Postnatal care in rural areas has reached a ‘critical stage’ says mum

A Petworth mum has expressed concern about the lack of post-natal support in rural areas, and said the situation was ‘critical’.
Laura Sneller and her family SUS-210209-083227001Laura Sneller and her family SUS-210209-083227001
Laura Sneller and her family SUS-210209-083227001

Laura Sneller, from Station Road in Petworth, gave birth to her son Rupert in early July and said the care she received at St Richard’s Hospital in Chichester was ‘amazing’.

But seven weeks on and the 39-year-old childminder has expressed concerns over a lack of postnatal care which, Laura said, has reached a ‘critical stage’.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Laura has five children ranging from 17 years of age to just seven weeks and has said her experience of postnatal care has changed ‘massively’ over the years.

“I had much more support before – and it was face-to-face support. It is not the health visiting team’s fault. It’s the fact that the government isn’t doing enough and it is because of a lack of money from the government.”

After setting up a toddler’s group in Petworth prior to the pandemic many mothers in the town have had similar experiences, according to Laura.

“You see the midwife but because of the pressures they only see you for about a week-and-a-half and then they discharge you.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“You have one appointment from the health visitor and you don’t see her until you have a six week call. There’s is nothing available because they have just stopped everything. Since Covid hit, there’s nothing there.

“When you’re living in a rural area and you can’t drive there is nowhere you can go.

“You can’t go anywhere to weigh a baby – I had to drive to a clinic in Chichester. They shut down the family centre.

“I have set up a toddlers group which I started just before Covid hit and it’s the only group in Petworth.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“At the moment we are at a critical stage where the community doesn’t have anything.

“Looking at postnatal depression, if you are not seeing someone on a regular basis, how do they know without women self-referring?

“I just feel like we need to do more to support these new mums.”

Gail Addison, interim head of midwifery at University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Our midwives will visit mum and baby to check they are well and supported in the first few days after birth. At a minimum, these visits are on the first day home following birth, day five and then on discharge to the health visiting team (usually between day ten and 14), who then visit mum and baby to follow up and continue the care. If required, the midwifery team or support worker will see patients more often and offer specialised support, such as feeding clinics.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“Other than during the first national lockdown when face-to-face visits were restricted, we have continued with this normal face-to-face schedule of care. As always, we ask that if new mothers have any concerns, they should call their named midwife or the triage advice line.”

Related topics: