We currently have six teams of midwives who cover the South Warwickshire area. Each team run their clinics from a community hub within their locality to give women, birthing people and their families’ early access to the services available within their area. Our community hubs are at Children and Family Centres which are also used by health visiting and other family health services. The Children and Family Centres host many different activities and classes for parents and their children.
Our midwifery teams include:
The Topaz Team:
Their community hub is at Lillington Children and Family Centre in North Leamington. Women and birthing people registered with the following GP surgeries would usually be cared for by this team:
- Cubbington Road Surgery
- Sherbourne Medical Centre
- Clarendon Lodge Surgery
- Castle Medical Centre
- Abbey Medical Centre
If you have any questions for your midwife in between appointments, you can email the team on topazmidwiferypractice
The Emerald Team:
Their community hub is at Kingsway Children and Family Centre in South Leamington. Women and birthing people registered with the following GP surgeries would usually be cared for this team:
- Whitnash Medical Centre
- Lisle Court
- Croft Medical Centre
- Waterside Medical Centre
- Spa Medical Centre
If you have any questions for your midwife in between appointments, you can email the team on emeraldmidwiferypractice
The Diamond Team:
Their community hub is at Westgate Children and Family Centre in Warwick. Women and birthing people registered with the following GP surgeries would usually be cared for by this team:
- Priory Medical Centre
- Avonside Medical Centre
- Lapworth Surgery
- Budbrooke Medical Centre
- Claverdon Surgery
- Chase Meadow Health Centre
- Warwick Gates Family Health Centre
If you have any questions for your midwife in between appointments, you can email the team on diamondmidwiferypractice
The Ruby Team:
This team has two community hubs at Stratford Children and Family Centre in Stratford-upon-Avon and Badger Valley Children and Family Centre in Shipston-on-Stour. Women and birthing people registered with the following GP surgeries would be cared for by this team:
- Rother House Surgery
- Bridge House Surgery
- Trinity Court Medical Centre
- Shipston Medical Centre
- Meon Medical Centre
If you have any questions for your midwife in between appointments, you can email the team on rubymidwiferypractice
The Garnet Team:
Their community hub is at Alcester Children and Family Centre in Alcester. Women and birthing people from the following GP surgeries would be cared for this team:
- Bidford Health Centre
- Alcester Health Centre
- Henley-in-Arden Medical Centre
- Arrow Medical Centre
- Tamworth-in-Arden Medical Practice
If you have any questions for your midwife in between appointments, you can email the team on garnetmidwiferypractice
Following your pregnancy self-referral for SWFT’s maternity services, you will be offered a number of antenatal appointments throughout your pregnancy. Your antenatal appointments will usually be with your named midwife so that you have continuity of care where possible however on occasion may be with another midwife from the same team. These appointments will ordinarily take place in your local community hub. If your pregnancy is more complicated, you may also be offered appointments with an obstetrician in an Antenatal Clinic at Warwick or Stratford Hospital.
As SWFT is a teaching hospital, you may have a student at some of your appointments, if you would prefer not to have a student, please ensure your midwife is aware.
You may bring someone with you. There will be the opportunity to ask questions at each appointment.
Your care will be personalised and will depend on your individual circumstances, medical conditions and obstetric history.
A graphic showing the schedule of antenatal appointments can be found here
Booking Appointment (Between 8 - 10 Weeks Gestation)
This is the first appointment (also known as your booking appointment) you will be offered with your named midwife. Your midwife will ask about your medical and obstetric history, and your family’s medical history. They will ask you about your lifestyle and agree a plan for your care. With your consent, your midwife will take bloods, ask for a urine sample to test for undiagnosed infections, and measure your blood pressure and BMI.
Following this appointment your midwife will review your blood results and urine sample and contact you if you require iron supplements, aspirin or treatment.
Dating Scan (Around 11 to 14 Weeks Gestation)
You will be offered this ultrasound scan to determine your Estimated Due Date (EDD). This may be different from the date that was first calculated based on your last menstrual period. Further screening tests will be offered at this scan.
The GOV.UK website provides further information.
16 Week Appointment (Between 14 to 18 Weeks Gestation)
Your midwife or obstetrician will discuss your personalised care plan with you. With your consent, they will ask for a urine sample and measure your blood pressure.
If your blood group is Rhesus D Negative, you will be offered a blood test to find out whether your baby has a D Positive or D Negative blood group. If your baby is found to be D Positive, or you decide not to have this blood test, then you will be offered Anti-D in the form of an injection when you are 28 weeks gestation, and once after the birth, to prevent something called Haemolytic Disease of the Newborn (HDN) which can be extremely dangerous, especially to any future D Positive babies you may have.
