Our Teams

Midwives

Midwives provide care at all stages of your pregnancy, birth and postnatal period. Our midwives work in teams within the hospital settings and in the community to provide tailored and individualised care according to your needs.

Whenever possible you will see the same team of midwives providing continuity of carer to help you develop a trusting relationship throughout your journey with us.

Much of your antenatal and postnatal care will be carried out by your community midwives in your local area. Some of our community midwifery teams will also provide care in labour in your chosen birth setting, at home, in our birth centre or in the obstetric hospital birthing unit.

Hospital based midwives provide 24-hour care on our antenatal wards, delivery suite, birth centre/ midwifery led unit and postnatal wards.

Some women will need specialist input at different points during their pregnancy and we have specialist midwives who are available in these clinics to support you alongside the Obstetricians with your plan of care throughout your pregnancy and birth.

More information on these specialist services can be found in the Antenatal Care Section of this website.

Maternity support workers

Maternity Support Workers (MSWs) are an integral part of maternity workforce and work with the midwives to support mothers, babies and their families through pregnancy, labour and during the postnatal period. Maternity support workers work both in community and hospital settings. MSWs undertake routine observations, blood tests, parent education sessions and support you with feeding your baby and parenting skills such as changing nappies and bathing your baby. A MSW may visit you at home following the birth of your baby or see you in a postnatal clinic.

Obstetricians & Doctors

You may have your pregnancy care booked with a named Obstetric Consultant or be referred to see an Obstetrician at some stage in your pregnancy. Your named Consultant Obstetrician works with a team of doctors and midwives and your care would be provided by this team at the hospital you have chosen to birth your baby at. Occasionally a specialist clinic may be at another Saint Mary’s Hospital site and you may need to travel to that site to access some of your care.

Students

Saint Mary’s Hospital is a training hospital this means that medical and midwifery students work alongside doctors and midwives in all areas of the maternity unit.  Students work alongside Qualified Midwifes and Doctors and are always supervised. We would always ask for your consent for a student to e involved in your care and hope that you will be happy to welcome students at your consultation or the birth of your baby,  but understand if you would prefer not to—the choice is entirely yours.

Anaesthetists & Critical Care Nurses

Anaesthetists are available at our hospitals 24 hours a day to help ensure you receive any specialist care required whenever you require it.

Anaesthetists are involved in a number of elements of your care including:

• Administration of certain analgesics – including Epidurals & Remi-Fentanyl
• Caring for your anaesthesia should you require care within our Obstetric Theatres
• Joining the multi-disciplinary team to make detailed patient specific care plans for women with more complex medical or obstetric needs
• Caring for women alongside Critical Care Nurses & Midwives when at times when more intensive care is required.

Neonatologists & Neonatal Nurses

Neonatologists are available in our hospitals 24 hours a day to provide specialist care to any babies who may need this additional support.

This care may be provided at your bedside, with the support of neonatal nurses or Transitional Care Practitioners as an extension of the Neonatal Unit.  If more intensive care is required your baby may need to be admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) – our maternity units all have a NICU on-site so that your baby can still be cared for as close to you as possible.