West Suffolk Maternity

Home
United Kingdom
Bury St Edmunds
West Suffolk Maternity

This page is run by midwives at the West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust. Please contact your midwives in the usual way for this.

We will do our best to keep you updated with information, but we regret we are unable to answer your individual questions.

11/09/2026

JULY

The extraordinary summer weather produced an ice-cream boom, with sales of ice cream rising by 88%. 22,141 people set a new world record for the largest gathering of people wearing bald caps during a Pitbull concert in Hyde Park. England finished third in the World cup after losing to Argentina in the semi-finals....But most importantly we welcomed 186 beautiful new babies into the world.

We are proud to present to you our July 2026 birth statistics and a big congratulations to all our July families.

10/09/2026

A VERY SPECIAL DELIVERY!

Today we’re celebrating student midwife Eloise, who yesterday evening delivered her 40th baby!

Before qualifying, all student midwives need to support and facilitate 40 spontaneous vaginal deliveries. On top of this, they need to perform 100 antenatal examinations, examine 100 woman and babies postnatally, and be signed off in a full range of proficiencies required to be a practicing midwife. They also need to complete 4600 hours of learning, split between theoretical and clinical education. Catching’ their 40th delivery is always a huge milestone for our students, and so we celebrate their achievement with our number 40 tiara and a sash that reads ‘40 beautiful babies’.

Eloise says ‘Thank you to all of the families that have allowed me the privilege to support them over the last 3 years. I am also extremely grateful to the team at WSH who have guided me through my training with such incredible knowledge and patience every step of the way. Looking forward to the future ahead as a newly qualified Midwife.’

Congratulations to Eloise and to the beautiful new arrival’s family!

09/09/2026

CALLING ALL PARENTS, GRANDPARENTS AND CARERS:

These are the remaining 2026 dates for our FREE basic life support class. We now have two dates with morning slots at West Suffolk hospital, as well as our evening class at Haverhill Rugby Club and our evening class at West Suffolk Hospital.

These evenings are designed for parents, grandparents and caregivers to learn what care can be given to a baby in the case of an emergency. These evenings are run by Georgie, who is the lead educator across the maternity department. And best of all: these evenings are provided completely free of charge!

Please email [email protected] to book your place.

08/09/2026

Help us keep ultrasound appointments running on time 💙
We’re seeing an increasing number of patients arriving late for obstetric ultrasound appointments. We’re working to better understand the reasons for this, but there are some simple things you can do to help us keep appointments running smoothly for everyone.

⏰ Please aim to arrive 15 minutes before your appointment.
🚗 Plan ahead for your journey and parking. Our car parks can be particularly busy at peak times, so please allow extra time. If you’re concerned about finding a space, you may wish to arrange for someone to drop you off. Your partner can still join you in the scan room once your scan has begun.
📍 Allow time to find the department. If you haven’t visited us before, Antenatal Ultrasound is on the first floor at the rear of West Suffolk Hospital.

If you know you’re going to be late, please contact the Ultrasound Department by calling 01284 713259 as soon as possible to let us know.
Thank you for helping us reduce delays, keep appointments running smoothly and provide timely care for more families. 💙

07/09/2026

START STRONG CAMPAIGN

The first hour matters.

After your baby is born, we will support you to:

- Enjoy uninterrupted skin-to-skin contact, where possible
- Recognise your baby’s early feeding cues
- Offer your baby their first feed within the first hour
- Get practical, compassionate feeding support when you need it
- Spend precious uninterrupted time together

Every baby and every feeding journey is different. Our maternity team are here to listen, support your choices and help you and your baby get off to the best possible start.

03/09/2026

WE UNDERSTAND THAT NOBODY LIKES WAITING

However at times our Maternity Triage area can get busy and this may mean you are asked to wait. We’ve created this short video to explain our triaging process and why sometimes you may be asked to return to the waiting area. Think of maternity triage a bit like A&E - you’d expect for those with the highest level of need to be seen more urgently.

01/09/2026

How did you find the hot weather in your pregnancy, and the first month of your babies life? We’d love to hear from you!

If you fit into any of the above criteria we’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences through our 20-30 minute survey! There is also a chance to win a £50 shopping voucher.

The research will help develop guidance for future parents, guardians and carers.

Visit bit.ly/hotweather-survey-sm to complete the survey.

31/08/2026

Drop-in Vaccination Clinic dates for September 💉

Our vaccination team are still hard at work ensuring you’re able to get your pregnancy vaccinations to protect your baby. As we come into the colder seasons, the flu vaccine is now available in our vaccination clinic.

We can give you:
✅ Flu vaccine
✅ Whooping cough (pertussis) vaccine, ideally between 16-32 weeks
✅ The RSV vaccine from 28 weeks

Our vaccination team is in Birch House at West Suffolk Hospital — no appointment needed, just pop in! Or if you would like to book, you can do so via the National Booking service.

https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/vaccination-and-booking-services/get-a-free-rsv-vaccination/

30/08/2026

A VERY SPECIAL DELIVERY!

Today we’re celebrating student midwife Leena, who earlier this week delivered her 40th baby!

Before qualifying, all student midwives need to support and facilitate 40 spontaneous vaginal deliveries. On top of this, they need to perform 100 antenatal examinations, examine 100 woman and babies postnatally, and be signed off in a full range of proficiencies required to be a practicing midwife. They also need to complete 4600 hours of learning, split between theoretical and clinical education. Catching’ their 40th delivery is always a huge milestone for our students, and so we celebrate their achievement with our number 40 tiara and a sash that reads ‘40 beautiful babies’.

Leena says ‘It has been an absolute privilege caring for so many beautiful families at the WSH over the last 2 years. I want to say a massive thank you to West Suffolk for all the support and encouragement during my training, I am so excited to begin my new journey as a newly qualified midwife.’

Congratulations to Leena and to the beautiful new arrival’s family!

25/08/2026

Ever wondered how our staff monitor babies in an incubator? 👶

Barbara, one of our neonatal nurses, explains how they keep a close eye on babies and monitor their vital signs.

Address

Hardwick Lane
Bury St. Edmunds
IP332QZ

Telephone

+441284713000

Website

https://www.wsh.nhs.uk/Services-A-Z/Maternity/Maternity.aspx

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when West Suffolk Maternity posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Organisation

Send a message to West Suffolk Maternity:

Want your organisation to be the top-listed Government Service in Bury St Edmunds?