Personalised Care in Maternity
Maternity Personalised Care and Support Planning
All women booked to have their baby in Cheshire & Merseyside can access a Maternity Personalised Care and Support Planning booklet – My Choices for Pregnancy, Birth and Early Parenthood – Bump, Baby and Beyond
Insert NHS England Video- Personalised Care and Support Planning in Maternity Services (youtube.com)
This booklet should be offered to you at your first maternity appointment and is for you to complete during your pregnancy. It also contains a lot of useful information for you to refer to.
What is personalised care and support planning?
It is a process which helps to identify what matters to each woman using maternity services, to ensure that your care is personalised to meet your needs, preferences and circumstances.
Every woman and family are different, which have an influence on the care offered to you and the choices you make.
Decisions regarding your care should be made in partnership with health professionals (such as your midwife) and those close to you (family and friends).
The information included in your personalised care and support plan can help make sure that you do not have to repeat your story too.
What does it mean for you?
- You are the expert on what matters to you.
- Together we build a picture of everything that might affect your pregnancy, which may include medical history, previous experience of pregnancy and birth, and family circumstances.
- We will share with you the pros and cons of different options.
- We will listen to your views about your preferences.
- Your care will be personalised to meet your needs.
- It’s okay to change your mind.
What can you do to prepare for maternity appointments?
You can use the booklet to help you think about what is important to you and your family and to record your personal choices, thoughts and feelings.
You might wish to share it with your partner, family or support person.
You can bring it to your appointments to help discuss any questions you might have, to support decisions about your care.
Prior to your appointments, you may wish to consider any questions you have such as:
- What are my options?
- What are the benefits and things to think about for these options?
- What help and information do I need to make my decision?
The booklet should be reviewed at each appointment with your midwife, as your circumstances can change.
How to access the booklet?
You can download a copy of the booklet here or ask your midwife about a printed copy.
If you would like more information about the booklet or Personalised Care and Support Planning, please speak to your midwife.
Links to further resources included in the booklet are also available below:
Your Pregnancy Journey
Keeping well in pregnancy - NHS
Screening tests in pregnancy - NHS Home
Kind To Your Mind Your Baby’s Movements: When Does a Baby Start Kicking? | Tommy’s
Quitting smoking is tough, But so am I
Group B Strep and pregnancy - Group B Strep Support
Drinking alcohol while pregnant - NHS
Premature (preterm) birth | Tommy’s
Parents and Families – North West Neonatal Operational Delivery Network
The stages of labour and birth - NHS
Twins Trust | Twins Trust - We support twins, triplets and more...
Your Postnatal Journey
NHS vaccinations and when to have them - NHS
The Lullaby Trust - Safer sleep for babies, Support for families
Home - ICON Cope
Register a birth: Overview - GOV.UK
What is PALS (Patient Advice and Liaison Service)? - NHS