Kettering
General Hospital
has introduced a new practical advice service for all new mums and dads to help
them feel more confident about caring for their baby at home.
The service is called the “11 O’Clock Stop” and is
run at 11 o clock every day.
Each “Stop” lasts an hour and involves midwives and
healthcare assistants providing current information and safety advice on a
range of topics which all parents need.
The 11 o clock stop is offered to all new mums and
dads on the day they are due to leave hospital. It is in addition to antenatal
classes and the one-to-one advice parents receive from midwives.
The idea has been developed by KGH breast feeding
co-ordinator Petra Traynor and is based on an idea successfully used by another
hospital.
Petra
said: “We set up the new service on 11th July and have seen about 150
sets of parents so far.
“The session is very much appreciated by both first
time parents and those having subsequent children. During the informal sessions
parents are encouraged to participate in group discussions and are given the opportunity
to ask questions about anything that is bothering them.”
Topics the session covers include:
- Baby led feeding – allowing your baby to determine when it is fed
- Feeding cues – how babies let parents know they are ready to feed
- How to know your baby is feeding well
- How to recognise a well baby
- Breastfeeding
- How to safely prepare a bottle feed – a practical demonstration
- How to bath a baby – which includes a practical demonstration
- Dads are really important too – how they can help in the early days
at home
- Rooming in & safe sleeping – why it is important to be in the
same room as your baby but not sharing the same bed
- Current advice on dummy use.- to help reduce the risk of cot death
- Post natal depression and
why it is different to the three day baby blues
- Tips on how to soothe an unsettled baby
- What support to expect when you get home – community midwives,
maternity support workers, Mum to Mum breastfeeding supporters and health
visitors.
New mum Becci Beard, from Burton
Latimer, attended the session on August 2 after giving birth to her daughter Emilia.
She said: “It was good. There was a lot
useful advice and the midwife and healthcare assistant covered a lot of the
questions that come to you. They are simple things but they reassure you that
you are doing things right.”
Anna Davies and Danny Spencer, from Kettering, also attended
the August 2 session after the birth of their daughter Georgie. Anna said: “The
session gives invaluable advice and tips and it is a great idea. You pick up a
lot at antenatal classes but this is a great refresher and well timed just
before you go home.”
Petra
said: “We have based the sessions very much on what parents want to know and the
most frequently asked questions for midwives and health care assistants are
discussed.
“Feedback from parents has been really positive
with many saying that they feel much more confident now about going home with
their baby. They want to feel reassured that they are doing things “right”.”
Other things mums and dads said…
HERE
are some of the comments from feedback forms made by mums and dads.
“Learned new things, even though we have a child –
new research can make a difference.”
“Reassured me – All of it was useful especially
breast feeding, bathing and sleeping information.”
“As it is our first child together it was good to
pick up from demonstrations rather than just reading it from a book.”
“All the information was very useful.”
“Gave the information we need.”
“Midwives went over things we have not taken in
over the past ten days.”
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