The midwife will come and see you at home to look after you and the baby for the first 10 days after delivery. If she feels that you need further care after this she will continue to see you as necessary. When she is satisfied that everything has settled after the delivery she will discharge you from her care and hand over to the health visitor.

When you leave hospital, you will be given a discharge note for your doctor. If you ask your partner to drop this into the surgery, we will then know that you are home with the baby and one of the doctors at the surgery will come and visit you and your baby at home. We will check the baby for any problems that may have arisen after the paediatrician's check in hospital and make sure that you are recovering well.

Registering the birth

Don't forget to register the birth of your baby within six weeks of birth. You need to do this at the Registrar's Office in Hillingdon or Harrow. 

In Harrow :
Registration of Births, Deaths and Marriages,
Civic Centre,
P.O. Box 36,
Station Road,
Harrow, HAl 2UX.
Tel: 020 8863 5611
Opening Hours: Monday to Friday 9.00am-12.30pm, 2.00pm-4.30pm
Please allow at least 30 minutes prior to closing time.

In Hillingdon:
Registration of Births, Deaths and Marriages,
Civic Centre
High Street
Uxbridge
Middlesex
UB8 1UW
01895 250766
Opening Hours: Monday to Friday 9:30am - 4:30pm

If you have not chosen names by then, they can be added in the next 12 months. The Registrar will give you the baby's birth certificate and a pink card (form FP58) that you need to drop in to the surgery so that we can register the baby as a patient here.

Mother's post natal check

We would also like to see you 6 weeks after delivery. Book a 'post-natal check' appointment with your doctor. We will check that you have recovered after delivery, that any scars/stitches are healing well, take a cervical smear if necessary and make sure that your contraceptive needs are met. If you had problems during the pregnancy, such as raised blood pressure, we will also make sure these have settled. It is a good time to make sure that you are having no major problems with looking after your baby and we will be keen to make sure that you are not too tired and that you are not suffering from post natal depression.