Having your baby at the George Eliot Hospital
Be prepared
We recommend bringing a small bag with you onto labour suite, leaving a larger bag or case in the car for after you have given birth. Space on labour suite is limited so make sure you bring what you need.
For Mum in labour and for after birth
- Something loose and comfortable to wear during labour (top/nightie/shirt)
- Face cloth to help keep you cool during labour
- Large bath towel
- Toiletries
- Lip balm (your lips will become dry particularly if you use Gas and Air support)
- Tennis ball (to relieve stress and to use as a massage tool)
- Isotonic drinks and high energy snacks
- Music
- Maternity pads
- Sensible underwear
- Washbag with toiletries
- Supportive bra or nursing bra
- Books, magazines to keep you busy while you wait
- A loose comfortable outfit to wear after you have given birth, and to come home in.
- Front opening nightie if you are going to breastfeed
- Dressing gown and slippers
- Bring your own music. Our new birthing pools even have Blutooth technology.
For Baby immediately after birth
- Nappies
- Vest
- Babygro
- Knitted hat
- Knitted cardigan
For partner during labour
- Drinks and snacks
- Change for the car park
- Mobile phone and/or camera
Top Tips
Prepare your hospital bag at least two weeks before your due date.
If you using the birthing pool bring a couple of spare T-Shirts as these may get wet and if you wear in the pool it is good to have a spare!
When should you call the hospital
Telephone: 024 7686 5246
- When you are having two or more contractions in 10 minutes, they are regular in pattern and they are lasting 30-40 seconds
- If you are finding it hard to manage at home
Also call
- If your baby’s pattern of movements has changed.
- If your waters break.
- If you have any bleeding.
- A headache which does not resolve.
- Visual disturbances.
- Swelling of your hands and feet.
- If you are feeling unwell.
- If you have any questions.
Why you may be advised to stay or return home
The midwife will ask you some questions about your pregnancy to date. She will listen to you when you have a contraction as this will help her know how you are coping and assess which stage of labour you are in. The midwife may be able to advise you on how to cope at home until your labour is well established. Some women call several times before they come in to the hospital.
When you call, the midwife will talk to you about how your labour is progressing. As long as everything is normal, you may be advised to stay at home until labour becomes established. If you come into hospital the same process will be carried out. You may be advised to go home to wait for labour to become more established.
When you come to the hospital in labour the midwife will monitor your contractions. You may be offered an internal examination to see how far your labour has progressed. If this shows you are still in the early stages of labour, it may be better for you to be at home where you can be more active and relaxed.
If you go home, the midwife will give you advice which will help you cope with your labour and when to call again.
When you are in established labour
You will be assessed by the midwife. If your labour is advanced you will be shown to your delivery room. The midwife will discuss your birth plan with you and support you during your labour and birth.
Labour suite
George Eliot Hospital Labour Suite has ten delivery rooms and an obstetric theatre where Caesarean sections are performed. Women here receive consultant led and midwife led care. Two of the rooms have birthing pools for women to utilise for water labour and water birth.
A variety of different pain relief is offered including gas and air, pethidine and epidural. In the Labour Suite you will have one to one care from a midwife.
Home Births
Home is an ideal place to have your baby. You are likely to be more relaxed within your own familiar surroundings, with family close at hand.
You can consider a home birth if you:
- are having a straightforward pregnancy
- have no medical problems
- have had no complications with a previous birth
If you are interested in having a home birth please discuss it with your community midwife as soon as possible. Be assured that a local community midwife is on call 24 hours a day to help you give birth.
Water births
George Eliot Hospital now has two state of the art birthing pools. Many mums say that water births have relaxed them and helped them during labour. Our birthing rooms have a calm relaxing environment with calming mood lighting to ensure that birth is as comfortable as possible.
Pain relief
Nobody knows exactly how labour will feel until it starts. There are various options to support mums with pain relief. You can also discuss the options with your community midwife.
George Eliot Hospital offers a wide selection of pain relief.
When you come into hospital we have a number of ways of helping you manage your pain.
Breathing/Relaxation/Distraction/Hypnosis
Our parent education classes can provide information about various techniques to assist during labour
Aromatherapy
Aromatherapy is the use of essential oils for therapeutic effects and are derived from plants and flowers. They have various properties derived by their chemical make up and can help:
- To reduce anxiety and fear
- Alleviate pain
- Assist contractions thereby accelerate labour
- Alleviate nausea and vomiting
- Enhance maternal well being during labour
Birthing pools
We have two state of the art birthing pool rooms available for parents with relaxing environment and twinkly lights!
