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.
You can self-refer to our maternity services by completing our online form at https://connect-maternitydirect.mse.nhs.uk.
Choose your location correctly: When completing your self-referral, please select the hospital that services your area. See the drop-down list below:
Your maternity care provider is allocated according to where you live. When completing the self-referral form, please select the hospital that services your local area.
See the list of the local areas for each hospital below:
*There is a specific criteria for this area, if you do not meet this, we will notify you and advise where you can receive maternity care.
In some circumstances your local care provider may not be your first choice to receive your maternity care with.
We understand that many factors may influence your decision including ongoing medical care at different given hospital site, previous experience, work schedules, childcare for other children, transportation and financial considerations.
While we acknowledge the importance of choice and will aim to accommodate this whenever possible, our first priority is always the safety of our patients and babies. This means that capacity and clinical safety will need to be taken into account to ensure care is provided to the highest possible standards.
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.
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.
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.
If you are interested in attending a gestational diabetes information session, please email mse.gdm.service@nhs.net to register your interest.
Please include your name, date of birth, your hospital number and your contact number.
Main maternity — call 0300 443 4444. Please be advised, calls from the hospital may be from a withheld, private or 0300 number.
Concerned about your pregnancy? — call our Maternity Triage Unit at any time on 0300 443 5555. If you feel unwell, have pain or bleeding, notice changes in or reduced/weaker baby movements, your waters break, or you think you are in labour.
Stay up-to-date on the latest news and information by following us on social media!
Visit our Facebook channel at https://www.facebook.com/MSEwomenandchildren
Visit our Instagram channel at https://www.instagram.com/msematernity
