Public health news: Maternity health

Public Health News: December 2023

Vaccinations

South Tyneside and Sunderland Foundation Trust Maternity Service is holding drop-in vaccination sessions in their antenatal clinics. In South Tyneside the clinics are held every Wednesday 9am to 4pm.

The clinics will provide flu, pertussis and COVID-19 vaccines to pregnant women.

You do not need an appointment you can just turn up.

Smoking in pregnancy

Quitting smoking is one of the best things you can do if you're having a baby.

The sooner you stop smoking, the better it is for you and your baby. Nicotine is very addictive so it's really important to get the right support to help you quit.

We're offering Start for Life vouchers, with free support, to help give pregnant women the best chance to quit smoking for good.

Quitting smoking now you are pregnant has lots of benefits to you and your baby. You will reduce your risk of:

• Miscarriage
• Premature birth
• Still Birth
• Sickness during pregnancy
• Heart disease
• Cancer

You will reduce the risk to your baby of:

• A low birth weight
• Asthma
• ADHD
• Colic
• Ear infections
• Respiratory infections
• SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome)

A smokefree home is the safest option for mother and baby, both during and after pregnancy.

Ask your maternity team about the support available to help you stop smoking or visit Stop Smoking Services.

Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD)

When a pregnant woman drinks alcohol, it passes through the placenta and remains in the amniotic fluid for a while afterwards which can affect their baby. 

This is because the baby has not yet developed the ability to process the alcohol.

Alcohol is toxic and can affect the way the baby's brain and body develop leading to lifelong disability. This is called Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD).

FASD is a spectrum. There are more than 400 conditions that can co-occur and everyone with FASD is affected differently. FASD is a lifelong neurodevelopmental condition. Early diagnosis and appropriate support are essential.

If you are pregnant or think you could become pregnant, the safest approach is not to drink alcohol at all. If you do not drink your baby cannot have FASD, it is only caused by alcohol exposure during pregnancy.

There are other benefits to avoiding alcohol in pregnancy too, such as:

• you will reduce the risk of infertility, miscarriage and still birth
• your baby is less likely to be born prematurely
• your baby is less likely to be born with a low birth weight
• you will reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), formerly known as 'cot death'

Physical activity

Doing some gentle exercise when you are pregnant is good (and safe) for you and your baby. It will help you stay a healthy weight and help prepare your body for labour.

If you are used to doing regular exercise, you should keep it up. You should do what feels comfortable for your body but don't push yourself too much. 

If you're not used to exercising, or haven't done any for a while, it's a good time to start. Start gently with 10 or 20 minutes a day and build it up to around 150 minutes per week. 

No matter what your fitness level is, you should always listen to your own body. You should be able to talk to someone while you are doing exercise. If you can't manage this, you need to slow down.

Exercise is also great after you've had baby. It can help to shed excess weight and it is great for your mental health.

South Tyneside Council Leisure Services have classes on offer specifically for pregnant and postnatal women to help you stay active while you're pregnant and afterwards. Choose from:

Antenatal pilates

Pilates class designed for women who are more than 12 weeks pregnant.

Aquanatal

Aqua fit class for women who are more than 12 weeks pregnant.

Aquamammas

Aqua aerobics class where baby stays close to you in a baby float while you work out.

Mammalates

A pilates class for mams where baby comes along too.

Mums, bums and tums

An aerobic and toning class for mams where you bring your baby along too.

Healthy Start Vitamins

Anyone who is more than 10 weeks pregnant or families with children under 4 could get help to buy some basic foods and milk if they receive certain benefits. Find out if you're eligible for the Healthy Start scheme at www.healthystart.nhs.uk and apply online.

If you're eligible you'll receive a Healthy Start Voucher card which is topped up every four weeks. You'll get:

• £4.25 each week of your pregnancy from the 10th week
• £8.50 each week for children from birth to 1 year old
• £4.25 each week for children between 1 and 4 years old

You should only use your card to buy certain types of milk, infant formula, fruit and vegetables.

You need to activate your card before you can use it.

The first time you use your card you'll need to use your PIN. After that, you can make contactless payments. When you use contactless four times in a row, or spend a combined £150, you'll need to use your PIN on the next transaction. This is to help with the security of your card.

You can use your card in most places that sell milk, infant formula, fruit and vegetables if they display the Mastercard symbol at the till or on the shop door.

For more details about using the card visit Healthy Start - How to Shop.

Anyone who lives in South Tyneside and is at least 10 weeks pregnant and / or has a child under 4 years old can also claim free Healthy Start Vitamins every 8 weeks. To find out where you can collect vitamins from visit Healthy Start Vitamins.

Family Hubs

Find out more about free access to courses for parents, carers, grandparents and teens living in the region at our Family Hubs.