Parents and parents-to-be in Lancashire and south Cumbria to benefit from new app

The app has been developed to provide parents and parents-to-be with a single source of trusted NHS information for all their maternity needs at University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust, East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust, Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, and Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

From the start of pregnancy to early parenthood, this app will support local families with:

*Making choices throughout their pregnancy

*Providing access to essential, clinically validated information every step of the way: from planning a pregnancy and being pregnant, to giving birth and looking after a new baby.

*Examples of personalised plans for their care during pregnancy, birth and beyond.

The app offers an easy-to-navigate screen, links and videos of a range of useful topics; information about emotional and physical wellbeing, mental health concerns, advice for partners, preparing for labour, hospital stays, post-delivery care, baby care basics, mum and baby checks, recovering from different types of delivery and medical conditions, and advice for when you take your new baby home.

The app provides users with a single point of access for information on booking in their local area in order to receive higher levels of continuity of care.

Personal preferences for each stage of the maternity journey can be documented to share with care providers, generating conversations to support shared and personalised care plans.

The app aims to improve women’s experiences of maternity care and ensures that the information they receive is consistent no matter where they choose to give birth across Lancashire and South Cumbria.

Vanessa Wilson, Programme Director - Women's and Children's Services, said: “This fantastic new app means we are able to offer personal care to mums-to-be and their families in Lancashire and South Cumbria by ensuring they are able to access information easily and quickly. The 'mum & baby' app shows how we can harness digital technology to deliver innovation in the NHS, delivering a new model of continuity of care, which delivers safer outcomes for mothers and babies and empowers women to make shared decisions and manage their own care throughout their pregnancy, birth and beyond.”

Dr Sunita Sharma, Consultant Obstetrician from Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and initial creator of the app, said: “The 'mum & baby' app represents an innovative way in which local maternity services have come together to provide women and their families with consistent NHS information on how to look after themselves and their babies in an easily accessible format. I think this is a great step forward for our maternity services.”

The 'Mum & Baby' app is available in both iOS and Android formats; go to your app store (Apple Store or GooglePlay) to download the app.