"Maternity mat" puts "essential" information at new parent's fingertips
The laminated sheet is available in maternity wards
New parents in Mid and South Essex hospitals can now access "essential" information at their bedside.
A new "maternity mat" provides details of everything from meal times, discharge guidance, support services, to even feeding tips.
Maternity wards across Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust have introduced the A4 laminated mats that can support parents throughout their postnatal stay and beyond.
It is so successful in fact that parents may have been taking these mats home after their hospital stays.
They were developed in collaboration with the Maternity and Neonatal Voices Partnership (MNVP), alongside input from the Trust’s patient experience team, clinicians, and specialists, making sure they’re not only informative, but also safe and practical.
Sarah Soanes, Lead Midwife for Patient Experience at the Trust, said:
"The aim of the placemats is to empower and support new parents as they navigate their hospital stay, and we know that can sometimes be a challenging time for them.
"The mat is aimed at pooling all of the relevant and important information they might need to access during their stay in one accessible place.
"We found that there really was a gap in the information that we were giving, particularly around things like visiting times, meal times, and other support services that were available. So whilst we were giving them verbally, it may not have always been consistent or robust enough.
"I think it's essential really. We know that it is difficult when you've just given birth, you're tired, and you can sometimes be in a bit of discomfort, so to actually retain all the information you're first given when you arrive on the postnatal ward is difficult.
"I am really proud of the resource, and I am proud of the team that's helped to produce it. This has been a real collaborative project.
"I think we've created a tool that really does meet the needs of our patients and our families."
Sarah said thank you to the Maternity and Neonatal Voices Partnership for their contributions to the placemat, and said they contributed a "wealth of experience."