Maternity self-referral confirmation
Thank you for completing your Maternity Self-Referral with East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust's Maternity services
Congratulations on your pregnancy and thank you for completing your Maternity Self-Referral with East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust’s Maternity services.
Your referral is now in our system and is being processed. The details you provided about where you live and your contact information will be used to decide the most appropriate midwife / team to care for you during your pregnancy. When you are around 12 weeks of pregnancy, an ultrasound scan appointment will be sent to you in the post to the postal address you provided.
If you have used an alternative correspondence address, or have used someone else’s contact email / number please contact us as soon as possible via email: esht.maternitynotessupport@nhs.net, giving a contact number and best time of day for us to contact you. We can then ensure any future correspondence is sent to you at the correct address
We use a digital maternity notes system called ‘Badger Notes’
Badger Notes is an online portal and app that allows you to access your maternity records via the internet on a mobile phone, table or computer. Your midwife / clinician will document everything in real time giving you instant access to your care pathways. Further information on Badger Notes and the maternity services available to you, is available via our website – www.esht.nhs.uk/maternity
If you do not have access to a smart device we can offer you a set of paper handheld notes that you will need to bring with you to every appointment. Your midwife will discuss all available options with you when they call to arrange your first appointment.
You can download the Badger Notes app from the Google Play store or Apple App Store – Visit: www.badgernotes.net
Create an account on Badger Notes
You will need:
- the passphrase given to you by your midwife
- your mobile phone to receive your verification text
Have you used Badger Notes in the past?
If you have used Badger Notes in the past you can add your new care record to your existing account:
- Log in using your existing password
- Pull out of profile menu
- Select ‘Add a care record’
What’s available to you on Badger Notes
Care plan
A care plan is a week by week timeline of your pregnancy:
- Learn about your baby’s development
- Access reading recommended by your midwife
- Learn about events likely to happen this week
- View your booked appointments
- Write a personal diary entry and add a photo
- Enter BP or pulse oximetry readings if asked to do so by your midwife
Maternity record
Your maternity record is available to you:
- View extracts of information direct from your medical record
- View the members of your care team
- Watch the ‘Antenatal care summary’ report grow into a chronological record of some of your key pregnancy events
Conversations
Submit your thoughts and questions about your antenatal care, birth plan and postnatal care to your midwife – this will be reviewed with you at your next scheduled visit.
Are you having problems with your BadgerNet app?
Here is a quick video user guide – Badgernotes app tour
Useful leaflets
View our library of pregnancy leaflets.
Information or help with Badger Notes
If you need any information or help with Badger Notes visit their website – www.badgernotes.net/help or contact your midwife.
Please note you will NOT be able to log in to the maternity notes app until a midwife has contacted you and given you your unique login access
A midwife / maternity support worker will be in touch with you prior to your first scan appointment to arrange your booking appointments and to give you a login for the Badgernet Maternity notes app.
Within this app is a wide selection of pregnancy information and leaflets including the “screening tests for you and your baby” leaflet that we have listed within your early pregnancy recommended reading list.
Please note: no scans will be performed at your booking appointment with the midwife or maternity support worker.
An extensive health history and pregnancy questionnaire about yourself and your family will be completed by your midwife at your first booking appointment and may take up to two hours. Whenever possible a maternity support worker will undertake a pre-booking appointment to complete some health observations and to ask some questions relating to your lifestyle and preferences for birth options. They will also offer to take any pregnancy screening bloods and urine specimens required. Please note this may be done on the same or a different day to the booking appointment with your midwife. Those with young children may wish to consider childcare arrangements for these appointments.
Please be aware that some questions asked within your booking may be of a sensitive nature, a small amount of time will always be allocated on a one-to-one basis with the midwife for addressing nationally recommended questions about personal well-being.
Before the Covid pandemic we would have welcomed your partner or a support person of your choice to any of your appointments, however, due to remaining current restrictions it is advised that you confirm this with your midwife prior to attending. With this in mind we may continue to do some or all of these booking appointments via telephone. This will be discussed with you when you are first contacted to arrange you’re booking appointment.
For any issues with maternity notes please Email: esht.maternitynotessupport@nhs.net – please note this mailbox is not available for clinical issues or monitored overnight, weekends or bank holidays.
Please can you take the time to read the ‘Screening tests for you and your baby’ booklet before attending your appointments:
Your midwife will be able to answer any questions you may have. If you require the booklet in an alternative format, please speak to your midwife.
Pregnancy advice websites and resources
These leaflets are also available via the Badger Notes App, but this cannot be accessed until your midwife has contacted you to give you your unique login.
Overseas visitors
Some women/people may be asked to pay for maternity care, this is dependent on their overseas status. Maternity care will not be refused or delayed whether or not you are able to pay for your care. The following links will provide further assistance to anyone requiring financial advice and support for maternity care in the United Kingdom.
Financial help
Maternity care is very important for the health of you and your baby. Anyone experiencing financial difficulties during pregnancy can obtain advice and support from their local Citizen Advice centre:
We look forward to meeting you and providing care for you and your baby during and following your pregnancy.
If you have any concerns about your care
If you have concerns about your care at any stage of your pregnancy journey please discuss with your midwife if you feel able, or contact our Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS):