Using Your Paper Personalised Care Support Plan

Your Personalised Care and Support Plan (PCSP) will help you explore, understand and record your individual choices for pregnancy, birth and the first weeks of parenthood.

The booklet contains QR codes to access further information. Simply hold your smartphone camera over any of the codes, and this will take you directly to the online information in more detail. You can translate the information into different languages using the 'Easy read and translate' tool on this website.

You should bring your PCSP to every maternity appointment to support you with conversations about your care;

• What are your choices?
• What are the benefits and risks of your choices?
• What help and information do you need to make your decision?

• How to Access Your PCSP

  If you are going to have your baby at the Norfolk & Norwich Hospital (NNUH) or James Paget Hospital (JPUH), your midwife will give you a paper copy of your PCSP at your booking appointment. You can also download a copy above.

  If you are due to have your baby at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH), you will access your PCSP via a maternity app.

• Pages 2-3: About Me

  The ‘About Me’ section allows you to fill in details such as;

  • Your name, pronouns, or what you like to be known as
  • Your religion
  • Your midwife/doctor
  • If you have additional care needs
  • What’s important to you.

  This will help your midwifery team get to know a bit more about you.

• Page 4: Making Decisions About My Care

  When you need to make decisions about your care, your doctor or midwife are required to give you all of the information needed to make decisions that are right for you. This is called informed consent.

  You can use the BRAIN tool to help you ask questions:

  B - Benefits

  What are the benefits? For me? For my baby? Are there any benefits of not doing this?

  R- Risks

  What are the risks this is trying to prevent? What are the risks of doing this? What is the evidence for the risk and what is the chance it could happen to you?

  A - Alternatives

  Is there anything else we could try instead?

  I - Intuition

  How do I feel about this?

  N - Nothing

  Do I have to decide now? Can this wait? What happens if I choose to do nothing?

   

  Before and during your care:

  • Your choices will depend on your personal history and circumstances
  • Your care should be personalised to meet your needs
  • You should have time to ask questions
  • Have an open discussion before making any decisions
  • Risks should be explained in a way that makes sense to you
  • You can ask for someone to support you, or to advocate for you in discussions
  • You can ask for a second opinion
  • It is not ok to feel pressured into making a decision.

  You can change your mind at any point and make a different choice. Maternity staff will respect your decision. Whatever you decide, the doctors and midwives will support and care for you.

  Read more about your pregnancy choices

• Pages 5-6: My Pregnancy Journey

  You will see the points in your pregnancy journey when you usually see your midwife or health visiting team. You may have more appointments according to your health needs.

  You can scan the QR codes at each point in your journey to find out more information. You can also scan the QR codes to find out more about the following services.

  Pathway to Parenting (P2P)

  A free online programme for parents-to-be, with lots of ideas and activities to support families

  Start the pathway to parenting course

  Screening Tests

  Find out about the tests you can have during pregnancy.

  Your Health & Wellbeing

  Pregnancy and becoming a parent can trigger all sorts of feelings and emotions. If you feel worried or anxious you can find support and help here.

  Looking after your mental health

  Pelvic Health

  During and after pregnancy it can be common to have symptoms related to the pelvic floor muscles not working well. Find more about pelvic floor exercises, pelvic health advice sessions and where to get help.

  Pelvic health advice

  Vaccinations

  Find more about the immunisations you can have during pregnancy to protect you and your baby.

  Advice about immunisation

  Other Helpful Information

  Including more about your pregnancy journey, birth choices and your baby’s movements.

  More about your pregnancy journey

• Pages 7-8: My Birth Preferences

  In your PCSP there is space for you to write down your birth preferences. This might include;

  • Your birth partner
  • Where you would like to give birth
  • If you are happy to have a student present.

  There are QR codes to find out more about labour, including induction, pain relief, skin-to-skin, fetal monitoring and keeping baby warm after birth.

  Vaginal Birth

  This is the most common way for a baby to be born. Most babies are born vaginally without any intervention. Your baby can be born vaginally at home, in the Delivery Suite or in a Midwife Led Birthing Unit. You will be supported by a midwife during your labour and birth.

