate during labour. This programme is being rolled out across North West London and other activities include improving care, strengthening staff capability across maternal and neonatal units and supporting mothers to become more involved with their care to improve quality of life of preterm babies and their families.
To find out more and to get involved with either of these projects please contact us.
- 16 weeks or more into pregnancy?
- in your first year of motherhood?
- suffering pelvic/low back pains
- suffering small leakages
- experiencing a weak core
- seeking advice to return to exercise/work
Currently, there are no private maternity care facilities available in Lincolnshire.
Check your chosen maternity unit’s website to see if there are trials available.
The team has created this short video to encourage families to stop smoking.
Smoking and reducing the rates of smoking within the local area have been high on the agenda for Lincolnshire and the Better Births team. This short film has been created by the team to help support and encourage families to stop smoking.
For support with quitting smoking go to:Local contacts
Rachel Bond
Bereavement Specialist Midwife for inpatients at Lincoln County Hospital and Pilgrim Hospital
Tel: 07467 440509
Local peer support can be provided by:
Email: eastlincs@sands.org.uk
Tel: 07934 967990
The 4louis page as support also as they help us support women and families by providing memory boxes and funding for resources: 4louis .
Women can self-refer to Lincolnshire Centre for Grief & Loss (LCGL) counselling
Tel: 01522 546168
Email: email@lcgl.org.uk
Talking therapy services or IAPT services are offered throughout Lincolnshire providing support to those experiencing symptoms of anxiety or depression. Priority is given to pregnant women and new parents. You can either self-refer over the phone or online, or ask your midwife or GP to do it for you. The service is free and aims to be flexible around your needs.
Referral
Tel: 0303 123 4000
Email: lincs.spa@nhs.net
Talking therapy/IAPT contact details in Lincolnshire. Please use the following numbers for existing appointments:
Boston
Tel: 01205 365662
Gainsborough
Tel: 01427 617928
Grantham
Tel: 01476 858409
Lincoln
Tel: 01522 340160
Louth
Tel: 01507 607383
Skegness
Tel: 01754 800200 (option 1)
Sleaford
Tel: 01529 222260
Spalding
Tel: 01775 761855
Stamford
Tel: 01476 858333
Our vision statement
"Our vision is to lead the way in providing maternity care that not only is safer and more personalised, that offers choice and is fundamentally friendlier for families, but that strives towards a greater vision for the future. In following the recommendations laid out in the National Review in 2016, Better Births Lincolnshire has been operating over the past three years, with a move towards a new model of care now in Lincolnshire, which represents a fundamental review of the way that services have been organised and delivered. If implemented effectively, this will mean improved outcomes for both the health of women and their families now, and for generations to come.
"In looking forward it is essential that our focus is on ensuring that every woman has care delivered as close to home as possible through local community midwifery teams and expansion of the community hubs.
"We recognise that achieving our local vision will be challenging, but we have established a
Local Maternity Neonatal System (LMNS) with the leadership, governance and the clinical commitment required to secure the delivery of safe and improved maternity care in Lincolnshire."
In Lincolnshire Maternity & Neonatal System, all our main maternity units have Neonatal Unit (NNU) facilities to provide enhanced care for sick and preterm babies. Not all of our units have an onsite neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), but the Trusts are linked via a neonatal network to ensure that when a baby needs intensive care it can be transferred to the nearest NICU.
It can be a scary time for families if you are told that your baby might come early or even if there is a risk that your baby may come earlier than your due date. But here are some helpful short films produced by the Lincolnshire Better Births team and extremely active Neonatal Parent Voice group that will hopefully make things clearer for you.
The East Midlands Neonatal Operational Delivery Network (EMNODN) also link with the organisation in relation to the safest options for mum and baby when a baby is born early. Here are some more helpful links and information to support you if your baby is in the Neonatal Unit.
Think B.A.B.Y was launched in Lincolnshire to encourage women to report any changes in fetal movement patterns as soon as they discover them.
Please visit our Better Birth Lincolnshire website for more information:
Midwife
You will meet several midwives throughout your pregnancy, birth and beyond. Midwives are the main caregiver when your pregnancy and birth are straight forward. We are working hard to ensure each woman has a named midwife who is responsible for coordinating your maternity care.
Obstetrician
These are doctors who specialise in caring for women during pregnancy, birth and the period immediately after birth (whilst in the maternity unit). You may see an obstetrician during pregnancy if you have any issues which require review or more specialised management and they will be involved if you have a caesarean or assisted birth.
Paediatrician/Neonatalogist(baby doctor)
Paediatricians or neonatologists are doctors specialising in the care of newborn babies and children. They will be involved in your care if early (premature) delivery is anticipated or if there are likely to be concerns about the health of your baby during or after the birth.
Sonographer
These are professionals who undertake your ultrasound scans. They are specially trained to undertake scans during pregnancy.
Maternity support worker
You may meet maternity support workers during pregnancy, birth and beyond. They support the maternity team and provide some of your care throughout the journey.
Student midwife
Maternity units in Lincolnshire Maternity and Neonatal System work closely with local universities to support midwives and doctors in training. These students will work alongside their midwife ‘mentor’ and will ask for your consent before providing you with any care.
Health Visitor
Health visitors work in teams. They work closely with the other professionals listed above, including GPs and organisations that support families where you live. Most families in England will be offered several review contacts and additional support depending on the individual needs of your family.
A ‘Primary Birth’ conversation should take place between 10-14 days after your baby’s birth however, due to current staffing pressures, this might take place slightly later. You should expect a call from your health visitor within the first couple of days of being home with your baby.
Other team members
You may meet other members of staff and medical students, depending on your pregnancy needs and where you choose to have your care.
Our objective
Lincolnshire Local Maternity & Neonatal System is introducing recommendations from the Better Births, National Maternity Review.
Published in 2016, the review aims to ensure that maternity services in England be "safer, more personalised, kinder, professional and more family friendly; where every woman has access to information to enable her to make decisions about her care; and where she and her baby can access support that is centred around their individual needs and circumstances".
The achievements in our local area can be seen in these short films:
