NWAngliaFT Maternity Services

14/11/2025

It's Baby Week from today and there are a number of fab free events planned in our communities aimed at young children and their families/carers. Take a look: https://babyweek.co.uk/peterborough/

29/10/2025

Are you expecting a baby or know someone who is? 🤰

Our Women's Health Physiotherapists are ready to give you expert advice about looking after your pelvic floor through pregnancy and beyond! 💙

📆 Join their next online monthly session taking place on Tuesday 4 November at 9.30am to find out more on how to ensure those all-important muscles are in the best condition. Book your free place here:

Expecting a baby? Get free, expert advice from our Women's Health Physiotherapists who are based at Peterborough City Hospital.

24/10/2025

We want to work with you to help everyone receive better information about their maternity care, by improving our website and services.

You can help by joining us, in person, on Tuesday 4 November, 10am - 12pm.

You can learn more about this session and book your place with us: https://forms.office.com/e/q3xDVZp4Ry

15/10/2025

Join the global 'Wave of Light' as part of Baby Loss Awareness Week, taking place tonight at 7pm.

Both our hospitals are lit up this week in pink and blue to honour all babies that have died too soon. To join the virtual Wave of Light, take a photo of your candle and post it to Facebook, Twitter or Instagram using at 7pm.

Wherever you do this, you will be joining a global ‘Wave of Light’ in memory of all the babies who lit up our lives for such a short time.

15/10/2025

As part of Baby Loss Awareness week, we here from Kym Field, who runs the Cambridgeshire Sands support group:

As a SANDS befriender it means so much to hear deeply personal journeys from bereaved parents. We provide a safe, non judgemental space for families to share their experience with us, meeting others who are on a similar journey whilst feeling supported and "held" throughout everything.

It’s so important that families have this unique space that we create for their long term mental health and wellbeing, being able to share their thoughts and feelings in a safe space with others who have a shared experience. Please reach out to us at support.cambridgeshire@sandsvolunteer.org.uk and let us show that 'together, we care’.

14/10/2025

Death is never a word anyone wants to associate with pregnancy or child birth. The loss of a baby is something many choose not to think too deeply about and for some, it is a reality that they face with lots of unknowns - because rightly so, it isn't a scenario we like to spend too much time considering.

Our Mortuary and Bereavement Teams work hard to try to ensure that the bereavement centre provides a quiet and calm environment allowing parents to visit their babies and spend as much time with them as possible before the onward transfer of their care.

Bereavement officers, in close partnership with the hospital’s Chaplaincy team, also provide practical support in arranging individual burials or cremations for the babies of those parents who may find it too difficult to make the funeral arrangements. They are able to be involved in making decisions about the kind of service their baby has and how they wish to participate in it, working in partnership.

We know that grieving families need more than just practical help; they need to feel supported and understood. That’s why we work closely with our colleagues to provide comfort, guidance, and reassurance every step of the way. It’s a privilege to be part of this wider team, helping families feel less alone in their loss.

13/10/2025

We have a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at PCH and a Special Care Baby Unit at Hinchingbrooke Hospital. Both have deep understanding and experience in providing families with care, compassion and support if their babies need additional care.

Following the devastating loss of a baby in the neonatal period, we are proud to provide memory making opportunities including memory boxes, professional photography, a family room access to spend quality time with baby. We offer psychological support for parents and siblings including access to a psychologist and nurse councillor.
We work with charities such as SANDS, Petals, Twin Trust and EACH to provide individualised end of life care. Throughout the process we are aware we only get one chance to get things right for families.

Together, we care – not only as your NICU team, but alongside a wider circle of support. We work closely with doctors, nurses and midwives, social workers, bereavement specialists, local agencies and charities to ensure no family walks this path alone.

Whether through emotional support, memory making, counselling services, or help navigating next steps, we are here together – to hold space for your grief and to honour your baby’s memory with the dignity and love they deserve.

