A series of nine videos providing information and advice to expectant mothers and their families are now available online.
Each video covers a different topic, including hospital bags, labour, postpartum care and breastfeeding.
The videos were created to provide an accessible version of ParentCraft education sessions for prospective parents to access at their convenience. This follows a temporary pause to face-to-face sessions due to a staffing shortage affecting the maternity service. The decision to explore alternative provision was made to ensure safety across maternity services and prioritise core services during this time.
The online videos will be a valuable resource for prospective parents and will be available to all who wish to access them.
Previously, face-to-face sessions were limited to a set number of couples each month, leaving many women, birthing partners, and families unable to participate. The timing and duration of these sessions did not accommodate everyone's busy schedules or needs. Additionally, group settings are not suitable for everyone, and parents who have had a baby before may prefer to refresh on specific topics at their convenience.
By early autumn, a blended approach of offering both face-to-face and the online videos will be available to women, birthing partners, and families. The face-to-face sessions will be delivered not only by midwives but also by multi-professionals involved in the pregnancy journey.
ParentCraft sessions will be redesigned to incorporate essential feedback from women and families, allowing us to tailor our approach accordingly. This will include engagement events within the community over the next few months.
Before the videos were made publicly available, a pregnant woman reviewed them and shared positive feedback. She appreciated that the videos provided all the necessary information to create a birthing plan, the convenience of watching them at home, the accessibility of the content, and the support they offer in making informed decisions about childbirth.
Regan Baggley, Head of Midwifery for Manx Care commented:
‘I’m delighted to be able to share these videos with the public. We’ve worked exceptionally hard on getting the content of these videos just right for prospective parents on the Isle of Man. This has not been a cost-saving measure, more a resource matter at this time. As I’m sure people are aware, recruiting midwives is a challenge across the world right now and there simply isn’t enough of us to be able to deliver face-to-face sessions without compromising patient safety on the maternity ward.
I’d like to reassure anyone who is expecting a baby that the Jane Crookall Maternity staff are always on hand to offer advice and support as and when needed at any stage of their pregnancy.’
Manx Care’s Executive Director of Nursing, Sheila Lloyd added:
‘Our midwives work exceptionally hard to ensure we’re providing a safe and supportive maternity service which provides expectant mothers with the choice they rightly need, and this should be commended. Manx Care and our midwives believe that we should be offering choice to our women and their families as we see the benefits. This blended approach of online education and information with face-to-face meetings returning in early autumn offers this choice.’
