Maternity services are there to support you and your baby through your pregnancy and birth and to provide you with the best care to suit your individual needs.
Choosing where to receive your maternity care and where to give birth is an important decision. You can give birth at home, in a unit run by midwives (a midwifery unit or birth centre) or in hospital.
Your choices about where to have your baby depend on your needs, risks and, to some extent, on where you live.
Talk to your midwife or GP for advice about the type of birth you would like, they can advise you on the most appropriate options for you.
Maternity services in mid and south Essex are provided by Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust.
Information about maternity services in mid and south EssexMaternity and neonatal independent senior advocate
The MNISA is a new role designed to support women, birthing people, and families to be listened to and heard after a distressing experience (an adverse outcome) during their maternity and/or neonatal care.
If you received your maternity/neonatal care in mid and south Essex Essex your maternity and neonatal independent senior advocate is Sarah Paxman.
Sarah is a registered midwife, who has been working in maternity and neonatal services since 1999, in a different part of the country. She has extensive clinical experience, and a sound understanding of the pathways that NHS services follow when there is an unexpected outcome and people are harmed. Sarah has experience of working alongside senior healthcare leaders, and is committed to making sure that services listen to families and really learn from their insights.
The Mid and South Essex Maternity and Neonatal Voices Partnership (MNVP)
The Mid and South Essex Maternity and Neonatal Voices Partnership (MNVP) is a group made up of women, birthing people, families, healthcare professionals (including midwives and doctors), and NHS staff who plan and provide maternity services. They work together to review local maternity care and help improve it.
The MNVP welcomes feedback about your experiences with maternity services. What you share is used to help shape and improve local care for others.
If you would like to give feedback about your maternity care, you can contact the Mid and South Essex Maternity and Neonatal Voices Partnership (MNVP) by email: [email protected]
Support to stop smoking during pregnancy
If you currently smoke, or have recently quit since finding out you are pregnant, a referral will be made automatically to our specialist maternity smoking cessation team after your booking appointment.
A member of the team will contact you to talk about how we can best support you—and your household—to become smoke-free.
You can also self-refer at any stage of your pregnancy by emailing:
[email protected]
When you email, please include the following information:
- Your full name
- Your date of birth
- Your contact details (phone and/or email)
- Your home address
- The name of your booking hospital or clinic
To find out more about smoking and pregnancy, visit the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists website:
Smoking in pregnancy – RCOG patient information (PDF)
Maternity vaccination clinics
Our maternity vaccination clinics offer walk-in access to COVID-19 vaccinations within maternity settings. These clinics provide expert advice and information to support informed choices during pregnancy.
Pregnant women are at increased risk of becoming seriously unwell if they catch COVID-19. For this reason, they are considered a priority group for vaccination. We aim to make access as easy and convenient as possible.
Maternity Direct app
The Maternity Direct app is a free digital service that offers:
- A secure text chat with your midwifery team
- Personalised health advice and information
- A digital care and support plan tailored to your needs
- Appointment reminders and updates
The app also includes health promotion materials and shares feedback from other service users to support learning and improvement.
Join the Maternity Direct Facebook group to connect with other parents and maternity staff
Watch the Maternity Direct: Getting Started video for a quick introduction to using the app