Derbyshire Maternity and Neonatal Voices

Lastly for today's events, our team from Feeding Together - Part of Breastfeeding Network Derbyshire, supported by volunteers from B.E.A.R.S Breastfeeding Support across Amber Valley, hosted a picnic at Bolsover Castle!

An amazing 68 people were in attendance today, travelling from Alfreton, Chesterfield and those local to Bolsover. We even had Bolsover TV out to film a segment about Breastfeeding Network Derbyshire during the event!

The Bolsover picnic was supported by 3 lovely healthcare professionals from Derbyshire Family Health Service, as well as volunteers from Derbyshire Maternity and Neonatal Voices. Breastfeeding Network Derbyshire works in collaboration with local health visitors, infant feeding specialists and other charities to provide our support, ensuring that, together, we are able to provide

The Breastfeeding Network (UK)

Huge thank you to Breastfeeding Network Derbyshire for allowing us to join them today! We heard lots of feedback from families, thank you to all those who shared their story with us. 🤍

Come and see us at Bolsover Castle for the Breastfeeding Network Derbyshire picnic to celebrate World Breast Feeding week!

🌟 Celebrating Disability Pride Month 🌟

On the last day of Disability Pride Month, we honour the incredible journeys of parents with disabilities. Parenthood is a unique and beautiful adventure, and for parents with disabilities, it comes with its own set of challenges and triumphs. From navigating accessible maternity care to finding adaptive baby gear, your stories inspire us all.

To all the parents out there, we see you, we support you, and we celebrate your strength, resilience, and love. Together, let's build a more inclusive world where every parent can thrive.

We want to hear from you! Share your experiences with us to help improve maternity and neonatal services. Your feedback is vital in creating better support systems and inclusive care for all families. 💬✨

🌍 Join Our Team as a Board and Project Assistant!

Are you a recent graduate eager to make a global impact? As a Board and Project Assistant at the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) in The Hague, you'll support our Chief Executive and contribute to strategic projects, advancing midwifery care worldwide.

If you have excellent communication skills, proficiency in MS Office, and a passion for gender equality and diversity, we want to hear from you!

📝Deadline: August 8th

📍 Location: The Hague

💼 Benefits: Competitive salary, hybrid work options, pension scheme, and more.

Join us in transforming sexual and reproductive health outcomes for women and babies worldwide! 🌟

For more info: https://ow.ly/Ebu050SK8UM

Next week Derbyshire’s Breastfeeding Network is celebrating World Breastfeeding Week by hosting free picnic events across the county where families will receive a warm welcome.

Five picnic events will be taking place in West Hallam, Bolsover, Swarkestone, Clay Cross and Woodville and will offer families the chance to celebrate their own breastfeeding achievements, provide breastfeeding peer support to those who need it, and include information about the free breastfeeding support on offer to everyone in Derbyshire through the Breastfeeding Network.

Find out more here: https://ow.ly/m8ya50SFO7w

View the Breastfeeding Network's page here: https://www.facebook.com/bfnderbyshire

🌟 It's OK to Ask: Maternity Cultural Curiosity Films 🌟

Dive into the lived experiences of diverse communities as shared by community members, industry professionals, and midwives. Discover powerful stories that highlight the importance of cultural understanding in maternity care.

📽️ Watch here: https://vimeo.com/showcase/9905864

Join us in celebrating and learning from these unique perspectives. Together, we can create a more inclusive and supportive maternity experience for all.

It s OK to ask Maternity Cultural curiosity films on Vimeo Join the web’s most supportive community of creators and get high-quality tools for hosting, sharing, and streaming videos in gorgeous HD with no ads.

Raffle tickets are now available to purchase* from The Beeches MBU Reception (9.00 - 16.30) for our Summer Family Fun Day Event on Sunday 18th August 10.00 - 14.00 at Electric Daisy.
Raising funds for Connected Perinatal Support 💜
We would like to say a BIG thank you to all the generous businesses that have donated the fantastic prizes.
Additional raffle tickets are available to purchase on the day with the raffle being drawn towards the end of the event.
*Cash only

Where are our June babies ❤️

🌼 Share Your Maternity Journey with Us! 🌼

We at Derbyshire Maternity and Neonatal Voices want to hear from you about your maternity experience. Your feedback is invaluable in helping us improve our services and support for all mothers and families.

🤱 What experience did you have that you are grateful for?
🤔 What did you feel your experience was missing?

Your insights can make a real difference. Comment below or send us a message to share your thoughts. Thank you for helping us grow and improve!

📢 Supporting New Parents' Mental Health

Derbyshire Family Health Service

Having a child can be life-changing. Did you know that as many as 1 in 5 women and 1 in 10 men are affected by mental ill health during pregnancy and up to two years after birth? It's crucial for both you and your baby to seek help if needed.