  Find information about where to give birth

  Caesarean Birth or C-section

  This is an operation. In a caesarean birth, c-section, or caesarean section, the surgeon will deliver your baby through a cut in your uterus (womb). The operation normally happens under an anaesthetic given in your spine (spinal or epidural) so that you remain awake. Occasionally it is necessary, usually for medical reasons, to do the operation under general anaesthetic, where you would be asleep.

  A caesarean birth may be recommended as a planned (elective) procedure or recommended in an emergency. Planned caesarean births are usually recommended from the 39th week of pregnancy. In your PCSP you will find a QR code to watch a video and find more about personalising your caesarean section experience.

  More about caesarean births

  Water Birth

  Your baby being born in a birthing pool allows the feeling of comfort and weightlessness and makes it easier to move around. It can also act as pain relief during the early stages of labour. The relaxing effect of warm water helps natural pain relief.

  More about using water in labour and birth

  Assisted Birth

  This is when forceps or a ventouse suction cup are used to help deliver the baby. Ventouse and forceps are only used when necessary for you and your baby.

  Special Care

  Should your baby need special care, scan the QR codes within your PCSP to find out about the Neonatal services at each of our hospitals.

  Find support for babies needing extra care

• Page 9: After Baby is Born

  After you have had your baby, whether in hospital or at home, you may have thoughts, preferences, or questions about your postnatal care.

  Once you are home, you will continue to see a midwife for checks for up to 28 days after the baby is born.

  The midwife checks may include:

  • A full health check for you and your baby
  • Talking about your wellbeing and how you are feeling
  • Checking your baby is feeding well and further support and signposting if you need more help
  • Weighing your baby
  • Newborn bloodspot screening
  • Removal of stitches if required
  • Safe sleeping advice
  • Information on registering your baby’s birth.

• Page 10-11: Postnatal Journey & Reflections

  You will find a picture roadmap of your postnatal journey, please use your smartphone to scan the QR codes for more information.

  Once your baby is born you will continue to get support from your midwives. You will also receive support from health visitors as part of the Healthy Child Programme, who will take over in supporting you and your baby.

  Some of your postnatal appointments will be held at home, and some will take place in hospital or elsewhere in the community. Some families may need more support, this will be discussed with you if they are needed.

  More about your postnatal journey

  Birth Reflections

  You may find it useful to talk to someone about your pregnancy or birth. This may be helpful if your labour or birth was difficult or if something unexpected happened. Your midwife can talk things through with you in the first instance.

  You can self-refer to a midwife who can talk to you about your pregnancy or birth and signpost to further support if you need it. Please contact below for the Reflections service in your Trust:

  • NNUH - telephone 01603 287334
  • JPUH – email birthafterthoughts@jpaget.nhs.uk
  • QEH - please access this service via your maternity app.

• Page 12: Useful Information

  You will find contact details for each hospital in the Norfolk & Waveney area in your PCSP. You will also find QR codes to link you to more information about feeling baby’s movements, the Norfolk Healthy Child Programme, and the NHS Start for Life Programme.

  On the back page, you will find useful hints and tips on when to contact your midwife or doctor, if you are concerned about anything or certain symptoms in your pregnancy.

  If you require your booklet in any other format, please ask your midwife or you can translate this website using the 'Easy read and translate' button at the top of the screen. This will provide alternative reading and listening options on all the Norfolk & Waveney LMNS pregnancy pages.

  Your community midwife will provide the relevant contact numbers for your local services.

  Maternity and Neonatal Partnership (MNVP)

  This is a team of parents, their families, health professionals, commissioners, and support organisations, working together to review and contribute to the development of local maternity care.

  The James Paget, Queen Elizabeth and Norfolk and Norwich Hospitals each have their own MNVP group. They run surveys, hold feedback events, listen to your experiences, and share your feedback with the wider service to help improve your local maternity care.

  You can find contact details of your local MNVP groups in the PCSP.

  More about MNVP

• Pages 13-15: Urgent & Emergency Contacts

  For urgent and emergency contacts and any non-urgent concerns about you or your baby, you can contact:

  • Your Maternity Triage/Assessment Unit if you have a pregnancy-related concern up to 28 days after you have given birth. If it is not pregnancy-related, please call 111.
  • Call 111 or visit NHS 111 online if your concern is not related to your pregnancy OR you need urgent medical advice or help. This service is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
  • Speak to your GP at any time during or after your pregnancy.
  • Call 999 or Go to A&E if your concern is serious or life-threatening.