https://www.royalsurrey.nhs.uk/royal-surrey-maternity

Royal Surrey Maternity Unit, Egerton Road, Guilford (2025)

05/08/2025

🤱🏻🌍 World Breastfeeding Week 2025 🌍🤱🏽

Every year, from 1–7 August, people around the world come together to celebrate World Breastfeeding Week. It's a time to recognise how breastfeeding helps babies, mothers, and whole communities stay healthy and strong.

This year’s theme is:

“Prioritise breastfeeding: Create sustainable support systems”

That means making sure every mother/birthing parent has the right support, information, and care to breastfeed as long as they want to.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) and UNICEF are working with hospitals, governments, and communities to:

🔵 Train health workers to support breastfeeding
🔵 Offer help during pregnancy and after birth
🔵 Make sure breast/chest feeding parents feel supported at home, in clinics, and at work
🔵 Protect families from unfair marketing of baby formula

Breastmilk gives babies the best start in life. It also saves money, keeps children healthier, and supports strong communities.

05/08/2025

Touched Out: A state of emotional and physical exhaustion experienced by parents, often resulting from constant physical touch, caregiving demands, and lack of personal space.

Parenting a newborn often means being needed constantly—constant cuddles and caregiving around the clock. This closeness is normal and vital for bonding and attachment, helping your baby feel secure and loved and promoting their brain development. However, even in these beautiful moments, it’s natural for parents to feel *touched out*.

🟡 Closeness supports your baby’s emotional development, but it can feel overwhelming at times.

🟡 Feeling touched out is often tied to sensory overload and the need for a brief reset—not a lack of love.

🟡 Taking small moments for yourself can help you recharge and return to your baby with more energy. Caring for yourself isn’t selfish—it’s an essential part of caring for your baby.

🟡 Its ok to reach out to your support network for help and support if you are struggling to meet your own needs

Newborns thrive on connection, and so do parents. Recognising your needs while nurturing theirs helps build a strong, loving bond.

04/08/2025

Posted • It’s World Breastfeeding Week! 👶🏽👶🏻

At Royal Surrey, we’re celebrating by highlighting the brilliant support available to new families. From the moment your baby arrives, our dedicated feeding team works alongside midwives to make sure every parent feels confident and supported.

Here’s what families can expect from our maternity team:

✔️ Evidence-based guidance to help make informed feeding decisions.
✔️ Specialist support for babies who need extra time to establish feeding.
✔️ Ongoing postnatal clinics in Guildford and Bordon.

“The maternity unit is passionate about supporting families in their chosen method of feeding. We provide multiple opportunities during pregnancy to discuss options and build knowledge,” says Kate Rosati, our infant feeding lead specialist midwife.

💬 Gemma Wood recently visited our Bordon clinic with nine-day-old Hugo. She said: “My son had a tongue tie and since it was snipped, we’ve had trouble feeding, so I came here for support. I think this service is great. It really helps. When you aren’t in the hospital, you don’t know if what you are doing is correct. Kate has been amazing and has really helped me.”

🏆 We’re proud to have held the UNICEF Baby Friendly Initiative Gold Award for seven consecutive years – recognising our commitment to gold-standard, compassionate care.

04/08/2025

Are you booked to birth with the Royal Surrey Maternity Unit or Surrey Hills Homebirth Team?

Do you want access to dozens of free and paid classes and a library of free resources to help you prepare for birth and parenthood?

Register for your Award Winning Maternity Parent Portal!

Ask your Royal Surrey Midwife, Doctor or Sonographer for a Portal Postcard and start accessing evidence based, reliable, midwife curated information.

03/08/2025

Master Your Birth Experience with Our Hypnobirthing Masterclass!

Harness your personal power and take control of your birth journey with our Hypnobirthing Masterclass. This 4-hour in-person workshop will give you and your birth partner tools and techniques to help you feel calm, confident, and in control—no matter how you choose to birth.

