Midwifery Care in the Community

The Community Midwifery service is made up of 6 teams consisting of both Midwives and Maternity Support Workers providing care for women in their local area.

Each team is based in one of the locality children’s centres or community clinics and is focused on a designated geographical area.

Your named Midwives are currently linked to your GP surgery and local Children’s Centre and work out of and can be contacted at the bases below:

Each team of midwives may be contacted in their bases or a message can be forwarded to them via the Community Midwives office on 01752 437555 from Monday to Friday between 08.30 am and 4.30 pm. Outside these hours you may leave a message for the midwife who will return your call.

Should you have any medical enquiries then please contact Triage on 01752 430200.

Antenatal Care

Every woman has a named midwife who will provide antenatal care throughout pregnancy; following a positive pregnancy test you can contact the midwife directly linked to your GP surgery or Children’s Centre. Your Midwife will then arrange to  ‘book’ you for pregnancy care. 

Ideally your booking should take place between 8-10 weeks of pregnancy. The Midwife will complete your green hand held pregnancy notes, obtain information regarding your screening choices and take your pregnancy screening bloods if accepted. They will also start to discuss your choice of place of birth. If you have already decided you would like a homebirth you can refer yourself directly to our specialist team.

If you are unable to obtain an appointment with the Midwife between 8-10 weeks for any reason, please call the Community Midwives office on 01752 437555.

For the majority of women pregnancy is normal and uncomplicated.  If you are a healthy woman then you will be booked under the care of a Community Midwife and you will receive “Midwife Led Care”.  For those women with a medical or obstetric complication, “Consultant Led Care” is advised and an appointment at the hospital antenatal clinic will be arranged.

After this initial appointment the midwife will give you contact details and information on where and when your future appointments will be, with whom and ensure you have contact details to always be able to contact someone if you have any questions or concerns.

Postnatal Care

The Midwife based in the Community will arrange to see you after you have had your baby. 

On your first day at home you will either receive a phone call to check all is well and/or a home visit depending on the needs of you and your baby. The remainder of your postnatal care will usually, providing you are well, be in the children’s centre or GP surgery. 

The Midwife will care for you and your baby until your baby is a minimum of 10 days old. She will also advise and support you in your chosen method of feeding and inform you of support groups in your local area such as Plymouth Latch On. 

The Midwives in community  work alongside the Jubilee Team of Midwives who provide continuity of care  before, during and after birth, for women planning to have their baby at home, younger Mums and women who have lost a baby after 24 weeks gestation in their last pregnancy.

Registering the birth

Your baby’s birth must be registered within 42 days. You will be provided with a leaflet advising you of contact numbers for the details of the Registrar of Births in your area.