Postnatal Care

Gwillim Ward – Postnatal Care

After you have had your baby, you may be transferred to Gwillim Ward, a dedicated postnatal ward.

Gwillim is located on the 4th Floor, Lanesborough Wing. It has 32 beds arranged as six four- bedded bays, six single rooms and two en-suite rooms.

To contact a midwife about postnatal care, please call the Maternity Helpline on:

0208 725 2777

(Select option 3 for Gwillim ward out of hours)

Can someone stay with me overnight on Gwillim?

During your stay on the postnatal ward One Birth Partner or Support Person can stay to care for you and your baby throughout the day and night.

If they leave the ward, they will not be allowed back in between the hours of 10pm and 8am.

They must follow these rules whilst on the ward:

• the privacy, dignity and respect of all women on the ward is maintained at all times
• only one person, aged over 18, stays overnight with you
• your partner remains fully clothed at all times, including footwear
• noise is kept to a minimum overnight – please remember other mothers are trying to sleep
• leaving and entering the ward is kept to minimum
• mobile phones are put on silent between 10pm and 8am
• your partner only uses the designated visitor toilet
• your partner rests on the chair at the side of the bed and NOT on the bed
• staff have easy access to the bed area so they can easily care for you and your baby
• the bed space is kept clean and tidy.

Can I have visitors?

Visiting times for other visitors are 2pm-7pm.

You can have two people visit per day and we will ask you to give us the names of the two visitors you are expecting.

Only visitors named by you are permitted on to the ward.

There can be only two people at the bedside at one time, the Birth Partner/Support Person counts as one person.

Siblings to the baby under the age of 16 (but no other relative e.g. cousins) can visit when accompanied by the Birth Partner/Support Person during visiting hours.

Children should be supervised by the Birth Partner and remain accompanied by parents at all times.

If a Birth Partner, Support Person, Named Visitor or Sibling is unwell or has symptoms of COVID-19, Flu or Strep A they can not visit the ward.

This policy is in place to protect your family and those around you.

We thank you for your cooperation.

How long will I have to stay in hospital?

Your midwife and/or doctor will talk to you about how long you may be in hospital for.  This can depend on what type of birth you have and how well you and your baby are.

For more information about recovering after a caesarean section, please click here.

How can I keep my baby safe while I am on the ward?

Please do not walk along the ward corridors with your baby in your arms – use the cot instead.

If you are holding your baby and start to feel tired or sleepy, please place them into their cot.

During busy visiting times, there is a security guard at the entrance to Gwillim Ward to ensure that only those people visiting new mothers have access to the ward.

When are mealtimes?

As a general guide, breakfast is at 7.30am, lunch is at 12pm and evening meal is at 5pm.  A range of food is available to meet any special dietary requirements, please speak to your midwife or the ward hostess.

How soon after I am fit for discharge can I go home with my baby?

Once you and baby are confirmed as being fit for discharge we aim to discharge you within four hours. You will be advised to download the eRedbook app (which you can also do during pregnancy – see link here) that you will need to be registered with for your babies’ health record. We will inform the community midwives and give you a discharge pack with information on caring for yourself and your baby – this information is also available here.

Please bare in mind that your postcode dictates which hospital is responsible for your postnatal community care according to catchment area – you will be provided with the relevant contact numbers with your discharge pack.