Our Service
When you go into labour, contact your community midwife if it is between 9am and 5pm. Outside these hours please contact the main Hospitals for any advice required (see contact us).
In early labour you may remain at home. Your partner may stay with you as a birth partner in the delivery suite where a midwife will provide all your care and assist with delivering your baby. If there are any problems, a doctor will be consulted.
Read the Coping with the very early stage of labour – Patient leaflet
Induction of Labour
Most women will go into labour spontaneously by 42 weeks. However if your baby is overdue, your doctor or midwife will discuss the options with you and recommend how to proceed. Induction of labour, or ‘being induced’, is a process that starts labour artificially.
- Induction of Labour Booklet
- Induction of Labour Booklet (Polish)
- Induction of Labour Booklet (Lithuanian)
- Induction of Labour Booklet (Slovak)
- Induction of Labour Booklet (Chinese)
- Induction of Labour Booklet (Portuguese)
Water births
The benefits of using water for labour are now widely recognised. There are pools available in the Midwifery Care Units of both the South West Acute Hospital and Altnagelvin Hospital for use by women in labour whose pregnancy as been problem-free. To use the pool there are guidelines that you should be aware of, to ensure the safety of you and your baby. Please ask the Parentcraft midwife for more details.
Skin-to-skin contact
Midwives will encourage early mother and baby ‘skin to skin’ contact. This promotes bonding, helps regulate the babies breathing and temperature, reduces the risk of infection and helps the baby and mum get to know each other.
Locations where this service is delivered
Contacts
Labour Advice - Altnagelvin
02871345171Labour Advice - South West Acute Hospital