Countess of Chester Maternity Services

13/01/2026

✨ December at the Countess of Chester Maternity Unit ✨

December was a wonderfully festive month in our maternity unit, with 164 babies born at the Countess 💙

Some fun facts from the month:
👶 More boys than girls this time – 90 boys and 74 girls
👶👶 Five sets of twins welcomed!
💧 Four water births
💜 Nine births in our Midwife-Led Unit

Did you welcome your baby with us in December? We’d love to see your photos and hear your stories in the comments 👇

07/01/2026

Important product recall - Nestle infant formula

We're sharing the information following a precautionary recall of a specific batch of Nestle SMA infant formula.
If you are currently using SMA formula, please check the batch details carefully against the recall notice. Only certain batches are affected.

If you think you are using an affected product:
❗️Do not use it
❗️Follow the instructions on the recall notice for next steps
❗️If you have any concern about your baby's health, please contact your GP, midwife, health visitor or NHS 111

If you're unsure or would like feeding support, our Infant Feeding Team is available to help and can talk you through safe alternatives if needed.
📞01244 365401 or 01244 363646

The safety and wellbeing of babies is our absolute priority. As a precautionary measure, Nestlé is voluntarily recalling specific batches of its SMA infant formula and follow-on formula.

25/12/2025

🎄👶 Our First Christmas Baby! 👶🎄

We were delighted to welcome our first baby of Christmas Day in the early hours this morning at the Countess 💛
A very special arrival on such a magical day. Congratulations to the family as they begin their first Christmas together.

While baby and family were already heading home before we could capture a photo together, we couldn’t resist sharing these adorable Christmas pudding baby hats, lovingly donated to our maternity unit, to help us celebrate our festive arrivals 🎁✨
Thank you to the incredibly kind people who donated these, they’ve brought lots of smiles to our team and families.

✨ If your baby arrived with us over Christmas/New Year, we’d love to hear your story too! Feel free to share in the comments. ✨

12/12/2025

🌟 November at the Countess! 🌟

What a month it’s been in our maternity unit!
We welcomed 142 beautiful babies into the world this November - including one lovely set of twins. 💛

A special mention goes to our most popular baby names this month: Harriet & Jude 💐
And a big shoutout to the 25th November, which was our busiest day for births!

If your little one was in November, we’d love to see your photos and hear your stories - feel free to share them below. 👶💛

12/12/2025

🤰💉 Vaccinations in Pregnancy – Protecting You and Your Baby

Getting vaccinated during pregnancy is one of the best ways to keep yourself and your baby healthy this winter. Vaccines help your body build antibodies that are passed on to your baby, giving them protection in their first vulnerable weeks of life.

During your pregnancy, the vaccination we recommend are:

💛 Flu Vaccine
Available any time during flu season.
Protects you and your baby from serious flu illness.
📞 To book, call our Vaccination Team: 01244 363457

💛 RSV Vaccine
If you’re over 27 weeks, you’ll receive a text message inviting you to book your RSV vaccine. You can:
✔ Follow the link in the text to book online
✔ Call the Vaccination Team on 01244 363457

We will always try to co-ordinate your appointment with another visit to make it easier and more convenient for you.

💛 Whooping Cough (Pertussis) Vaccine
Usually offered after your anatomy scan or arranged for a convenient time after 20 weeks of pregnancy. This vaccine is especially important as it protects your baby until they are old enough for their own immunisations.

If you ever have questions about any of the vaccines available in pregnancy, please speak to your community midwife or contact our Vaccination Team on the number above.

Keeping you and your baby safe this season 💛

17/11/2025

🌼 A Lovely October in Our Maternity Unit! 🌼

October was another busy and joyful month for our teams, with 175 babies welcomed into the world, including three sets of twins, two home births and ten births on our Midwifery Led Unit 💕

Our thoughts are with all families who experienced baby loss this month 🤍

If you had your baby with us in October, we’d love to see your photos or hear your stories in the comments below ✨

22/10/2025

🌸 What a Month for Our Maternity Team! 🌸

September was a busy and exciting month as we settled into our beautiful new Women & Children’s building! 💕

We welcomed 152 babies into the world — including one set of twins, four water births, and one home birth!

