University Hospitals Plymouth Maternity Services

14/08/2026

Messages to Those Who Cared.

"I would like to say a huge thank you to Lisa for staying with me past her shift. Lisa was a great support and made me feel at ease.

Thank you" – Kate S

12/08/2026

The RSV vaccine in pregnancy protects you and your baby. You can find out more here.

The RSV antenatal vaccine protects you and your baby. You can find ...

10/08/2026

Supporting families overnight

We’re so pleased that birth partners are welcome to be present overnight, offering comfort and support during such a special time.

We know that being a new parent is exhausting and you might be up more than usual at night. All we ask is that everyone is mindful of others by helping us keep the ward peaceful for those who are trying to rest. After giving birth, rest is essential for recovery. Please keep voices low, use headphones for devices, and save calls for daytime, if you can.

Thank you for being kind and respectful, it means the world to our families and our staff.

07/08/2026

Thank you for supporting us through World Breastfeeding Week, remember we are here to support you, no matter your feeding journey.

If you feel you need support in those early days, please contact your Midwife or Maternity Triage (under 28 days old).

We are also lucky to have a dedicated Infant Feeding Team within UHP who can support you antenatally and postnatally.

Please find information below and remember to check your local council website for local in person support groups.

06/08/2026

Do you have lived experience of surrogacy in the Plymouth area? 🤰

If so, we'd love to hear from you! ✨

Derriford Hospital is currently developing its surrogacy guidelines and would like to involve people with lived experience to help ensure they are inclusive and reflective of the needs of surrogates, intended parents and families 💜

If you would be interested in contributing, please complete this form with your contact details before 26 August and a member of the team will be in touch https://forms.cloud.microsoft/e/Su1iPgsExs

06/08/2026

There is no such thing as loving your baby too much, hold them, cuddle them and soothe them when they cry. This builds secure attachments and positive emotional wellbeing- you can’t spoil a baby with cuddles!

It also helps reduce the stress hormone in yourself, encouraging oxytocin in you both and helps promote healthy self-regulation over time in your baby.

Watch, listen and respond to your baby and watch them thrive.

05/08/2026

Are you a parent or parent-to-be aged 25 or under? 🌟
Whether you're expecting your first baby, navigating parenthood, or simply looking to connect with others in a similar situation, our Y.I.P.P.E.E meet-ups are for you.
Feeling nervous about coming along? That's completely understandable. Jess or Sal are happy to meet with you beforehand or chat by phone or message to help ease any anxiety and answer any questions.
Our Young Parent Meet Ups are happening across the city and we'd love to welcome you.
Come along for a chat, make new friends, get support, and enjoy some time with other parents who understand what you're going through.
💡 We want these meet ups to be shaped by you too, so come along and share your ideas about activities, topics, and what's important to young parents.
You are also welcome to bring your partner, a friend, family member, or another supportive person along with you if that helps you feel more at ease.
📍 Check out the poster for dates and locations
📞 Contact Jess or Sal for more information
You don't have to do this alone. Come and be part of a friendly, supportive community 🤝👶🏻.

05/08/2026

You may hear the term Paced Bottle Feeding your baby, what this means is giving baby the control to pace the feed themselves, reducing the chances of overfeeding and giving themselves a potentially gassy tummy or pushing their tummy too far too fast.

Ensuring baby is sat more upright, allowing them to draw the teat in, keeping the bottle horizontal and not vertical. Giving them plenty of opportunities to pause means they have control over the flow and volume of the milk.

When choosing a bottle and teat for your baby, keep the teat a slow flow, this also ensures baby does not feed too quickly.

Please use the QR code below to find out more

04/08/2026

Did you know when your baby is born, they go through 9 instinctual stages.

Allowing baby skin to skin at birth is vital to allow them to go through these stages to ensure secure relationship building with your baby, oxytocin release and promotes optimal breastfeeding.

No matter how you choose to feed your baby we will always promote their first feed skin to skin to allow this uninterrupted, instinctual behaviour to happen.

You may often hear this referred to as the ‘Golden Hour’ as this all normally happens within the first hour of birth, but this doesn’t mean you are limited to an hour- keep your baby skin to skin with you as long as you would like- they want to be there too!

03/08/2026

Hand expressing breastmilk is a really useful skill to learn for expectant parents.

Colostrum (first milk) primes baby’s digestive system, it helps pass meconium and is jam packed full of nutrients, stem cells and immune cells and is tailored exactly to your baby’s needs.

Hand expressing can aid with sleepy babies who may struggle to feed in the first few hours, your breastmilk is a familiar smell and taste for your baby, encouraging them to feed at the breast.

Did you know if all is well you can actually hand express your colostrum from 36 weeks pregnant (ask your midwife if you are unsure if you can do so) and you can save this milk to offer baby when they arrive- no matter how you are choosing to feed long term.