Maternity videos help reassure about pregnancy, labour and childbirth

The maternity team at Oxford University Hospitals (OUH) have teamed up with colleagues across the Thames Valley Local Maternity and Neonatal System and worked with the patient engagement group, the Maternity Voices Partnership, to create supportive and informative videos.

The videos reflect a wide range of experiences and needs, providing clear, reassuring guidance to help women and their families feel informed, confident and supported throughout their pregnancy. They cover different aspects of pregnancy, labour, childbirth and the postnatal period.

The videos are all available via the maternity section of the OUH website.

They cover the following topics:

• What happens in theatre?
• How do positions in labour help?
• What happens in early labour?
• What is an induction?
• What is a stretch and sweep?
• What is an artificial rupture of membranes?
• How do you monitor my baby's heartbeat in labour?
• Pain relief options in labour
• What is an epidural?
• How do I decide where to give birth?
• How can I hand express colostrum?

Sophie McAllister, Consultant Midwife led on the project. Sacha Ream, Consultant Midwife who also collaborated on the project, said: "I'm really grateful to the team and families who worked with us to help identify the key issues that were of concern and then helped us to provide easy to understand information.

"We hope it will be reassuring at this exciting but sometimes a bit overwhelming time for families. I'm excited to see how these resources help to reassure and comfort."

Milica Redfearn, Director of Midwifery at OUH, said: "We are delighted to have been able to work on this project designed to provide information in an easy-to-follow video format using animation, and I hope that it will prove useful.

"We are always looking at new ways to help reassure women and their families and to give them information in a way that is helpful to them to allow them to make informed choices."

Julie Creffield, Interim Director of Maternity and Women's Services at Thames Valley Integrated Care Board, said: "I am delighted that these videos which were designed by women and midwives across the local maternity and neonatal system are available to provide information and support for women and their families to access."