Antenatal information in Derbyshire
Our children’s services teams are here to support you and your family. Your midwife will let the health visitor in your local area know that you’re pregnant and the date your baby is due.
Health visitors are registered nurses/midwives who have additional training in community public health nursing. We work with parents who have new babies, offering support and informed advice from the ante-natal period until the child starts school at 5 years.
In Derbyshire, we work in teams, but you will have a named health visitor who has sole responsibility and will support you and your family until your child reaches school age. You can contact us on 01246 515100 (Mon-Fri 9 - 4:30) or email DCHST.childrensadminteam@nhs.net
Health visitors offer a minimum of 5 universal home visits from late pregnancy through to a developmental assessment at 2 years. In Derbyshire, we also have a preschool contact delivered by our community nursery nurses to support you and your child with school readiness.
These visits are often in the home, but the health visitor may invite you to join groups, clinics and networks run by the health visiting team or colleagues who work with them such as: nursery nurses, children centre staff or voluntary organisations.
Any family may need support for specific issues that affect their child and family's health and well being, so the service provided to each family will vary according to a personalised assessment of your own needs and evidence of what will work for you.
Your antenatal contact will usually take place as a face to face visit to your home so you can meet your named health visitor before the birth of your baby and they can support you with information about:
- The role of your health visitor and the healthy child programme
- Preparing for your baby’s arrival
- Preparing for parenthood and becoming a family
- Preparing other children in your family for baby’s arrival
- Looking after your new born baby
- Choosing how to feed your baby
- Getting to know your baby, understanding their cues and communicating with your baby
- Your baby’s brain development and social interaction
- Safe sleep and reducing the risk of cot death
- Your emotional wellbeing and changes in your relationship.
- Healthy lifestyle choices
- Safety in the home
Dads or partners are welcome and encouraged to be present at your visits.
If at your visit, you and the health visitor agree further support is required, they’ll arrange a further contact.
If you don’t require further support, you’ll see your health visitor again after your baby has been born and usually when your baby is between 10 and 14 days old.