Maternity – antenatal care

This service is also available to anyone who does not live in the local area who wishes to deliver at Stepping Hill Hospital.

About our service

It’s important to book your care early in your pregnancy. Many of the screening tests we offer need to be discussed before you are 10 weeks pregnant.

As soon as you know you are pregnant and have a positive pregnancy test, you can book your antenatal care and birth with us. Please click on the link below to self-refer.

You will need to allow up to 7 days for us to receive and process your referral. We will then arrange:

• Your appointment with the Community Midwives (this may take place by phone, at your GP surgery, at a children’s centre or at Stepping Hill antenatal clinic if you live outside of the Stockport area) 
• Your first appointment with a midwife should take place by the time you are 10 weeks pregnant and before your scan.

Antenatal Clinic (ANC)

Located: Ground Floor
Opening times: Monday to Friday 9:00am to 5:00pm

Morning clinics are consultant led for women who need specialist input or are classed as having a higher risk pregnancy. You will also find some of our specialist midwives based here including the diabetes team, the specialist screening team and the specialist smoking cessation midwife.

Mornings are often very busy with lots of different clinics running alongside each other and women waiting for scans. If you have a double appointment, like a scan and a consultant visit, or a scan and a specialist midwife, please be ready to stay for a few hours.

Consultant clinics cover many areas such as maternal medicine, pre-term birth, multiple pregnancy, mental health, diabetes and general obstetrics.

In the afternoons we run midwife booking and antenatal clinics for women living out of the Stockport area.

We also run an all-day midwife support worker clinic for blood tests and screening tests.  

Triage / Antenatal Day Unit (ADU)

Ward Manager: Natasha Moss
Deputy Manager: Lisa Mullin
Location: Third Floor
Please use the lift by the glass tunnel, not the lift by Costa.

Triage

Triage is like the emergency department for pregnancy, labour, and postnatal concerns. You can contact them by phone, and they will advise you whether you need to come in for a midwife’s or doctor review. When you arrive, you will be seen in order of priority using a system called BSOTS. After your initial assessment, you may wait for further care or a doctor’s review.

Antenatal Day Unit (ADU)

The Antenatal Day Unit is for women and birthing people with high-risk pregnancy concerns, like high blood pressure or pre-eclampsia, who need regular checks but don’t need to stay in the hospital. First, you’ll see a midwife, and then a doctor if needed.

Community Midwives

Community midwives look after you during pregnancy and after your baby is born. They check your health and your baby’s growth, give advice, and answer your questions. Appointments are usually at your GP’s surgery or local children’s center. However, to make sure support is easy to access and fits your needs, we can sometime do home visits. Please speak to your named midwife if you struggle to get to your appointments.
Read more about our Community midwives.

Screening / Vaccinations

We have specialist midwives who focus on screening. This means seeing if your baby could have a higher chance of certain conditions. With your permission, they will offer tests to check for these conditions. Depending on the results, they can give advice and support or arrange further tests if needed.

We also have a new vaccinations team. During pregnancy, some vaccines are recommended to help keep you healthy and protect your baby after birth. Vaccines are your choice – you can say yes or no. Our team will give you all the information you need so you can make a clear choice.
Read more about Screening and Vaccinations.

Specialist Expertise

 If you have any specific health needs, our specialist midwives can help you every step of the way, including:

• Accessible services for women with physical or learning disabilities
• Diabetes 
• Drug and alcohol problems
• Mental health 
• Stopping smoking
• Young parents 
• Bereavement support
• Safeguarding

Smoking Cessation

The Maternity Tobacco Dependence Service helps pregnant women quit smoking. We offer Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) or a Vape, plus weekly and monthly meetings for support. We also give vouchers as rewards for setting and sticking to a quit goal.

We will then contact you within 1 working day and an appointment with a Maternity Tobacco Dependence Advisor will be made within 5 working days of the referral.

If you have any questions, please call Danielle Gahan our Specialist Midwife. Her number is 0161 419 4734 or 07876 351 391.

Mental Health Midwives

Team Hours: Monday to Friday, 08:30am to 17:30pm

At Stepping Hill, we offer help from Mental Health Midwives to support your emotional well-being during pregnancy and after birth. These midwives are specially trained to care for women dealing with mental health issues like anxiety, depression, and other mood disorders.

They will work with your midwife to offer you the right support. Giving advice and helping you connect with other mental health services if needed. The teams offers a safe space to allow a person to voice their concerns. Our goal is to help you feel cared for, boost your mental health, and strengthen your family bonds during this important time.

Diabetes Midwives

We have a team of specialist diabetes midwives. The team helps women who have diabetes before pregnancy or develop it during pregnancy. The diabetes midwives help check your blood sugar and support you to manage it safely. They also create special diet plans to keep you and your baby healthy. The team is there to answer your questions and give advice throughout your pregnancy

Read more about our diabetes midwives.

Young Parents

Our Specialist Young Parents Midwives, Rachel Allsup and Zoe Mather, help young parents who are 19 or younger when they get pregnant. They provide special advice and support during pregnancy and after the baby is born. Young parents can meet with us at home or at our Young Parents Antenatal Clinic at Stepping Hill on Wednesdays.

