Maternity Services

 

Every year babies are born to mums who live on Sark. Women usually choose to be referred to the obstetric services in Guernsey and plan to give birth in the Princess Elizabeth Hospital. There are no midwives practising on Sark. The routine monitoring of the pregnancy is shared between the Sark Medical Officer and the Obstetric team in Guernsey.

What should I do if I think I am pregnant?

Don't panic! The first thing to do is confirm whether or not you are pregnant. You can buy a test from a shop or you can book an appointment to see your doctor where a test can be carried out. The pregnancy tests are most accurate when the first urine sample of the day is used, however a test can be done at any time. If you are preparing for preganancy or you have found out that you are pregnant, the information sheet planning to become pregnant from patient.co.uk explains what you can do to prepare and how you can make your pregnancy as healthy as possible.

What happens next?

When you come for your first appointment you will be given a schedule which explains when you need to be seen by your doctor and by the maternity services on Guernsey. You should also recieve a copy of Emma's Diary which is has a lot of useful information to help you through your pregnancy.

Why can't I give birth on Sark?

It is your choice where you give birth to your child. The reason that we recommend that you give birth at the hospital on Guernsey is that even in a normal low-risk pregnancy problems can arise which are not predictable. When problems arise during labour there is good evidence that the outcome is better if the mother is able to gain quick access to a maternity unit with Obstetric cover. In the event that it is not possible for you to be transferred before the baby is born, we will do the best we can for you and your baby.

When should I go to Guernsey?

Predicting when someone is likley to go into labour is notoriously difficult. Some women prefer to go to stay on Guernsey before their baby is due. However, we recognise that this may be prohibitively expensive and that often women prefer to stay in their own home until labour starts. As a general rule, the labour of the first pregnancy lasts for several hours and the second labour is shorter but this is not always the case. Your doctor will advise you of the symptoms to be aware of which may indicate that you are in established labour. If you are in any doubt or you are experiencing problems, please contact the surgery or the midwives at the Princess Elizabeth Hospital on Loveridge Ward (switchboard 01481 725 241).

When you are in labour, you will be offered pain relief and transfer to the hospital will be arranged via the Sark Ambulance Service, the Flying Christine and St John's Ambulance Service on Guernsey. Transfers are often made within the hour.