Welcome to our Multi-Award Winning Maternity Unit
The birth of every child is special and our Maternity Unit provides support to thousands of families each year, caring for them and their babies.
Generations of midwives have looked after expectant parents and their parents too, in a supporting, professional and caring environment.
From the day you know you are pregnant, we will be there for you and your family, helping you choose how you want to have your baby and how you want to be cared for along the way.
Delivering babies in Tameside and Glossop for over 40 years, the Maternity Unit has an excellent reputation and our results speak for themselves.
Having your baby at Tameside & Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust
Congratulations on your pregnancy!
If you have had a positive pregnancy test, it is recommended that you access antenatal care as soon as possible. If you choose to have your baby at Tameside & Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust, please arrange to see the midwife at around 8-10 weeks by calling your GP surgery to request a booking appointment. This appointment takes around an hour.
Early referral to maternity services is important to ensure you receive the most appropriate care for you and your baby. All pregnancies require the care of a midwife, and some will need input from doctors too.
NHS antenatal and newborn screening
Following a thorough risk assessment, you will be booked for either:
- Midwifery Led Care – the midwife is the lead professional and most of your pregnancy care will be provided by midwives in community, with some appointments at the hospital Antenatal Clinic. National guidelines suggest for women experiencing an uncomplicated pregnancy it is not necessary for routine referral to an obstetrician (NICE, 2017). However, if the need arises your midwife can make the appropriate referral for an obstetric review. Take a virtual tour of our Acorn Birth Centre here.
- Consultant Led Care – a consultant (and their team) will be the lead professional, with care provided by midwives either in community or at the hospital. It is important if you have any existing medical conditions or complications in pregnancy to be referred for obstetric opinion to ensure you receive the most appropriate care you keep you and your baby healthy. When required, your care may also involve other specialist teams.
We offer two routine ultrasound scans. The first is a dating scan at 8-14 weeks of pregnancy. The second (anomaly) scan at 18-21 weeks checks for structural abnormalities in your baby. You may be offered further scans depending on your health and pregnancy.
You are able to explore the antenatal care we provide week-by-week, and the screening tests we offer, on the NHS Pregnancy and Baby Guide website . Talk to us about maintaining a healthy lifestyle in pregnancy including stopping smoking, exercise and healthy eating. We invite you to attend our Parent Education classes.
We offer specialist antenatal services for diabetic women, young parents and women who require enhanced support.
If you are worried about yourself or your baby up from 16 weeks of pregnancy up to 28 days after birth you can contact us on Maternity Triage - 0161 922 6655.
Please call your midwife or triage if you experience any of the following during pregnancy:
- vaginal bleeding or spotting
- high temperature
- constant vomiting
- painful urination
- persistent severe headache
- visual disturbances
- severe itching (particularly on hands and feet)
- contractions or cramps
- leaking fluid
- sudden sharp or continuing abdominal pain
- if you notice a change in your baby’s pattern of movement.
If you think you are in labour - please call Delivery Suite on 0161 922 6655.
If you are under 16 weeks of pregnancy, please contact your GP, Walk in Centre or A+E department.
Having your baby with us offers you the options of a home birth, midwifery led care in hospital, or in the Consultant Led Obstetric Unit at the hospital.
Risk assessments will be performed throughout your pregnancy, at the onset and during labour to allow your midwife to advise you on the safest options.
For women with a straightforward ‘low risk’ pregnancy, planning birth in a Midwife-Led Unit is more suitable – the rate of interventions is lower and the outcome for the baby is no different.
For women who have had previous uncomplicated births, planning a home birth is equally as safe as midwife-led and obstetric units.
Home birth
Care is provided by our team of community and midwifery led care midwives. If you are considering having your baby at home, they can discuss and plan this with you - preparations are made during pregnancy for all the necessary equipment and medications to be available at your home.
The midwives who care for you in labour are able to provide all the care, monitoring and assessment you and your baby will require for a straightforward labour and birth. Should complications arise, the midwives are trained in emergency procedures and are able to facilitate transfer to Delivery Suite.
Birth pools are available to hire for use at home births, and we offer a home birth workshop for further information.
Hospital birth in the Maternity Unit - Midwifery Led Care and Obstetric Unit
Care is provided by midwives. They will work in collaboration with obstetric doctors for women experiencing ‘high risk’ pregnancies or complications.