We’re so proud of our teams for continuing to provide safe, compassionate care during such a big move, and we’re thrilled to be supporting families as they welcome their babies in our new home.

💗 73% of babies had breastmilk for their first feed
💗 The most popular names were Ava, Grace, Luca, and Charlie

If you had your baby with us in September, we’d love to see your photos and hear your stories in the comments below 👶✨

17/10/2025

🌼 New Infant Feeding Workshops – Now in Ellesmere Port and Online! 🌼

Following feedback from our Maternity and Neonatal Voices Partnership, our Infant Feeding Team are delighted to announce that we’ve expanded our popular workshops!

Join us to learn about:
🤱Feeding your baby
🤱Building close and loving relationships
🤱What to expect in the early days

📍 In person: Ellesmere Port Hospital – once a month on Thursday evenings, 6–8pm
💻 Online: Once a month on Saturday afternoons, 2–4pm

✨ Next Ellesmere Port session: Thursday evening – places still available!

To book your free place, call 01244 363646 or email coc.parenteducation@nhs.net
We’d love to see you there and support you on your feeding journey 💕

17/10/2025

Such a beautiful video diary from a new mum in our new building — thank you for sharing!

It’s been wonderful to see your moments, memories and reflections coming through. Keep them coming — we’re loving every single one. 💙

45 likes, 3 comments. “what a whirlwind few days that was for our 3rd and final baby. The new women and childrens building is amazing.”

10/10/2025

This week, we’re sharing the story of Rowen Emmett O-Toole, Milo’s mum, whose milk donation in his memory helped shape the Memory Milk Gift initiative at the Countess Milk Bank.

Her experience inspired Lactation After Loss – a free NHS course developed by our Milk Bank and Newcastle Hospitals to help staff feel confident having sensitive, informed conversations with families about milk donation after loss. Over 500 NHS professionals have already taken part, and the course was recently shortlisted for a national award.

💙 As part of Baby Loss Awareness Week, we’re also inviting families to join our Ribbon Remembrance Walk:
🗓️ Saturday 11 October, 3pm
📍 Countess of Chester Country Park (next to our main hospital, where this video was shot)
Walk the ribbon-lined route to the Milk Bank’s Remembrance Garden, write your baby’s name on a ribbon, and join us for tea, coffee and cake.
Family-friendly event – children may be present.

And if you’d like to take part in a community-led service:
🕯️ Baby Loss Service at Chester Cathedral
🗓️ Sunday 19 October, 3.30pm
📍 Chester Cathedral, CH1 2DY
Open to all. No booking needed. Refreshments available.

01/10/2025

🏥 The first NHS net-zero building is right here in Chester - how amazing is that? 🌱💚

We’re proud to announce that the Countess of Chester Hospital has made history with our brand-new Women and Children’s Building - the first completed NHS facility in England to meet the NHS Net Zero Building Standard! 🎉

This isn’t just a national milestone - it’s a moment of pride for Chester. As an anchor institution in our city, we’re leading the way in creating a healthier, greener future for our community.

💡 The building is fully electric, powered by renewable energy, and designed to become even more sustainable over time as the UK’s energy grid decarbonises. It’s also one of the top 10% most energy-efficient buildings in the UK, with smart lighting, heat recovery systems, and eco-friendly materials throughout.

🌿 It’s not just about carbon - it’s about care. From family-friendly spaces and sensory rooms to tranquil gardens and natural light-filled wards, this building was shaped by feedback from staff, patients, and local families.

👏 A huge thank you to everyone who helped make this possible - especially our community, who inspired so much of the design, and to our staff and construction partners, IHP.

👉 Read the full story and explore the building’s incredible features: https://ow.ly/GONa50X4OgR

💬 What does this achievement mean to you and our city? Let us know in the comments below!

27/09/2025

🎉 Celebrating World Patient Safety Day! 🧡

We marked this important day [17 September] with a vibrant showcase in our newly opened Women and Children’s Building — the perfect place to highlight how we’re working to ensure safe, compassionate care for children and babies.

Over 100 visitors joined us to explore how our teams are making a difference every day. From interactive stands to inspiring conversations, the event was a celebration of the dedication, talent, and teamwork that define our staff.

💬 We’ve had brilliant feedback — thank you to everyone who came along, hosted a stand, or helped behind the scenes. Your support made the day a real success.