Sources of support
The midwife will prepare your paperwork and will ensure that relevant information is securely passed to the maternity team in your local area.
Please ensure we have your up-to-date address prior to you being discharged. Kingston maternity teams currently cover:
- Kingston borough
- Richmond borough
- Elmbridge borough
- Small areas of Merton borough
If you live outside of these areas, we will ensure that your care is handed over to the team who work in your locality and provide you with their contact details. You will find some more information about going home with your baby below.
A member of the community maternity team will usually visit you within 24 hours of you leaving hospital and will check both you and your baby. The amount and frequency of visits will be planned with you at this first appointment, but please be aware that the team does not routinely visit every day.
The team will agree with you an individualised plan of care for the first 10 days, but if you require extra support, the maternity team may visit for up to 28 days after the birth. They will leave contact numbers for advice 24 hours a day. If you have not received contact from a community midwife by 5pm on the day after your discharge, please contact the community midwifery team on: 0208 934 2626
You can expect that your appointment will include weighing your baby (on specific days only) and the new born blood spot screening when your baby is between five and eight days old. A leaflet on recommended screening will be provided in your pregnancy.
Health visitors usually take over postnatal care from around day 10.
The community maternity team work in a variety of locations, for example in children centres, GP surgeries, health centres and Kingston Hospital.
Postnatal clinics
In Kingston, maternity teams hold frequent postnatal clinics within your local area. Locations include children’s centres, health centres and at Kingston Hospital. You will be provided with details of the date, time and location of the clinic by the maternity teams.
Breastfeeding drop in clinics
Please ask you maternity team about local services that support breastfeeding. These are facilitated by maternity support workers and local community providers.
Home visits
In most circumstances a member of the maternity team will visit you at your home, within the first 24 hours of leaving the hospital. Subsequent visits will be organised in the local postnatal clinics.