Maternity services

How to get help

Maternity triage

Women can call our Maternity triage for any concerns after 18 weeks of pregnancy. It's open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. 

• Phone - 01923 217343

For any concerns below 18 weeks of pregnancy, please follow the advice for emergency and urgent medical help below.

Women should not delay in phoning Maternity triage if a baby’s pattern of movements change or are reduced, if there is vaginal bleeding or if you feel unwell.

Maternity Day Assessment Unit (MDAU)

Call Maternity Day Assessment Unit (MDAU) if you have been booked into our MDAU. It's open 8am-5pm.

• Phone - 01923 217851

Alexandra Birthing Centre (ABC)

Women that are booked to give birth in our ABC can contact the ABC directly if they are in labour.

• Phone - 01923 217364

Emergency and urgent care

In an emergency, call 999.

If you need medical help fast, but it's not a 999 emergency, call 111.

Call 111 when:

• you think you need to go to A&E or need another NHS urgent care service
• you don't know who to call or you don't have a GP to call
• you are experiencing a mental health crisis and don't know who to call

For less urgent health needs, contact your GP or local pharmacist.

Visiting information

We are dedicated to delivering high quality care whilst prioritising the safety of women, pregnant women, pregnant people, babies, their families and our staff.

Here are some guidelines to ensure a safe and supportive environment:

• A partner can attend scans. We encourage you where possible not to bring your children to the scan as the room needs to be quiet/dark and space is restricted.
• One named birthing partner may attend triage for early labour assessment.
• Two birthing partners can be present during labour.
• One named birthing partner may attend for a caesarean birth.
• One birthing partner can stay in maternity recovery.
• Victoria and Katherine ward are open to two people visiting from 8am - 10pm daily. Siblings are welcome to visit during this time. Children will need to be supervised at all times by someone other than their mother; the bed spaces are small and we want to minimise noise and disruption to other women in the bays.
• A partner can stay overnight on Victoria and Katherine ward. Please note that between midnight and 6am partners will need to stay in the ward and cannot leave or enter during that time unless in exceptional circumstances with prior arrangement with the midwifery staff.

To comply with local and national infection control policies and to ensure the safety of everyone present please adhere to the following:

• Any partner or companion who has tested positive or showing signs and symptoms of COVID-19 should not visit the hospital site.

Choosing to have your baby at Watford General Hospital

If you would like to have your baby at Watford General Hospital, you need to register your pregnancy via our self-referral form.

It is recommended all women who are planning a pregnancy or who are currently under 12 weeks pregnant take folic acid to reduce the risk of neural tube defects.

If you are not currently taking any folic acid, please discuss with your pharmacist as soon as possible. Further information regarding folic acid can be found on the NHS website - Vitamins, minerals and supplements in pregnancy

• View a video tour showing our facilities at Watford General Hospital.

If you have booked to have your baby at another hospital but are having antenatal care at West Herts

You may have chosen to have your baby at another hospital but choose to have your antenatal care at West Herts. Having care from one maternity unit is recommended for a streamlined experience giving you consistent and safer care.

Choosing to give birth at a maternity unit which does not provide your community antenatal care may lead to your referrals, reviews and receiving of results being disjointed.

We recommend you choose to give birth at the maternity unit that provides your antenatal care, whether at home or hospital, to give you the best experience throughout your maternity journey.

Your maternity notes

We use a digital patient record system called BadgerNet that allows patients to view their maternity records via an online portal called Badger Notes. This can be accessed from a smartphone or any device with internet access and replaces handheld paper notes throughout the course of your pregnancy and postnatal period.

Once you’ve registered your pregnancy, your midwife will give you all the details you need to register for your Badger Notes account.

Please contact our maternity team on 01923 217339 if you have any questions.

• View a video showing how to use Badger Notes

To access the portal, you can either download the BadgerNotes app via App Store, Google Play or visit the Badgernet web portal using the links below.

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