Each young parent gets support that’s right for them. We make sure they get the care they need and help them with everything during pregnancy and after. Our team works with other services, like the Family Nurse Partnership, which helps young parents with extra health visits. We also support young dads by working with Dads Matters.

Safeguarding

Safeguarding is key to giving high-quality care. We have a duty to protect people’s health, wellbeing, and rights. This helps everyone live free from harm, abuse, or neglect. Good safeguarding means people can raise concerns safely, and staff respond in a caring and effective way. Children, young people, and vulnerable adults need the most protection. Our safeguarding team helps staff learn how to spot people at risk and support them. We work with social services, the police, and other agencies to keep patients safe.

Drug and Alcohol Support

If you are struggling with drugs or alcohol, we work closely with local Stockport services to help.

Mosaic

Mosaic helps anyone aged 26 or under who has problems with drugs or alcohol. Their team works with parents to help them understand how their use may affect their children.
You can use our online forms to:

• self-refer if you’re under the age of 26, or submit a self-referral on behalf of someone else with their consent
• request support for yourself if you’re worried about a young substance user

START

• START helps adults aged 26 and over who need support with alcohol or drug problems. The service is free and confidential. You will talk to someone one-to-one who will listen and help find the right support or treatment for you. You can also call them to get advice or information.

The team works Monday to Thursday from 9am to 5pm, Friday from 9am to 4:30pm, and evening appointments are available too.

To contact START, phone 0161 474 3141, email [email protected]

Infant Feeding Team 

It’s never too early to think about how you will feed your baby. Most women in England today choose to breastfeed. Breastfeeding is the healthiest way to feed your baby. Giving only breast milk is recommended for the first six months (26 weeks). After that, you can give breast milk along with other food to help your baby grow and develop.

Benefits of breastfeeding:

• Breast milk is the natural food made for your baby.
• It helps protect your baby from infections and illnesses.
• It gives health benefits for your baby.
• It gives health benefits for you as a mum.
• It’s free.
• It’s available anytime your baby needs a feed.
• It’s the right temperature.
• It can help build a strong bond between you and your baby.
• It can give you a sense of achievement

At Stepping Hill, staff will support you with feeding your baby. This may include the infant feeding team and trained breastfeeding peer supporters. Before you leave the hospital you will get the contact details for the infant feeding team and be shown how to access helpful videos through QR codes or the Start Well Stockport website.

You can also contact the infant feeding team yourself. Call their helpline on 07767 870506 (Mon – Fri) for advice. They can give advice over the phone, invite you to a breastfeeding support clinic, or book an appointment at the complex breastfeeding clinic if needed.

Dads Matters 

At Stepping Hill Hospital, we work closely with the charity Dad Matters. We know that dads and partners are important too. This service gives support during pregnancy and after birth (the perinatal period). Dad Matters helps with bonding and attachment, mental health, supporting partners, and finding the right services.

Dads and partners can talk about any worries they might have. They can get advice on how to support mum and baby. They can also find extra help if they need it.

Follow this link – Dad Matters – Supporting Dads in Greater Manchester to have the best possible relationships with their families.

Or email: [email protected]

Parent Education

At Stepping Hill Hospital, we offer parent education sessions for you and your birth partner. These classes cover important topics to help you through your pregnancy, including:

• Baby’s position and how it affects labour
• How your body works during pregnancy (uterus, placenta, cervix, hormones)
• Bonding with your baby
• Hormones in labour 
• Understanding your due date and what to expect
• Natural and medical induction options
• Interventions like assisted birth or C-sections
• Mental health for parents

Classes are available for anyone over 25 weeks pregnant. To book a virtual class, please email [email protected] with your name, mobile number, and due date. You will receive a confirmation email once your booking is complete.

We also offer guided tours of our maternity unit led by our friendly and experienced midwives. During the tour, you will visit key areas like Triage, the Birth Centre, the Delivery Suite, and our postnatal ward (Mat 2). Our midwives will explain what each department does, the pain relief options available, visiting hours, and other services offered on each floor. The tour is a great way to help you make informed decisions about your birth plan and feel confident with the hospital layout when it’s time to deliver.

Home Birth Evening

If you are thinking about a home birth or want to learn more, you can join our Free Home Birth Information Evening. It happens once a month and is open to all expectant parents.

Two experienced midwives will run the session. They will explain what happens during a home birth and the benefits of choosing this option

The session is from 7:00pm to 9:00pm. Topics covered include:

• The benefits and things to consider for a home birth.
• Safety procedures, research, and statistics.
• Step-by-step overview of what happens during a home birth.
• How to inflate and use a birth pool, and other important midwifery equipment.
• Meeting other parents who have experienced home births.

How to use the service

Self-referral is available via our online form. Referrals are also accepted from GPs, midwives, and A&E departments.

The Maternity Unit is in the Women’s Unit at Stepping Hill Hospital. You can get there easily from the Bramhall Moor Lane entrance.

Parking

There are parking spaces near the Maternity Unit, but they can fill up quickly as parking is limited.

You can buy a parking pass for £14 which lasts through your pregnancy. These passes are available at the Rowan Suite, which is located in the main hospital reception area.