Birth rooms at Tameside Hospital are fully equipped for your labour and birth, and all have ensuite facilities.
We have one birth pool room, which has a music player and adjustable coloured lighting. Inflatable pools are also available for use in our other birth rooms.
Upright or ‘active’ birth positions are encouraged – we have a selection of birth balls, beanbags and adjustable beds for this purpose.
Your baby’s heartrate will be monitored regularly during labour and, if this needs to be done continuously, we have wireless cardiotocography (CTG) machines which are less likely to restrict your movement.
We encourage you to bring no more than two birth partners with you. Choose wisely who you want to support you through your labour and birth! Your birth partners will be allowed onto Labour Ward with you at all times, however ‘general visiting’ is restricted on Labour Ward.
We offer medical methods of pain relief including entonox (gas and air), intramuscular injections and – on the Obstetric Unit – epidurals.
If all is well, you are encouraged and supported to go home shortly after the birth of your baby, with your postnatal care being provided by the community team, either at home or in our postnatal clinics. If there is a clinical reason, then postnatal care may be provided on our maternity ward for a short time, followed by care by the community team. After this, your care will be continued by the health visiting team in your local area.
You will be supported in your individual feeding choice by the Maternity team, including linking closely with our team from Home Start and specialist Infant Feeding midwives, both in hospital and at home. Please note that if you choose not to breastfeed your baby, then you must provide a first infant formula for use during your hospital stay.
For more advice on keeping well and a healthy baby during the postnatal period, please see the NHS Pregnancy and Baby Guide (see external links).
If you are worried about yourself or your baby up to 28 days following birth, please see the help and advice section.
Tameside and Glossop Maternity Voices Partnership (MVP) is a group of local parents, community organisations, maternity staff, health visitors and commissioners working together to represent the voices of women, their partners and families to improve and develop maternity services in Tameside and Glossop.
For more information on how to get involved contact our Service User Chair, Kirsty Wilkinson, by email: tamesideandglossopmvp@gmail.com You can also find us on Facebook and Twitter @MatVoicesT&G
Visiting
To protect our mums and babies we take security of our unit seriously. You will need to press the call button before you are allowed entry. Please clearly state your identity and the name of the mum you are visiting.
Delivery Suite - Open (24 hour) visiting for 2 birth partners only. Please discuss other visitors with Delivery Suite staff.
Only one designated birth partner will be permitted for women who are attending for an Elective Caesarean Section.
Ward 27 (Maternity Inpatients) - 8.30am-8.30pm for birth partners only.
Specific guidance
Antenatal services (scans)
One birth/support partner will be able to attend the waiting area, facial masks to be worn at all times and the request for a lateral flow to be undertaken prior to attendance for all. We ask that children are not brought to the clinic at this time but should you have any concerns please speak directly to your midwife or the Antenatal Clinic Team.
Induction and labour (Acorn Birth Centre and Central Delivery Suite)
People attending for induction of labour are able to have their birth partner to support them during the start of the induction process. Two agreed birth partners will be able to provide support when someone has been transferred to the Central Delivery Suite of the Acorn Birth Centre. Birth partners will be offered a lateral flow test when they arrive at the Central Delivery Suite or Acorn Birth Centre. During this time birth partners will be asked to stay on the unit during labour. This is to help minimise movement to support keeping everyone safe.
Post-labour (Ward 27)
People who need to stay on our post-labour ward (Ward 27) will be able to have their allocated birth partner visit them. Visiting times are 10am – 8pm. Partners will be asked to stay on the ward for the whole of their visit to reduce movement in and out of the ward.
Neo-natal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)
Both parents to have access to their baby throughout their NICU stay. Where possible, parents may be asked to attend the unit at separate times. If this is required it will be communicated in advance but parents will be able to have access to their baby as a family unit for a set period of time each day. This will be managed locally by the senior nursing team.
We would love to hear your feedback about the care you have received and we use this information to strengthen and improve the services we provide to families.
You can tell us about your experiences in the following ways:
- Complete a Family and Friends Test (available in all hospital areas and from your midwife in community)
- Discuss with your midwife or a ward manager
- Leave a review on care opinion
- Access the PALS service
- Find us on social media