Better Births at Calderdale and Huddersfield

27/04/2026

NEW !! PREGNANCY AND PELVIC HEALTH ANTENATAL CLASS !!

Starting from Thursday 21st may!!

The focus of the session is on the pelvic floor and the prevention and management of bladder and bowel problems; however, the content can be adapted to the needs of those attending. The session is run by our Specialist physiotherapist and midwife.

All pregnant women under the care of Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Maternity Services are welcome to attend this virtual session which lasts up to 1 hour.

Sessions are held online on Microsoft Teams from the comfort of your own home and can be booked through https://whatsonmaternity.cht.nhs.uk/

Suitable for all during pregnancy. You can attend at any time during your pregnancy. Partners or birth companions are welcome, please book them a place.

DON'T IGNORE YOUR PELVIC FLOOR!!

Maternity courses for the Calderdale Area

26/04/2026

Today our Midwife Zoe will be taking on the London Marathon!! 26.2 long miles through the streets of London all to raise money and awareness of our Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Charity and in particular supporting our new Maternity Bereavement Suite Appeal. She has already raised over £3,500!!!

Look out for her wearing this vest which is now covered in a rainbow of memory ribbons.

25/04/2026

Many birthing people are worried that they may 'tear' during the birthing process. Please speak with your midwife about ways that you can help prevent this and things that midwives can do to support you during your baby's birth.

Here is some information that you may find useful.

https://www.tommys.org/pregnancy-information/giving-birth/perineal-tears

You may also wish to read this leaflet explaining how to perform 'pelvic floor exercises' - these are especially important both during and after pregnancy to help reduce chances of experiencing incontinence and prolapse.

https://plr.cht.nhs.uk/download/1337/A%20guide%20to%20Pelvic%20Floor%20Exercises%20for%20Women%20A4

Up to 9 in 10 first-time mums who have a vaginal birth will have some sort of tear, graze or episiotomy. For most women, these tears are minor and heal quickly.

24/04/2026

Closeness and Warmth


👶Closeness and warmth begins with skin to skin contact soon after birth to benefit both you and your baby! This is still the main focus when we talk about closeness and warmth - no matter how you choose to feed your baby, spending some time quietly holding your baby in skin to skin contact helps them to settle and feel safe in your arms.

🛌Closeness also means keeping your baby in the same room as you when you sleep. It is recommended that your sleep in the same room as your baby for at least 6 months and if you can up to one year. This not only helps with bonding and breastfeeding but also reduces the risk of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death) by 50%.

🤱Staying close to your baby day and night will help you learn about and respond to your baby’s needs; being able to tell when they are hungry or might just need a cuddle. Despite what other people might tell you, you cannot ‘spoil’ your baby. By talking to them, cuddling and comforting your baby you are helping their brain to develop and grow into a healthy child.

24/04/2026

*PHONE LINE ISSUES*

Please be aware that Maternity ANC at CRH and HRI are having issues with the phone lines when contacted via switch boards using extension numbers.

Please contact via
CRH - 01422 224580
HRI - 01484 342666

Apologies for the inconvenience

22/04/2026

Vitamin D in pregnancy‼️

Our bodies make vitamin D from sunlight so if you don't go outside too often it is important to ensure you take a supplement.

Some women are more likely to need vitamin D than others. You may have a higher risk of vitamin D deficiency if you:
▶️rarely go outside
▶️always cover your skin
▶️use high-factor sun block
▶️have darker skin
▶️have a BMI above 30.
For anyone within these groups, taking a vitamin D supplement is especially important before, during and after pregnancy.

What foods have vitamin D?
It is difficult to get enough vitamin D from foods alone, but there are foods that help your intake.
These include:
🥚eggs
🐠oily fish (salmon and sardines, for example)
🍖red meat
🥣 fortified breakfast cereals

Tommy's website has more information about how to eat well during pregnancy.

Everybody needs vitamin D – it helps us to absorb the right amount of calcium and phosphate. It is especially important for your baby in pregnancy.

21/04/2026

Congratulations Olivia and family. Thankyou for sharing your birth story and lovely feedback.

I just wanted to send a huge thank you to all the wonderful ladies at the Birthing Centre at CRH, especially our amazing midwife, Emily. From the moment we arrived, we felt completely safe, supported and so well cared for. Emily offered constant assurance and a lovely calmness amongst the pain and craziness of giving birth. She is an invaluable member to the midwifery team at CRH, thank you Emily ✨

I was six days overdue before I started experiencing mild, cramp-like sensations. I’d been to visit to my friend and her new little baby boy, I think I got all the oxytocin I needed to kickstart my labour. I wasn’t entirely convinced they were contractions at first, but by the time my husband Luke returned from work at 5pm, he insisted we ring the Birthing Centre. They told us to call back once I was having three contractions in ten minutes. By 10:30pm, they were coming thick and fast, so we rang again at 11pm and we were advised to head straight in.

We arrived at 12:05am on 28th November 2025, and the lovely Emily showed us to our room. I was uncomfortable but not yet in serious pain. Emily examined me at 1am and I was only 2cm dilated. She said not to be disheartened as things can progress quickly and suggested I stay in, have a bath and that she’d check again in five hours time.

By 1:30am, my contractions were far more intense, coming every 2–3 minutes. Luke ran me a bath, which really eased the discomfort, though the bath felt quite small when I needed to kneel through contractions. Emily came in regularly with kind words and support, making us feel so reassured. When the pain ramped up around 3:30am, Luke went to get help, and bless Emily, she came straight off her break to assist. I was 6cm.

After being sick a few times, I finally accepted I needed some pain relief. Emily gave me gas and air and started preparing the birthing pool. As I was climbing in between contractions, my waters finally went at 4am, which felt like such a relief.