What you’ll learn:

🟣 The mind-body connection and how it affects your birth experience
🟣 How to maximise birthing hormones for a smoother experience
🟣 The impact of stress hormones and how to manage them
🟣 What Hypnobirthing is and how to use it for a positive mindset
🟣 Light Touch Massage techniques to support relaxation
🟣 Anchors and how to use them for calm during labour
🟣 The role of your birth partner and how they can support you
🟣 How to adapt and apply hypno birthing strategies in any situation during pregnancy, birth, and beyond

💡 Bonus:
🟣 Royal Relaxation: Access to our 4-week online relaxation course with weekly guided sessions
🟣 A Hypnobirthing Book to take home, plus MP3s for ongoing practice
🟣 Continued support from expert midwives and a specialist Cognitive Hypnotherapist Midwife

When?
This 4-hour workshop is ideal for anyone looking to gain a deeper understanding of hypnobirthing and adapt it to their unique birth experience.

Whether you plan a home birth, hospital birth, or something else entirely, Hypnobirthing will give you the tools to feel more calm, empowered, and in control.

🔗 Limited spaces available! Book your place today and start your journey to a more confident and empowered birth experience.

Want to give it a try before you commit to a paid workshop? Why not check out the free Pregnancy Relaxation & Hypnobirthing resources found in your Maternity Parent Portal Library

02/08/2025

Birthing balls are a fantastic tool for supporting optimal positions & postures during pregnancy & labour.

Start by selecting a birthing ball that allows you to sit comfortably with your knees about 10cm lower than your hips (see our post from the 15th of February for more information on choosing a birthing or peanut ball).

Practicing with the ball prior to labour will help you feel more confident. Use in pregnancy may also help your posture, provide a more comfortable position for sitting as you pregnancy progresses and encourage the baby in to an optimal birth position.

In labour the ball can be used to support upright positions and movement to ease discomforts and make space for the baby to journey through the pelvis. A birthing ball is not a space hopper! Unless it feels good to you, we would recommend that you don't waste energy by bouncing up and down on the ball. Instead try:

🟣 Sitting upright on the ball (picture) or leaning against a raised surface (pictured)
🟢 Tilt your pelvis forward and back or rock your pelvis from side to side- this
can be helpful to release tightness and tension in the back and pelvis
🟢 Make WIDE hip circles, draw infinity signs ♾️ or write your baby's name-
moving the pelvis in different ways can help with lower back pain and may
help your baby find optimal positions for birth.

🟣 Kneeling on the mat leaning against/hugging the ball to take the stain off of arms and hands (pictured)
🟢 Rock forwards and backwards using the ball to support movement
🟢 Make hip circles using the ball to support movement
🟢 In the supported kneeling position bring one foot to the so that you are in a
lunge. Rocking forward and backwards may feel good, just ensure that your
knee doesn't extend beyond your toes. Repeat on the other side (pictured)

🟣Standing. Place the ball on a raised surface and giving it a hug
🟢 Make rocking/circling movements in a standing position

For more information on positions for labour & birth see your Portal Library or sign up to a Complete course or Birth Partner Workshop

01/08/2025

Friday feedback from a clients who has just completed a four week Baby & Me postnatal course
"...thank you for the baby sleep webinar this week - it was so helpful! I’ve seen a big difference in the past few days now I’m treating what I thought were sleep cues as disengaged cues!"

01/08/2025

New Resources Alert!

We’ve expanded the Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU) chapter of the Maternity Parent Portal Library to include even more support for parents with babies receiving special care.

🆕 What’s new?
We’ve added carefully curated external resources to complement the trusted Royal Surrey content including:

🟢 Neonatal Journey Cards Video Guide:
Learn how these cards can guide you through the neonatal journey and help you feel empowered in your baby’s care

🟢 Free Online Course: In Our Place
Explore the emotional impact of having a baby in SCBU/NICU. This digital course supports reflection, self-help, managing stress, parenting tips, and more.

