We’re “delivering” person-centred care

Hello my name is Wendy,

Wishaw Maternity Unit staff are adopting different approaches in the way they provide information and how they support expectant mothers during labour and after their baby is born.

The post delivery debriefing project was introduced in January 2015 as a direct result of feedback from women who had accessed our services. They told us that they wanted understandable information from their delivering midwife about their birth experience. The project will be continually evaluated until December 2015.

Emma told us,

“There is no conversation about mental state, no conversation about baby in neonatal etc. My husband expressed concern to a senior midwife about the risk of post natal depression. He was reassured and told they would check on me. At no point did anyone ever discuss how I was feeling.”

The project aims to provide all women with understandable information:

· About their birth experience

· The method used to deliver their baby

Feelings and emotions associated with their delivery

The main change for staff working with women is using ‘teach back’ to confirm understanding of what has happened and what is planned; particularly in the immediate postnatal period. “Teach-back” is a method that healthcare providers can use to check understanding by asking a patient or family member to explain in their own words what they need to know or do.

Staff are encouraged to document the woman’s own words into the hand held record which every woman keeps and is used until approximately 14 days following delivery.

We hope that this different approach of post delivery debriefing will help women have a clear understanding of what happened during their birth experience and alleviate their fears and anxieties sooner, rather than them continuing until a future pregnancy.

Our Vaginal Birth after Caesarean (VBAC) and trauma clinic run by our Consultant Midwife provides support and advice to women who have a fear of giving birth because of a previous birthing experience.

We aim for 95% of women who attend the clinic to experience a positive, respectful and family centred birth. Women are invited to discuss what would give them the most positive birth experience. We focus on:

· The latest information

· Good communication

· Shared decision making

· Questions and answers

· Agreeing an individualised birth plan

Julie told us:

Julie with Maureen McSherry (Consultant Midwife).

“At your VBAC clinic you talked me through my past labour and explained why decisions were taken and in our hour meeting you lifted a huge weight and relieved me of the guilt I have silently carried for a year. You were supportive in my hope for a VBAC and I left feeling positive about my second birth”.

If you have an experience of Maternity Services you would like to share please speak to a member of staff, respond on Patient Opinion, or visit the “Your Feedback” Section of the NHS Lanarkshire website to see the other ways to get in touch www.nhslanarkshire.org.uk