I laboured in the pool for an hour, with Emily and Luke by my side, and Luke Combs playing in the background. Emily’s encouragement and calm presence was everything we needed. When she said she could see the baby’s head and ‘lots of hair’, I found the strength for one last push.

Luke looked at me and said, ‘It’s a girl.’ 💕

Our beautiful daughter, Orla Georgina Illingworth, arrived at 5:05 am on 28th November 2025. We shared the most magical first moments of skin-to-skin together. We had about 25 minutes of delayed cord clamping before I started with contraction sensations again, Emily delivered my placenta while Luke had his first cuddle with our girl. I only needed one tiny stitch, which was such a relief but I was so worried about having it done. Emily was so patient with me and we got through it.

Emily was honestly incredible and so amazing guiding us through everything, helping with breastfeeding, teaching Luke to change his first ever nappy and even gently convincing him to agree to my chosen name! By 8 am, we were snuggled up, breastfeeding, admiring Orla and enjoying toast and a brew.

A huge thank you also to Jade, who took over from Emily, looked after us and answered all of our questions with such warmth and care.

We stayed that night in hospital for support, and I think we spent the whole time just staring at our perfect little girl 🥹

To all the amazing midwives at the Birthing Centre—thank you. You made our first 24 hours as new parents so safe, supported and unforgettable. I know it is your jobs to look after new mums and dads but it felt like you all went above and beyond and we are so very grateful. ✨

20/04/2026

For the majority of women (and partners), the thought of labour and birth can be a daunting prospect. When will it happen? How will I feel? How can I stay positive and in control? All of these questions are perfectly normal and as midwives we want to support you through this.

Here are some tips on things that you can do to help build positivity as you approach this time.
https://www.tommys.org/pregnancy-information/giving-birth/5-positive-ways-prepare-labour

Please speak to your midwife if you need any further advice or come along to our antenatal classes (bookable via https://whatsonmaternity.cht.nhs.uk/). There is also a host of information on the CHFT website 👇(https://www.cht.nhs.uk/services/clinical-services/maternity-services).

If you’re feeling a bit anxious about giving birth, there are things you can do that may help. Here’s some helpful advice from mums who’ve been there.

19/04/2026

Many women experience back, hip and pelvic pain during their pregnancy. Our wonderful physiotherapists in women's health have complied some useful information for you to read which may help with any symptoms.

Please also look out for your new 'pelvic health' online sessions (pregnancy and postnatal) which will be launched very soon.

We employ around 6,000 staff who deliver compassionate care from our two main hospitals, Calderdale Royal Hospital and Huddersfield Royal Infirmary as well as in community sights, health centres and in patients’ homes.

18/04/2026

If you are planning a pregnancy or are newly pregnant and you have a past or current history of using substances or alcohol, it is vital that you access care and support as soon as possible.

We run a 'no judgement' service and work collaboratively with other services, providing compassionate, personalised care for you and your baby.

Here is Kerrie Wood, our wonderful substance misuse specialist midwife to explain how our services can help you.

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

17/04/2026

Combination feeding!


When it comes to feeding your baby, some parents decide to exclusively breastfeed, some choose to exclusively formula feed and some parents choose or need to give a little of both. We call this mixed or combination feeding.

Mixed feeding can also mean feeding from the breast and also from a bottle. The bottle may contain expressed breast milk or formula.

You may start mix feeding if you are having difficulties getting breastfeeding established or if there are concerns regarding your baby’s weight or other medical issues in the first few days.
💜 If this was the case we would encourage Mum's who intend to breastfeed to use a feeding cup to give the expressed milk or formula rather than in a bottle. 💜

You may mix feed if you need to be away from your baby for a time or are returning to work.

Or it may just be a choice that you have made as a family

How to mix feed?

Often it is best to speak to your midwife or the infant feeding team to try and help do this successfully –

If you are mix feeding and using formula as a ‘top up’ but the aim is to get back to exclusive breastfeeding then you will need to express your milk regularly in order to help the transition back to the breast to be more successful. The expressed milk can then be used as the ‘top up’ rather than formula.

If you are choosing to use expressed milk in a bottle, you will still need to regularly express to maintain your supply – this includes during the night.

If you are wanting to substitute breastfeeds for formula then it is best to do this gradually, eventually your supply will become less and you can move towards exclusive formula feeding.

What effect will combining breast milk and formula have?

Your baby will enjoy the benefits of breast milk, even if you’re not exclusively breastfeeding. For instance, they will still gain some of the antibodies that will protect them against infection.

If you want to feed your baby with both breast milk and formula milk, it is recommended to wait until feeding is firmly established before introducing a bottle. This can take up to a month.

It's best to wait until breastfeeding is established because breast milk supply is generally driven by frequent, effective removal of milk from the breasts. Giving your baby formula reduces your milk supply, which is particularly important when you are both getting used to breastfeeding. If your baby breastfeeds less often, your breasts produce less milk.

For further information please speak to your midwife, or contact the infant feeding team on 01484 344345.

15/04/2026

We always try to raise awareness of coping strategies when your baby cries. Your baby's main way of communicating is through crying and some babies have more to say than others. This can be frustrating when you are tired and you are both trying to understand each other.💜

'IT'S OK TO WALK AWAY' - first ensure that your baby is in a safe place (in a moses basket, crib), then you can walk away for a short period whilst you re-set yourself and breathe before returning to baby.

The video attached is hard hitting but sends a vital message to any parent, carer, family member, who will have contact with your baby.💜

Please watch the video and read any resources on the ICON website and speak to your midwife or health visitor if you want to know more, or need any further advice.
REMEMBER - BABIES CRY, YOU CAN COPE. 💜

If you are a parent with a young baby that wont stop crying please watch this video. It is from the perspective of the dad and shows how to use the ICON reso...