DFHS have created a comprehensive booklet filled with information and support for expecting or new parents. This resource is invaluable for you, your employees, friends, or family members.

Gathering up-to-date information on local community groups supporting parents during the perinatal and postnatal periods. If you're an organisation providing such support, please get in touch and we can refer you to Jo and Jenny on the team.

In collaboration with the mental health team in Public Health, we've designed a maternity and paternity wellbeing booklet. You can find it attached, or within our Mental Health Toolkit: https://bit.ly/DerbyshireMHToolKit.

This booklet is an excellent resource for anyone going on, currently on, or recently returned from maternity or paternity leave, offering valuable support and information.

Need help with school essentials? While we do not have a general scheme of assistance to provide school clothing, clothing grants or other financial help for parents, there is support on offer.

🌟 We Need Your Feedback! 🌟

Have you recently gone through the maternity journey? We want to hear from you!

Your experiences and insights are invaluable in helping us improve our maternity and neonatal services. Whether it’s about the care you received, the support provided, or any suggestions you have, we want to know it all.

Share Your Story:

▪ What worked well during your maternity journey?
▪ What challenges did you face?
▪ How can we make the experience better for future maternity services?

Your feedback will directly contribute to enhancing our services, ensuring the best care possible. Let’s work together to make a difference!

📢 How to Share:

▪ Comment below
▪ Send us a direct message

Thank you for helping us improve our maternity and neonatal services. Your voice matters! 💬❤️

England have nearly made it all the way; can Women’s Aid make it all the way to our fundraising goal?

With women being killed weekly and a heart-breaking case of three women who lost their lives this week, your support is needed now more than ever.

Help us end domestic abuse and save lives, Donate here: https://tr.ee/o0pAuR5RnA

Shaping Maternity Services Together Event

We had a fantastic day at the Pirelli Stadium, Burton for the Maternity Services Together event! Sarah Noble, our Director of Midwifery, kicked things off by discussing the event's aims, our current national scrutiny by the CQC, and sharing her personal and professional experiences in maternity.

Over 50 parents, families, and staff, including midwives, the chief nurse, Derby Women’s Health Hubs, Connected, SaSOT MNVP, neonatal leads, patient experience teams, and various voluntary organisations, joined us to share their experiences of maternity care at UHDB.

Our focus groups delved into important topics like Induction of Labour (IOL), communication, informed choice, and inequalities. There was a wealth of discussion and open conversation, which UHDB will use to drive improvements.

Excitingly, DMNV will be part of the working groups to continue this vital work. Attendees have requested more events, and we're eager to keep the conversation going.

Thank you to everyone who participated! Together, we are shaping the future of maternity care.

Getting ready to breastfeed while you're still pregnant can make a big difference once your baby arrives. Here are some tips to help you prepare:

✨ Educate Yourself: Learn as much as you can about breastfeeding. Consider attending antenatal classes that cover positioning, attachment, and common challenges.

✨ Join Support Groups: Connect with local breastfeeding support groups or online communities. They offer valuable advice and a sense of community.

✨ Skin-to-Skin Contact: Plan for skin-to-skin contact right after birth. This helps to calm your baby and initiates breastfeeding.

✨ Discuss with Your Midwife: Talk to your midwife about your breastfeeding plan and ask for any specific advice or resources.

✨ Watch Videos and Read Guides: There are many helpful resources available online, including videos that demonstrate proper techniques and tips.

Preparing in advance can help you feel more confident and ready to breastfeed your baby. For more detailed information, check out the NHS breastfeeding guide and other resources: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/baby/breastfeeding-and-bottle-feeding/breastfeeding/the-first-few-days/

You're not alone on this journey, reach out for support and know that help is always available.

If you've got any tips that helped you in your journey, please let us know in the comments, you never know who it's helping 🩵

Reminder for Connected PS: Maternity Community Conversation Tomorrow!

Wednesday, 10th July, from 10am to 2pm at the Pirelli Stadium, Burton on Trent. We’ll be discussing people's lived experiences and exploring ways to improve maternity services. Don't miss out on this important conversation!

More information is available below, and you can register for your free place through the link.

Maternity community conversation - Wednesday 10th July, 10am - 2pm, Pirelli Stadium, Burton on Trent
Come and join us and the maternity team from Derby and Burton hospitals UHDB for informal chat on maternity services. It is open to anyone who has accessed University Hospital Derby and Burton maternity services or neonatal services over the last two years, and is an opportunity for you to share your ideas, based on your personal experience, about how maternity and neonatal services can be continually improved.
There will be
Lunch provided for adults and children
Pushchair parking
Baby changing, feeding and bottle making facilities
Children and baby area

See https://www.eventbrite.com/e/join-the-community-conversation-shaping-our-maternity-services-together-tickets-921465326597?aff=oddtdtcreator for more details and to book a spot.

