Your Local Maternity & Neonatal System (LMNS) team in Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin, a partnership of organisations, women and their families working together, has launched a new website full of information to support people through pregnancy, labour and beyond.

The LMNS team, which sits within NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin, ensures everyone is working in collaboration to improve maternity and neonatal services and support people who are on or beginning their pregnancy and newborn journey.

The LMNS includes NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin, local midwives, obstetricians, neonatal staff, hospital managers and commissioners, public health agencies, educators, perinatal mental health providers, GPs and the Maternity & Neonatal Voices Partnership (MNVP).

To find out more and to access the new website, visit www.stw-lmns.com.

You should contact your GP surgery or local midwife service as soon as you find out you're pgrenant (before 8 weeks into the pregnancy). It is important to see a midwife as early as possible to get the antenatal (pregnancy) care and information you need to have a healthy pregnancy.

Your pregnancy can be treated confidentially, even if you're under 16. A GP or midwife can tell you about your choices for antenatal care in your local area. Being pregnant may affect the treatment of any current illness or conditions you have or later develop.

Knowing You are Pregnant

When you find out you're pregnant, you may feel happy and excited, or shocked, confused and upset. Everybody is different. Some of this may be caused by changes in your hormone levels, which can make you feel more emotional. 

If you're feeling anxious or worried it will help to talk to someone. Read about mental health in pregnancy.

However you're feeling, contact an NHS professional so you can start getting antenatal care.

Telling People That You're Pregnant

You may want to tell your family and friends that you're pregnant immediately or wait a while until you know how you feel. Or you may want to wait until you've had your first ultrasound scan, when you're around 12 weeks pregnant before you tell people. Some of your family and friends may have mixed feelings or react in unexpected ways to your news. You may wish to discuss this with a midwife.

A healthy diet is an important part of a healthy lifestyleat any timebut is especially vital if your'e pregnant or planning a pregnancy. Eating healthily during your pregnancy will help your baby to develop and grow. You do not need to go on a special diet, but it's important to eat a variety of different foods every day to get the right balance of nutrients that you and your baby need. 

Read more about vitamins and supplements in pregnancy.

There are also certain foods that should be avoided in pregnancy.

Eating healthily often means changing the amounts of different foods you eat, so that your diet is varied, rather than cutting out all your favourites. You can use the Eatwell Guide to get the balance of your diet right. It shows you how much of what you eat should come from each food group to achieve a healthy, balanced diet. You do not need to achieve this balance with every meal, but try to get the balance right over a week.

Please click on the following links to find out more information about how to maintain healthy diet and getting the good nutrition you and your baby needs.

Eating well in pregnancy | Tommy's (tommys.org)

Have a healthy diet in pregnancy - NHS (www.nhs.uk)

Exercise in Pregnancy

The more active and fit you are during pregnancy, the easier it will be for you to adapt to your changing shape and weight gain. It will also help you to cope with labour. Keep up your normal daily physical activity or exercise for as long as you feel comfortable, exercise is not dangerous for your baby, there is evidence that active women are less likely to experience problems in later pregnancy and labour.

You may need to slow down as your pregnancy progresses or if your maternity team advises you to. If in doubt, consult your maternity team. As a general rule, you should be able to hold a conversation as you exercise when pregnant. If you become breathless as you talk, then you're probably exercising too strenuously. 

Please click on the following links to find out more about how to stay active during your pregnancy and how to exercise safely and what to avoid doing.

Making a Safe Pregnancy Workout Plan | Tommy's (tommys.org)

Exercise in pregnancy - NHS (www.nhs.uk)

Whooping cough (pertussis) cases are rising and babies who are too young to start their vaccinations are at greatest risk.

Young babies with whooping cough are often very unwell and many likely to need hospital treatment as it can lead to pneumonia and permanent brain damage. 

T o help protect people who are pregnant and young babies against serious illness, we are asking maternity and primary care services to continue to ensure the offer of vaccination against whooping cough is encouraged at every opportunity. 

Vaccination in pregnant women is 97% effective at preventing death in young infants from whooping cough.

For more information please use the following links - 

Pregnancy - NHS (www.nhs.uk)

Saving babies' lives - Charity for Babies | Tommy's (tommys.org)