This can be blood test can be taken from 11 weeks plus 2 days gestation.
Anomaly Scan (Around 18 to 21 Weeks Gestation)
You will be offered this ultrasound scan to check the physical development of your baby. You’ll be asked to give your permission for it to be carried out. It is your choice and you do not have to have the scan if you do not want to.
The scan allows the sonographer (the clinician carrying out the exam) to check your baby’s bones, heart, brain, spinal cord, face, kidneys and abdomen. The sonographer will look for a number of rare conditions. The scan only looks for these conditions and cannot find everything that might be wrong.
The GOV.UK website provides further information.
If your placenta is identified as being low at this scan, you will be offered a repeat scan at 32 weeks gestation to ensure your placenta has moved up.
25 Week Appointment - For First Time Parents Only (Between 24 to 26 Weeks Gestation)
Your midwife or obstetrician will discuss your personalised care plan with you. With your consent, they will ask for a urine sample and measure your blood pressure. They will discuss monitoring your fetal movements, offer to measure your pregnancy bump and listen to your baby’s heartbeat. You’ll be given information about parent education.
28 Week Appointment
Your midwife or obstetrician will discuss your personalised care plan with you. With your consent, they will ask for a urine sample, take bloods and measure your blood pressure. They will offer to measure your pregnancy bump and listen to your baby’s heartbeat. They will talk to you about bonding with your baby.
If your blood group is Rhesus D Negative and your baby is D Positive, or you decided not to have the blood test to find out your baby’s blood group, you will also be offered an additional outpatient appointment at Warwick Hospital at 28 weeks gestation to have Anti-D.
31 Week Appointment – For First Time Parents Only
Your midwife or obstetrician will discuss your personalised care plan with you. With your consent, they will ask for a urine sample and measure your blood pressure. They will offer to measure your pregnancy bump and listen to your baby’s heartbeat.
34 Week Appointment
Your midwife or obstetrician will discuss your personalised care plan with you. With your consent, they will ask for a urine sample and measure your blood pressure. They will offer to measure your pregnancy bump and listen to your baby’s heartbeat.
36 Week Appointment
Your midwife or obstetrician will discuss your birth preferences with you. They will talk about induction of labour and the reasons why this might be suggested for you.
With your consent, they will ask for a urine sample and measure your blood pressure. They will offer to measure your pregnancy bump and listen to your baby’s heartbeat.
38 Week Appointment
Your midwife or obstetrician will continue to discuss your birth preferences with you. They will talk about induction of labour for prolonged pregnancy.
With your consent, they will ask for a urine sample and measure your blood pressure. They will offer to measure your pregnancy bump and listen to your baby’s heartbeat.
40 Week – For First Time Parents Only
Your midwife or obstetrician will continue to discuss your birth preferences with you and talk with you about preparing for labour and birth including when to call either the Bluebell Birth Centre or Labour Ward.
They will offer you a membrane sweep (stretch and sweep) which can help release prostaglandins that could start your labour and discuss whether you wish to book an appointment to have your labour induced.
With your consent, they will ask for a urine sample and measure your blood pressure. They will offer to measure your pregnancy bump and listen to your baby’s heartbeat.
41 Weeks Gestation
Your midwife or obstetrician will continue to discuss your birth preferences with you and talk with you about preparing for labour and birth including when to call either the Bluebell Birth Centre or Labour Ward.
They will offer you a membrane sweep (stretch and sweep) which can help release prostaglandins that could start your labour and discuss whether you wish to book an appointment to have your labour induced.
With your consent, they will ask for a urine sample and measure your blood pressure. They will offer to measure your pregnancy bump and listen to your baby’s heartbeat.
Our maternity service uses BadgerNet, an electronic maternity healthcare record system, to document information about each visit you have with your midwife or consultant. All your test results will be recorded in these notes, including screening, blood tests and ultrasound scans. They are a confidential record of your pregnancy and treatment.
You can view your notes online on the Badger Notes website https://
A video tour of the Badger Notes app can be accessed via this QR code:
Within Badger Notes (website or app) you can:
- Add your plans and preferences for your care before, during and after your baby is born
- Give feedback regarding your antenatal care as well as labour and birth experiences
- See a week by week timeline of your pregnancy, learning about your baby's development
- Access information recommended by your midwife
- View our full library of pregnancy leaflets
- View your booked appointments
- Write personal diary entries and add photos
- Access extracts of information from your pregnancy record
- Submit thoughts and questions about your antenatal care, birth plan or postnatal care, for your midwife to view before your next scheduled visit using the Conversations feature
These notes provide greater privacy and security as only those with the correct login details are able to access them.
