Maternity services

Just found out you are pregnant?

Congratulations!

Please use the link below to complete the online self-referral form (available in different languages using google translate) with as much detail as possible if you would like to give birth to your baby at East Surrey Hospital or have a homebirth in our area. A midwife will contact you to arrange your maternity screening tests and first appointment as soon as possible. We’re looking forward to meeting you and giving you the best care that we can through your maternity journey.

Go to Self Referral Maternity Form >>

While we will not hold any of your information on our website, Surrey and Sussex NHS Foundation Trust cannot be held responsible for the security of your personal information sent by email that is open to interception and alteration.

Please take the time to review the resources below that will give you information on healthy early pregnancy and the screening tests that you should expect, available in written format for different languages.

www.gov.uk/government/publications/screening-tests-for-you-and-your-baby-description-in-brief

Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Please see our dedicated page for information about pregnancy and coronavirus. For further information on visiting our services, please click here. 

Home birth service update:

It is with our deepest regret that we have had to take the decision to pause the homebirth service. The safety of mothers and babies is always paramount, and with the ambulance service under considerable pressure, a timely response to calls for transfer to the maternity unit in an emergency cannot be guaranteed.

We understand that this will be a great disappointment for those planning a homebirth in the coming days.  Please be assured that a safe birth for you and your baby is at the centre of every decision made. We also understand that the decision to plan a homebirth was incredibly important to you and we want to reassure you that giving birth to your baby in the maternity unit will follow the same guidance that our homebirth midwives would have followed. We are contacting all women affected to plan a positive birthing experience with them.

We will be reviewing this on a regular basis with a view to reinstating the service as soon as it is safe to do so. Please do not hesitate to contact us should you have any questions.

Infant feeding information

Watch a tour of our maternity unit

Download a transcript of the video

The maternity unit for all of the SASH geographical area is based at East Surrey Hospital. Last year, the maternity team cared for around 5,000 women and was the location for 4,500 births making it one of the busiest maternity units in the area. The service provides antenatal, intrapartum (labour and birth) and postnatal care, delivered by 128 midwives and supported by a team of obstetric and gynaecological consultants.

Midwifery key contact information

Maternity triage: 01737 231 764

To leave a non-urgent messages with your local community team please see below.

• Out of Area for Antenatal clinic – antenatalclinic.esh@nhs.net 
• Surrey Community Team – 01737 768511 ext 6822
• Horsham Community Team – 01403 227017
• ​Crawley Community Team – 01293 600 300 ext 3631
• Surrey Maple Community Team – sash.surreymapleteam@nhs.net
• Sussex Maple Community Team – sash.sussexmapleteam@nhs.net
• Evergreen (Elective Cesarean Births) – sash.elcsteammidwives@nhs.net
• sash.surreyoakteam@nhs.net
• sash.surreywillowteam@nhs.net
• For general enquirers please email sash.sasha@nhs.net
• Neonatal unit: 01737 231 765

Sasha the e-midwife

Sasha is an experienced senior midwife, available for women or their families to contact via email.

If you have a non-urgent question or concern about pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding or postnatal issues then email your message to Sasha who can respond to you within three working days.

Send an email to Sasha

Sasha is for non-urgent queries only.

Please contact Maternity Triage (open 24 hours a day) on 01737 231 764 for immediate advice if you have any of the following symptoms:

• vaginal bleeding
• visual disturbances
• headache
• abdominal pain
• contractions
• reduced fetal movements
• if you think your waters have broken

In an emergency always phone 999.

Bump to Birth clinic

Bumps to Birth – temporarily cancelled

Visiting within maternity has changed

• Maternity: One birth partner for a woman in labour
• Antenatal scans: One birthing partner permitted. No children are permitted
• Antenatal ward/induction of labour: One birthing partner permitted for a one hour scheduled visit per day. The time should be agreed in advance with the ward (please see below). Ward contact details can be found here.
• Postnatal ward: One birthing partner for a one hour scheduled visit per day. The time should be agreed in advance with the ward.
• Neonatal units: Both parents / a carer for a baby
• Inpatient / postnatal wards: One nominated visitor per day, by prior arrangement. The time should be agreed in advance with the ward

Would you like to know more about the choices you have on where you give birth? Come along to the Bump to Birth clinic to learn about the different birth options and help you make the choice that is right for you.

Join us for a cuppa and a chat and meet our team. The clinic is held on the last Saturday of each month, 11am, 1pm and 3pm, in the Birth Centre training room, East Surrey Hospital. Booking is highly recommended. To confirm your place please email sash.bump2birth@nhs.net.

Midwifery key contacts

More information

Group B Streptococcus (GBS) in pregnancy and newborn babies

Video: Specialist Perinatal Mental Health Service from Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust