Additional support

Maternity Helpline
Have you got a question about your pregnancy or newborn baby? Would you like to speak to an experienced midwife? Our Maternity Helpline is here to help you. Just call 020 8510 5955 (10am-6pm every day) and speak to an experienced midwife who will be happy to answer your questions.

The helpline is a local service and our midwives can help both with general questions and with questions specific to local maternity services. You can also book directly for Homerton maternity care by calling the helpline (you do not have to be referred by your GP).

The Hackney Maternity Helpline started in September 2007 as part of the award-winning Reducing Infant Mortality programme of works. The helpline currently receives around 800 calls per month.

Contact
Maternity Helpline 020 8510 5955
10am - 6pm every day

Translation/advocacy
Homerton hospital serves a very diverse population, many of whom do not speak English as a first language.

Language support is available to our patients, both from bilingual health advocates at the hospital (click here for more information) and from our dedicated bilingual maternity support workers in the community.

The assistance of an advocate or bilingual support worker needs to be arranged in advance of your appointment; please let your midwife know if you need language support.

Maternity counselling
Our maternity services understand that, for some people, pregnancy and childbirth can create emotional difficulties.
Therefore, we have a specialist counselling service to support women and couples who may be experiencing psychological problems during pregnancy or after the birth.
If you think this might be useful for you, please ask a member of staff to refer you, or you can refer yourself.

Our counsellor is Yifat Hollander and her direct line, for appointments, is 020 8510 7198. She is in the hospital on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.

There are leaflets about this service in antenatal, womens outpatients, EPAU and Priestley ward. Please ask a member of staff to give you one.

Substance misuse
Our substance misuse liaison midwife provides and co-ordinates care of, and support for, pregnant women who are currently misusing drugs and alcohol, or are at risk of doing so.

She has excellent links with hospital and community drugs and parenting programmes and has set up Starbright, a multi-agency programme specifically aimed at supporting new parents with a history of substance misuse.
Contact
Substance misuse liaison midwife 
Tel 020 8510 7805

Public health midwives
Children’s centres are a community resource at the heart of Hackney’s neighbourhoods which offer a range of integrated services for children under the age of five and their families.

Midwifery has been included as part of the core offer of services delivered within the children’s centres. This service is provided by public health midwives in partnership with Homerton hospital.

The midwives work with various organisations, as well as the community midwifery team and the support of the consultant midwife for public health, to provide culturally sensitive care to women and their families in the six children's centre areas (Areas A-F) across Hackney.

Antenatal Pelvic Girdle Pain
Pelvic Girdle Pain (PGP) physiotherapy class
2nd and 4th Thursdays of the month 10.00 - 11.30am in the physiotherapy department.

Education and advice on pelvic girdle pain.
You can be referred by your GP, midwife or you can self-refer, but you must book onto a class via physiotherapy reception by calling 020 8510 7835 or drop by in person.
You can read more here

Postnatal exercise classes

Tuesday 1.30pm - 2.30pm
Homerton Hospital Physiotherapy Department
Homerton Row E9 6SR
020 8510 7835

Postnatal exercise class poster 
 
The postnatal exercise class is suitable for women who have delivered their baby and continue to suffer with pregnancy-related pain. You will need to be referred by your physiotherapist to book onto the post natal exercise class. 

If you have had a vaginal delivery you will need to wait for 6 weeks to start the class and if you have had a caesarean section you will need to wait 12 weeks.
 
The class includes pelvic stability exercises, pelvic floor exercises, back care, posture and advice. The class is run by a women’s health physiotherapist who will tailor the exercises to your specific needs. Babies under 6 months are welcome. 

Physiotherapy
Antenatal and postnatal exercises are available in Hackney, more here