Maternity Services

 

Welcome to the Medway Foundation Trust Maternity Webpages and thank you for choosing our service to access maternity care.

My Name is Kate Harris, I am your Head of Midwifery.

I am really proud to lead our service which provides care in hospital and community settings for the women of Medway and Swale. We provide maternity care at the Medway Maritime Hospital in Gillingham but you may also meet our Community Midwives in Sittingbourne and Sheppey general Hospitals.

Having a baby is an exciting time, we believe it is important to offer all mothers to-be choice and control throughout their pregnancy, birth and into motherhood. We support all women in making the right decision for them about where they would like to give birth; ensure they feel respected and supported at all times in developing their birth plan.

At Medway we tailor maternity care to individual needs, to provide a positive birth experience; to facilitate this every woman will have a named midwife throughout their care. The safety of mother and baby is paramount to us and we ensure that every woman has the safest possible birth for herself and her baby, whatever choices she makes for her birth.

We can care for you if you have a straightforward pregnancy or if you and your baby are considered to be higher risk. Should you require specialist medical support our Fetal Medicine and Obstetric Medicine Centre have highly skilled specialist doctors and midwives who offer a diagnosis and treatment of complications which may arise.  Specialist care is provided in our Neonatal Intensive Care Unit for all babies born at any gestation that may require any additional care.

Our website provides you with information on your choice of birth options to help you decide where you would like to have your baby based upon your own personal preference. Our midwives and doctors are happy to offer you personalised advice regarding all aspects of your care.

Please watch the virtual tour of our unit to see all the facilities available:

NB: During the COVID-19 pandemic there have been restrictions made on our services relating to visitors, partners and clinical contacts so please make sure you look out for these changes on our Facebook page or you can contact your community midwife. 

About us

Our maternity service is one of the largest in Kent, delivering around 5,000 babies a year. This comprises of obstetric led care on the Delivery Suite and midwife-led care on The Birth Place, as well as actively supporting home birth for women with uncomplicated pregnancies. Women and their partners giving birth at our Trust are offered personalised, support to help them to have the best possible experience of pregnancy, delivery and recovery period. Maternity is available by using our self-referral form in this section.

We know that pregnancy can be a positive but challenging life experience for women and their partners, with new decisions and questions to confront, and that this can feel overwhelming. We hope that the information in this section helps you to make informed choices so that you are able to make the most of your experience. Our team is available to talk with you and answer any questions you may have at any stage of your pregnancy.
Bump, Birth and Beyond is the Local Maternity System website – your guide to maternity services and options across Kent and Medway. It was created with women and expectant families from Kent and Medway. Your maternity care is safest when you understand your choices and can make the right decisions for you and your baby. Bump, birth and beyond gives local, trusted information. 
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