Birth balls
A birth ball is a standard physiotherapy ball used in physical therapy departments. These balls are great for relieving discomfort during pregnancy and also labour. It provides a firm yet soft place to sit. It also helps you to get into a good position during labour and so helping to stop you from straining your muscles. These can help to keep you mobile during your labour.
Entonox or Gas and air
Entonox, or gas and air, is a colourless and odourless gas. It is made up of half oxygen and half nitrous oxide, or laughing gas, as it is commonly known. It has a calming effect and takes the edge off labour pain, rather than blocking it out completely.
Pethidine
This is a painkilling drug and it can also help you to relax. This drug is given to you using an injection. Ask you midwife for more information about Pethidine as an option.
TENS
TENS stands for transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation. A TENS machine consists of a small box with a clip on the back that you can attach to your clothing. The machine gives out little pulses of electrical energy. Leading out of the box are four wires connected to sticky pads. Your birth partner can place the pads on your back for you.
TENS seems to work best and give you the most effective pain relief if you start using it at the very beginning of your labour. If you want to use this method of pain relief we advise you to hire or buy a TENS machine. You can use it at home before you come into hospital, if you are having a hospital birth.
Start using it when you're getting regular contractions or backache. Speak to our midwifery team about how to obtain a TENS unit.
Epidural
An epidural is a small plastic tube that sits in the space surrounding your spinal cord. The plastic tube is fed through a needle placed in your back to make sure it is in the correct position and then the needle is removed, leaving only the plastic tube itself taped to your back.
A local anaesthetic called Bupivacaine and a very small dose of a morphine-like drug called Fentanyl are injected through the plastic tube and act by numbing the nerves which pass out from your spinal cord and travel to the areas causing pain.
When you are in established labour:
You will be assessed by the midwife. If your labour is advanced you will be shown to your delivery room. The midwife will discuss your birth plan with you and support you during your labour and birth.
Maternity Unit Delivery Suite
George Eliot Hospital Delivery Suite has 9 rooms.
This includes
- 3 smaller rooms with toilet facilities.
- 6 large rooms.
- 2 have active birth pools and mood lighting.
- 1 bereavement room, including a bathroom and toilet. It also has a sofa bed for partners to stay.
- 1 room has bariatric facilities with a shower and toilet.
There are mood lights, birthing balls, bean bags and music available for the rooms.
Home Birth
Home is an ideal place to have your baby. You are likely to be more relaxed within your own familiar surroundings, with family close at hand.
You can consider a home birth if you:
- are having a straightforward pregnancy.
- have no medical problems.
- have had no complications with a previous birth.
If you are interested in having a home birth please discuss it with your community midwife as soon as possible. Be assured that a local community midwife is on call 24 hours a day to help you give birth.
Water births
George Eliot Hospital now has two new state of the art birthing pools. Many mums say that water births have relaxed them and helped them during labour. Our birthing rooms have a calm relaxing environment with calming mood lighting to ensure that birth is as comfortable as possible.
These calming and beautiful rooms enable mums to be and their partner the chance to have a relaxing stress free birth experience. These brand new stylish and calming rooms incorporate mood lighting and music to de-stress the new mum and her family.
The two new birthing pools were donated to the Maternity Unit by the League of Friends based at the George Eliot Hospital.
Contact us on 024 7686 5090 or speak to your Community Midwife about the benefits of our birthing pools.
View our short video
Water for labour and birth leaflet 2021
What our new mums are saying
“I said wow to my partner when I first went into the birthing room and saw the lovely lighting and huge bath."
“This was my third child and first water birth and I would definitely recommend it as it was far more relaxing and I was even able to play music through the Bluetooth technology in the bath itself.”
"When I went into the new room I was amazed and felt like Princess Kate. It made me feel like a celebrity and I would definitely recommend the new rooms.”
What our new dads are saying
“I enjoyed the water birth and especially had fun playing with all the new gadgets in the room to tweak the lighting and play music”.
Birthing pool rooms have mood lighting which changes colour and intensity to relax and calm our mums and dads to be.
The delivery suite is based on the ground floor of our maternity building. Enter via the main entrance door and turn right. Delivery suite is on the right of the two lifts in our foyer area (just after the garden).
Parking is available outside the maternity building. The car park and building can be accessed via our Heath End Road entrance.