Together we share with heartfelt sympathy and enduring compassion

12/10/2025

Attending scan appointments during pregnancy often creates a huge mix of emotion - excitement alongside nerves as you anxiously wait to ensure all is well with the precious life inside of you.

Sadly, 15% of pregnancies can end in loss and up to 2% could have a congenital health condition. In many of these cases, diagnosis is made or first suspected at the ultrasound scan and often without any prior concerns.

Sometimes, the sonographer may see a concern with the baby immediately or there may be more subtle appearances and a feeling of ‘something doesn’t look right’. This has to be managed in real time without causing distress to the parents whilst the sonographer tries to stay calm and assess the significance of what they can see.

Giving unexpected and often devastating news to parents at a scan is part of the sonographers’ role. This is done with empathy and care but sadly the parents often have to go home with unanswered questions, to return to discuss next steps or for further tests.

Sonographers support each other when one of the team has had to give unexpected news, but their day doesn’t stop, and they have to continue and welcome the next excited parents in for their scan. A pause and a deep breath before putting the probe on and a hope that this little one will be safe and well...

‘What a lovely job you have, looking at babies every day!’

I smile and say, ‘yes I do’.

11/10/2025

Yesterday we took delivery of a very special sculpture at PCH - a big butterfly that will soon be installed outside, close to our Women's and Children's Unit, as a fitting tribute to baby loss.

The six foot piece of corten steel artwork was created by local artist Jeni Cairns artist, designer, maker, who spent two weeks carefully crafting the piece which will be positioned in place later this month.

Keep an eye out for our future posts to find out the story behind the beautiful butterfly and how it will hopefully help families experiencing baby loss💜

11/10/2025

As part of Baby Loss Awareness Week, a number of services are being held across Peterborough, Huntingdon and Chatteris, to remember the babies lost and raise awareness of the support available.

The services are at both Peterborough Cathedral and St Mary's in Eaton Socon on Sunday 12 October at 6pm, and at Chatteris Parish Church at 7:30pm on the same day. There is also a service on Wednesday 15 October at 7pm at All Saints in Huntingdon.

There is no need to book - all are welcome to attend💜

11/10/2025

The Chaplaincy Services at both our sites, play such an important part in supporting families when during pregnancy, birth and beyond.

The team knows that there can be few more momentous occasions in the life of parents than the news that they are going to have a baby. For many it is a thrilling, exciting time: parents can begin to look forward to a hoped-for child; a baby to love and cherish. For others the emotions may be more mixed: the prospect of a new baby can be unexpected, the responsibility daunting.

Whatever the initial emotions, the death of a baby, either during pregnancy or soon after is an overwhelming, devastating event. Where there was once hope and expectation, there is now deep disappointment and grievous loss.

One of the roles of hospital chaplaincy is to meet with parents and families during these difficult moments and to share with them the rawness of their grief and sadness. Many parents, in the hours after their baby's birth find it helpful to have a service of naming and blessing. This is an occasion which reassures them that their baby has infinite worth, and that they will always be remembered and loved.

During Baby Loss Awareness week, we are reminded of these emotions and experiences of so many parents are often hidden and unexpressed over the coming months and years. Our Chaplaincy Teams seek to never miss an intake of breath, a drop of the head or a tiny tear. To listen so intently that not one hushed but important word is missed and to be dedicated to absorbing distress and pain that the couple may be steered and focused into quieter waters where they may find peace. To enable the incomprehensible to be accepted as it is, to translate doctor, midwife or nurse into a language we both are able to speak and so act upon.

If the parents wish, then we can steer them through those painful decisions surrounding the funeral that our hospital can provide and lead them in that final loving act on the day. It never stops there. Many of those parents, those families, become part of chaplaincy life. Visits to us to see their child named in our Book of Remembrance, to talk about their time and their experience matter to us and them. Everyone is a family etched into who we chaplains are and what we do.

Together, we care.