Congratulations on your pregnancy and welcome to the Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust maternity service.
We are extremely proud of our maternity service, which operates as a single service across three hospital sites, the William Julien Courtauld birthing unit site, and numerous other community sites, covering a very large part of Essex.
Before completing the self-referral form below, please make sure that you know which hospital serves the area where you live. This will help avoid any delays. You can find the relevant hospital on this list: Your maternity care provider.
Complete our online form at https://maternity-selfreferral-mse.mse.nhs.uk.
Antenatal care is the care that our women and birthing people receive during pregnancy. Antenatal care includes regular check-ups with your midwife, as well as tests and screenings to monitor the health of you and your baby. As you embark on your pregnancy journey, regular antenatal care is important for your wellbeing and your baby's health.
Partners are welcome at your scan appointments and general checkups at Basildon, Broomfield, and Southend hospitals, but waiting procedures may differ. Young children are not recommended unless in exceptional circumstances; bring them in a stroller or buggy during the scan.
Note: As part of your antenatal care, you will be asked to create a personalised care and support plan (PCSP). This plan will outline your preferences for your pregnancy, labour and birth, as well as your healthcare needs. Please click on the 'Personalised Care plan' section below to access your personal care plan, which you may want to have ready for your first (and subsequent) midwife appointment.
Below you will find links to NICE guidance that will explain what appointments, including scans, you are can expect during your pregnancy.
Want to learn more about antenatal care and staying healthy during pregnancy? Check out the following resources:
If you are pregnant or have given birth in the last 12 months, a midwife, GP or healthcare professional can apply for a maternity exemption certificate on your behalf. They will discuss this with you at your first appointment once your pregnancy has been confirmed. You will receive your certificate by email as soon as the application has been completed.
Otherwise, a paper certificate will be posted within 10 working days of the application being received. The certificate will expire 12 months after either your due date or the birth of your baby.
You can find out more about maternity and paternity benefits at https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/finding-out/maternity-and-paternity-benefits-and-leave.
The NHS recommends the following vaccinations in pregnancy to help protect you and your baby:
To find out more, visit https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/keeping-well/vaccinations.
Our maternity team can provide advice and answer any questions you may have about pregnancy vaccinations.
A pregnancy vaccination service is available throughout the week for Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust maternity patients. Vaccination clinics are held twice a week at our main hospital sites for patients who have registered their pregnancy with the Trust. There is no need to book an appointment. Simply attend one of the clinics on the days vaccinations are available.
Basildon Hospital (within antennal and gynaecology waiting area) — Mondays and Fridays, between 9.15am and 4.30pm.
Broomfield Hospital (within the antenatal clinic) — Tuesdays and Thursdays, between 9.15am and 4.30pm.
Southend Hospital (outside main maternity area, by the lifts) — Tuesdays and Fridays, between 9.15am and 4.30pm.
Braintree Community Hospital — vaccinations can be completed at Christchurch Pharmacy, which is near to the hospital. No booking is required. To find out more, visit https://www.nhs.uk/services/pharmacy/christchurch-pharmacy/FCM69.
Can partners attend scans and what is the process for this?
Yes, partners can attend scans.
Can a partner attend a scan and then another person attend appointments on different occasions?
Yes. One adult is allowed to accompany you to appointments, and this can be a different person on each occasion.
Can I bring my children to my scan appointment?
We do not recommend having young children accompany you to your scan. We will only allow it in exceptional circumstances, as we do understand that it can be difficult for some families to find childcare. If you have no other choice and need to bring a young child, please ensure that you bring them in a pushchair or buggy to ensure their safety during the scan.
Download the Personalised Care and Support Plan Birth.
Are you new expecting parents? Join our free six week antenatal education programme.
This programme is open to women, pregnant people, and birthing partners.
We offer a friendly relaxed group where you can take time to stop and think about how you can embrace your pregnancy, prepare for labour and the birth of your baby, whilst meeting people also embarking on this exciting journey.
The Journey to Parenthood are held at different venues around Southend, and are run jointly between midwives and the family centre staff in Southend.
We encourage partners to attend or women can bring a guest with them.
If you have any questions or would like to book onto the next course, email mse.journeytoparenthoodsouthend@nhs.net.
If you have a diagnosis of Gestational Diabetes, we run monthly sessions on the second Tuesday of every month at the Thameside Children’s Centre in Grays.
Here we discuss:
If you are interested in booking a place on the session, or have any questions, please contact mse.gdm.service@nhs.net.
Please include your name, date of birth, your hospital number and your contact number.
The joint diabetes and obstetric antenatal clinics are held in Antenatal Clinic at Basildon Hospital.
We also run Gestational Diabetes group sessions and virtual clinics to support our patients with diabetes in pregnancy.
The Diabetes specialist midwife can be contacted on 0300 443 8719 or mse.gdm.service@nhs.net.
These classes are a holistic, antenatal package for everything you need to know to prepare physically and mentally for labour and birth. These classes help you to develop a positive attitude and philosophy, they are inclusive of all modes of birth. You can use all of these skills to support any type of birth, whether planned or birth choices change during labour. All these skills will help to facilitate a calm and empowering experience.
These sessions are run by midwives from Southend hospital and are held at the hospital.
Book onto the session by emailing, Mse.hypno.birthing@nhs.net.
Birthing information classes can be viewed and booked on the EventBrite website, at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/birthing-information-class-basildon-hospital-tickets-779937573277?aff=oddtdtcreator.
The labour and delivery session is run once a month on a Saturday between 9am and 11.30am.
These sessions are held at Southend Hospital by one of our midwives.
If you have questions or would like to book, please call 07887 656884.
On Saturdays between 9am and 4pm for women and birthing people at/past 36 weeks.
If you would like to book your spot, please speak to your midwife.
Infant feeding classes are tbc.
Virtual infant feeding classes are held first Thursday of the month 5pm.
For more information, please email mse.infantfeedingeducation@nhs.net for the link.
The infant feeding session runs on a Saturday once a month, between 12.30pm and 4pm.
These sessions are run by the infant feeding team at Southend Hospital. Refreshments are provided.
For more information or to book, please call 07385 391787.