Arbroath Midwife Unit

Arbroath Midwife Unit Hello and welcome to your placement with us at Arbroath CMU. We are all looking forward to you joining our team and trust this will be an enjoyable and educational period of your training. You may find that you have 1 or 2 mentors and they will assist you with your learning needs, as will everyone in the team. We have a staff compliment of 14 midwives. We provide a family friendly atmosphere with in our unit and hope you will experience this yourself. Wearing your uniform is optional but we do ask if you decide to wear your own clothes that you be neat and smart and no jeans or jewellery as per uniform policy. We have theatre scrubs which you can use when attending births. Arbroath has an onsite dining room with a healthy choice for snacks but also has vending machines in the dinning room which provides snacks also. The kitchen is open Monday to Friday and closed at weekend and public holidays. Some staff may use the facilities and some bring in their own lunch. Tea and coffee is provided at ward level.

The Unit and location Arbroath CMU is situated on the grounds of Arbroath Infirmary. We are located above the Outpatients department with in the hospital. Queen Mothers Wing name is above main entrance. Car parking is available at the front and rear of the hospital but is limited. To gain access to the unit, please come through the door and up the stairs. The door is security locked and can only be unlocked by staff when you are leaving the building. We are a stand-alone unit, midwife led, community maternity unit. You will be issued with a door “fob” for access to and from the unit but request that you return this when your placement has ended.

We have only single rooms here and have 5 rooms with one set aside for transitional care/vulnerable/young or women who perhaps have a large family and a larger room is essential for their stay. We offer antenatal, intranatal and postnatal care for low risk women. We also provide antenatal and postnatal care for women who are of a higher risk in our area. We use accurate up to date information for women and research has demonstrated less intervention is the way forward and we believe this, in the care we provide. We have a daily day care service where women can have such things as blood pressure profiles, glucose tolerance tests, postdate assessment etc. We are available for advice whether antenatal or postnatal period 24hours a day.

Learning experience available We hope you will experience being present at a birth when you are with us. We have 2 birth rooms. One has a bed in it as we still have many women who request to use this. Although we encourage them to be as mobile and as active as they can many women choose to use the bed to birth on. The other room has the birthing pool fixed with a large memory foam mattress (Bradbury Mattress). We offer the use of bean bags, birthing balls, tens machines and music either the women’s own or a selection of ours. We suggest that prior to your arrival with us that you are familiar with the “Tayside Guidelines for Water Labour and Birth” We avoid intervention as much as possible in normal labour. The women fully discuss the options available and their choices for birth are supported. We offer the various aids as previously mentioned as well as diamorphine if required. This is not used greatly and many women are happy to use entonox, relaxation, water and general support from staff. This is demonstrating the effect of appropriate care during labour and birth. The Tayside Pregnancy Plan is used for consultation regarding care and place of delivery. The criteria used sometimes causes the women to challenge it and as midwives we provide information and support to these women in their decisions they make. Arbroath has a high teenage pregnancy rate and in your time with us you will find you may be working very close with these young girls. Social work and multi agency networking is high on our daily routine and you will be offered the chance to attend meetings for this, showing how these agencies work so well together with their own input to the service.

Parenthood preparation Women are offered the opportunity to attend with their partner, to classes for the preparation of parenthood. These are set sessions involving midwife and physiotherapist. The last class involves a breast feeding workshop.

Aqua natal This is another opportunity you may wish to take and attend this exercise in water class which is facilitated by a midwife at our local swimming pool. Breast Feeding Arbroath CMU is committed to breast feeding and achieved the UNICEF Baby Friendly Award for implementing the 10 steps to breast feeding. This is demonstrated with our class for Breast Feeding in our Parenthood groups. We also have the assistance of a support worker who may visit the women while in hospital offering on going support and then will support them at home. Ongoing support in the postnatal period is in the form of a support group offering peer support and is available to all breastfeeding mums also.

Antenatal care This is provided with in the maternity unit . We have an appointment system for women to attend the unit. Bookings are carried out between 6-10weeks gestation and haemaglobinopathy is performed as required.1st and 2nd Trimester screening is undertaken with in Arbroath for Arbroath, Carnoustie and Montrose women. 20 week anomaly scans are carried out for low risk pregnancies and you will have the opportunity to attend this. Birth Plans are discussed from 32 -36 weeks and gives the women a chance to ask midwives questions about their options for birth and availability on offer. Family Nurse Practitioners have started with in Angus and these nurses provide care for girls who are pregnant under the age of 19 and who have no live children. They will be providing care but not midwifery care for 2 years after birth and therefore you may be involved with them at some point and have the opportunity to see how there work is vital to teenagers. Postnatal care Here you will join the midwife for her visits to the woman’s home. You are requested to remember that you are guest in her home and act accordingly. You will gain experience of routine care for mum and baby. Should you encounter any difficulties/problems while here with us, we trust you will discuss it at first with your mentor. In the unlikely event that you can not do this then please speak in the first instance with team leader Chris Field. She will in turn liaise with the University Guidance and support as required. For sickness please call the unit Tel: 01241 822537. Remember to contact the University also.

Useful links www.birthinangus.org.uk www.birthinternational.com www.aims.org.uk www.activebirthcentre.com www.britishjournalofrmidwifery.com www.midirs.org www.radmid.demon.co.uk Updated August 2012