Maternity Service helpline

Support and advice for pregnant and postnatal women using Belfast Health and Social Care Trust Maternity Service.

You can talk to a midwife on: 028 9615 1173 

This information line is available:

  • Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm
  • Saturdays, 9am to 1pm

The health of our women, babies, visitors and staff is our biggest priority. We have put in place a number of measures to keep our community safe while providing the highest level of care.

We are trying to reduce the number of people in our hospitals and have provided the following guidance:-

Covid – 19 Guidance for Visitors and Women

  • You and your birthing partner will be asked screening questions on entering the maternity building.
  • You must supply and wear your own facial mask covering at all times throughout the maternity building.
  • You must sanitise your hands on entering the maternity building and again on admission to the individual ward/department.
  • We are offering a COVID-19 swab test to everyone admitted to the maternity service. This helps ensure that women in our hospital are safe.

Scan and Antenatal appointments

  • One partner may accompany a woman attending:
    • Early Pregnancy Unit
    • Booking Scan
    • 20 week Anomaly Scan
    • Fetal Medicine Scan
  • Women are required to attend all other outpatient appointments alone

(to protect everyone we cannot welcome children at this time).

Labour and Birth

  • One nominated birth partner may accompany a woman in Labour at the Birth/Caesarean Section.

Neonatal Unit

  • Two parents or designated carers may provide care for their baby in Special Care Baby Unit or the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (PPE will be provided).

Visiting in Antenatal and Postnatal Wards

Please also note the following:

  • Some antenatal appointments will take place by telephone consultation or video call, with your agreement.
  • You may be asked to wait in your car or outside the maternity building until you receive a phone call inviting you into the building for your appointment.
  • Please attend antenatal oral glucose tolerance test appointments as scheduled.

Midwife-led antenatal clinics have resumed at the Midwife-Led Clinic in the Mater Hospital. However, women who choose a midwife-led labour and birth will be accommodated at the Active Birth Centre in the Royal-Jubilee Maternity Hospital.

If you have any queries about your Midwife-Led Clinic appointment, please contact the Mater Hospital antenatal team on 028 9504 1288.

We wish to reassure women that we will continue to offer and support midwife-led births in the Royal-Jubilee Maternity Hospital.

We are here to support you and we are very grateful for your flexibility and understanding.

 

Belfast Trust maternity services

Find out more about the Belfast Trust maternity services here.

Contact numbers

  • Maternity Service helpline – 028 961 51173
  • Enquiries/Reception 028 961 51037
  • Admission Unit: 028 961 50596
  • Antenatal Clinic/Outpatients Department 028 961 51166
  • Health Visiting helpline: 028 9504 0846 (Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm)

Advice and guidance for the most commonly asked questions

What is COVID-19?

How to prevent the spread of infection

Coronavirus infection and pregnancy

Q&A information for pregnant women and their families

Early pregnancy services

Virtual antenatal and postnatal education classes

How to access online antenatal and postnatal education classes

Antenatal care

Advice regarding appointments or urgent visits to clinics and hospitals

Planning for birth

Postnatal care

Postnatal visits and infant feeding advice

Child health services

Health visiting and Family Nurse Partnership