🟢 Podcasts for Parents:

• Unexpected Beginnings
The Neonatal Unit: Created by parents, in partnership with Leeds Teaching Hospitals. (Please note: episodes may discuss pregnancy or baby loss.)

• The NICU Dad:
Dedicated support, information, and a podcast especially for Dads.

🆕 New Royal Surrey created content also includes:

🟢 Supporting Siblings

🟢 Taking Care of Yourself – Practical advice from our Neonatal Community Outreach Team & Jasmine Mental Health Team

Visit the Parent Portal now to explore these valuable tools, stories, and support aids.

The Parent Portal is regularly updated with new resources. If you have suggestions for helpful content get in touch with the Parent Education Team rsch.birthandbeyond@nhs.net

01/08/2025

Talk to your midwife about your birth place options: Delivery Suite

Our Delivery Suite provides care for both women & pregnant people with no problems during their pregnancies (midwife led care) and for those with more complicated pregnancies (consultant led care).

There are 10 en-suite, birthing rooms, with electric beds, mats and birthing balls on hand to support you to adopt positions in labour and for birth that work with your body. We also have mobile CTG (heartbeat) monitors to facilitate movement and positioning for mums/pregnant people who have been recommended continuous heartbeat monitoring in labour.

Our facilities include:

* A pool room for women wishing to experience a water-birth, but who may require additional monitoring or have reduced mobility (Wheelchair accessible pool & room pictured).

* A High Dependency Room (HDU) for clients who may need more care and support at any stage of their pregnancy journey.

* Two dedicated obstetric theatres and theatre team based on the delivery suite.

*A 24 hour obstetric team, featuring doctors, anaesthetists, midwives and support workers.

We offer a 24hr Epidural service as well as supporting other methods of pain relief, including: hydrotherapy, hypnobirthing, massage, entonox, and pethidine.

The team’s philosophy is to provide a high standard of care that meets the need of each individual women/birthing person. We are committed to supporting you in the birth of your baby and to achieve the best experience possible.

For more information on your birth place options;
visit the Royal Surrey website https://www.royalsurrey.nhs.uk/your-birthing-choices or talk to your midwife

31/07/2025

Every baby deserves to have prolonged skin to skin with their mummy/birthing parent. Whenever it is safe do so we recommend that this takes place as soon as possible after birth and for at least the duration of the first feed (regardless of feeding method).

After the first feed we encourage non-birthing parents to have skin-to-skin too.

Skin to skin continues to benefit you and your baby throughout the first few weeks and months after birth (know as the 4th trimester) and can be started at anytime in the postnatal period.

Skin to skin, and the oxytocin it stimulates, is know to support;

1. Baby's adaptation to life outside of the uterus

2. Bonding and attachment

3. Postnatal recovery and breastfeeding

For more information on the benefits of Skin to Skin sign up to our Free Antenatal Breastfeeding Workshop or one of our baby care workshops. See your Maternity Parent Portal for booking information.

31/07/2025

Posted • Some parents choose to share a bed with their babies, while others sometimes fall asleep with their baby without meaning to. Slide to follow our tips to reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) whilst co-sleeping. These can help to keep your baby safer while they sleep 💤.

If you are bedsharing with your baby, consider any risks before every sleep 🛏️. If you are unwell or have drunk any alcohol, your baby will be safest in a separate sleep space such as a cot or Moses basket.

Learn more on our website, link in bio

31/07/2025

🚧 IMPORTANT NOTICE FOR MATERNITY SERVICE USERS OF GUILDFORD MATERNITY HUB 🚧

Please be aware that there is a road closure on the A3100 Portsmouth Road, Peasmarsh, Guildford starting on the 28th July and estimated to last 2 weeks. The Portsmouth Road will be closed at its Junction of Sandy Lane during this time. Sandy Lane will also be closed at its junction with Portsmouth road.

Bus routes will also be affected during this time.

The Guildford hub is open as usual and all appointments will go ahead as scheduled, but please allow extra time when travelling to the hub if you use this route.

Royal Surrey Maternity Unit

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