Creating an account:
To use the Badger Notes website or app, you’ll first need to create an account. You’ll be able to do this following your first contact with your midwife. You will need:
- The passphrase given to you by your midwife - this is usually sent to you by email or text message before your first appointment
- Your mobile phone as you’ll be sent a verification code via a text message
You can then follow the onscreen instructions to set a password and a PIN code (for quick access to your app when logged in).
If you are registered with a GP in England, you can also create an account using your NHS login.
Using an existing account:
If you have used Badger Notes in the past, you can add your new care record to your existing account by:
- Logging in using your existing password (forgot password option available)
- Open the profile menu
- Select ‘add a care record’
- Enter the account activation phrase that has been provided by your midwife which will add your current pregnancy
Completing your pre-booking questionnaire:
If you would like, you can complete the pre-booking questionnaire on Badger Notes prior to your first appointment with your midwife. This can be revisited and updated up until the day of your appointment.
Your Badger Notes are yours to keep and access long after your baby is born. They allow you to add personal touches along the way.
If English is not your first language there are parts of the record that can be translated for ease of reading.
Any help with Badger Notes can be accessed via your community midwife or by emailing badgernotes
Your midwife will discuss antenatal classes during pregnancy with you. They are interactive, fun and free! We will invite both you and your birth partner to attend. They are also a good opportunity to meet other parents who are expecting babies at around the same time as you. We recommend attending when you are around 32 – 36 weeks gestation in pregnancy.
Each team hold two sessions in the evening every month, which include:
- Labour and birth, including pain relief
- Life with your baby and feeding your baby
We also have a digital resource for all new parents from the Real Birth Company.
You will find information on:
- Feelings and thoughts around birth
- Labour and birth
- The pelvis and labour
- Positions for labour and birth
- Practical birthing skills
- Birth planning and breathing
- Caesarean birth
Your midwife will provide a QR code for you to log onto this resource via your Badger Notes app.
This is in written or verbal format and is available in many different languages. This is also totally free of charge and you can access this at any time during pregnancy.
Midwife (royal blue uniform)
Midwives are experts in normal pregnancy and birth.
You will have a named midwife, who you will see at most of your appointments if your plan of care in pregnancy is midwife-led. You may also be seen by other members of the same team at your community hub. Our practice midwives work in the community, in the Bluebell Birth Centre and on Labour Ward, so you may see a familiar face caring for you in labour.
Your midwife may have a student midwife working with them (grey stripes or white uniform), who may be in their first, second or third year of study and training.
A midwife will look after you during labour if everything is straightforward, and they’ll probably deliver your baby. If any complications develop during your pregnancy or while you’re in labour, you’ll see an obstetrician as well as being cared for by a midwife.
Maternity Support Worker (MSW) (light blue uniform with a navy blue stripe on their arm)
Our maternity support workers (MSWs) work both within the hospital and in the community. In all settings they are very important members of the integrated maternity team. They will work without the need for direct supervision in some circumstances, however they will always have very clear channels of communication with a midwife on a daily basis to ensure any concerns around you or your baby’s care are escalated appropriately.
Obstetrician
If you have a more complicated pregnancy, you may see an obstetrician in the Antenatal Clinic (ANC) held in Maternity Outpatients (Women’s Unit) for some of your appointments. An obstetrician is a doctor who specialises in pregnancy, labour and after birth.
Anaesthetist
An anaesthetist is a doctor who specialises in providing pain relief and anaesthesia.
If you decide to have an epidural for pain relief during labour, it’ll be given by an anaesthetist.
If you require a caesarean section, an anaesthetist will provide the appropriate anaesthesia.
They’ll also be present if you require an epidural for an instrumental delivery for example with forceps or a vacuum device that helps deliver the baby’s head (ventouse).
Paediatrician
A paediatrician is a doctor specialising in the care of babies and children.
A paediatrician may check your baby after the birth to make sure everything is OK, and they’ll be present when your baby is born if you’ve had a difficult labour.
If your baby has any problems, you’ll be able to discuss these with the paediatrician.
If your baby is born at home or your hospital stay is short, you may not see a paediatrician at all. Your midwife or GP can check on you and your baby.
Neonatal Nurse
Neonatal nurses are specially trained to care for babies who are premature or unwell when they’re born. Our neonatal nurses work in the Special Care baby Unit (SCBU) and in our Transitional Care Unit (TCU).
Sonographer
A sonographer is trained to carry out ultrasound scans. A sonographer will undertake your dating scan, anomaly scan and screening test for Down’s syndrome, Edwards’ syndrome and Patau’s syndrome.
You may be scanned at other times in your pregnancy.
There are many other specialists that may be involved in your care throughout your pregnancy and after your baby is born.