On this National Bereaved Parents Day, we extend our heartfelt support to all those who have experienced the unimaginable loss of a child. In Derbyshire, we are here to support you through every step of your journey.

We understand that talking about your grief can be incredibly difficult, but we want to hear from you. Sharing your experiences can help us understand how to better support you and others in similar situations.

For support and guidance, please reach out to:

Child Bereavement UK (Derbyshire): 0800 02 888 40
The Laura Centre (Derby): 0116 218 2140
Cruse Bereavement Care (Derbyshire): 01332 332098
Your comfort and well-being are our priorities. Please let us know what would make you feel more supported and comfortable during this time. Together, we can create a compassionate and understanding community.

Had an incredible day at the MNVP development event in Leeds! It was fantastic hearing everyone's perspectives and thoughts.

Our co-chair Shell, was honoured to deliver a talk as the Neonatal Chair for Chesterfield. Working together to improve care for families and babies.

We want to hear from you!

During your maternity and neonatal journey, do you know who to contact if you have any concerns?

Your midwife is your first point of contact for any questions or worries you may have. Share your experiences and let us know how your midwife has supported you.

Your feedback will help others understand the importance of reaching out to their midwife. Stay tuned for a follow-up post with more helpful resources and contacts!

📢 Exciting Update from Derbyshire Maternity and Neonatal Voices! 📢

We’ve received lots of feedback about the improvements you'd like to see, and one request that comes up frequently is for electronic maternity notes. Great news! If you’ll be giving birth at Royal Derby or Queens Burton Hospitals after September this year, you can now use Badger Notes! ✨

We’d love to hear what you think about these changes and your experiences using Badger Notes. Your feedback is invaluable and will help us push for even more improvements. Share your thoughts with us so we can pass them directly to the team!

Scunthorpe Neonatal unit would like your help in naming their nurseries.

They have a woodland theme and would love you to choose your top three from the options. Click the mentimeter link to make your selection.

https://www.menti.com/alncyfur9c3a

We're excited to announce the upcoming "15 Steps for Maternity and Neonatal Care" initiative and we’d love for you to join us! 🌟

The 15 Steps Challenge is a vital programme aimed at enhancing the environment and experience within our maternity and neonatal wards. By participating, you’ll join a team that walks through these wards, observing and providing valuable feedback on first impressions and the overall atmosphere. Your insights can help improve the quality of care for mothers and their newborns.

As we plan and organise another significant event, we want to know if you're interested in being part of it. Your involvement can truly make a difference in shaping the future of maternity and neonatal care.

Interested in joining us? Let us know!

Did you spend time on a neonatal unit in Derbyshire? We want to hear from parents who have had a baby in the last 2 years. Your feedback is crucial in helping us improve our services and support for families.

We are looking for your thoughts on all areas, including:
💖 Things you loved about your experience.
📝 Things you wish you had, including additional support.
🔍 Things you wish you knew were available but found out about too late.

Your insights will help us enhance our services, ensuring that every family receives the best care possible.

Share your experiences with us and help shape the future of maternity and neonatal care in Derbyshire. Together, we can make a difference!

June is Men's Mental Health Month

As we reflect on Father's Day, let's take a moment to celebrate and support the mental health of all fathers. From those who have lost their children to those raising children that aren't biologically theirs, every father plays a crucial role.

Men can experience postpartum depression and face their own mental health challenges. Postnatal depression in men and other partners often goes undiagnosed

Up to 1 in 10 new fathers become depressed after having a baby.

Remember, you are not alone.

Together, let's promote a positive conversation about men's mental health and ensure that every father knows he matters.

https://www.tommys.org/pregnancy-information/blogs-and-stories/after-birth/tommys-midwives/postnatal-depression-men

Was your baby on the neonatal unit in Scunthorpe?

If so we would love you to join our online Focus group next week where we will be discussing the refurbishment of the parent facilities.

👉When? Thursday 20th June 7.30pm - 9pm

If you would like to join us:

email: [email protected] for the link
What's app: 07765 447 354

DMNV Workshops: Monthly Sessions Just for You!

Hey everyone! We're excited to announce our new monthly DMNV workshops, each focusing on a different topic to support you and your family's maternity/neonatal journey.

Our first workshop could potentially be on car seat safety – would you be interested? Would you attend? These workshops are FREE and will be held in various locations across Derbyshire.

We’ll have local business professionals, midwives, first aid experts, and more joining us to offer hands-on support and advice. It's a fantastic chance to meet our team face to face, learn more about our services, and gain lifesaving knowledge.

We'd love to hear your ideas and what you'd like to see in these sessions! Drop us a message or comment below with your suggestions. Let's make these workshops as helpful and engaging as possible! 💬👇

If your baby spend time on Neonatal at Chesterfield, come along to the support group next Saturday.