Maternity services

Most babies in the UK are born in hospital, but some are born at home or in a midwife-led birth centre. Your midwife will know what’s available in your area.

Giving birth is generally safe wherever you choose to have your baby. It's your choice, and you can change your mind if you want to.

Your midwife will discuss the local options available to you, although you're free to choose any maternity services if you're prepared to travel to them. You can also get more information from:

• children's centres
• your GP surgery
• local maternity units
• the National Childbirth Trust (NCT), which can put you in touch with local mothers
• a supervisor of midwives (contact a maternity unit and ask to speak to the supervisor of midwives). See links below.

Wherever you choose to give birth, you'll be able to write your own birth plan, which includes all your preferred choices for the labour and birth.

The maternity units in Cambridgeshire are:

• The Rosie at Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge 
• Hinchingbrooke Maternity Unit in Huntingdon 

For more information, videos and useful tools see the Pregnancy - Live Well section on NHS Choices website.

The pregnancy care planner

Your NHS guide to having a baby includes:

• Before you are pregnant
• Pregnancy and labour
• You and your baby
• General pregnancy topics (including Maternity leave and employment rights and Benefits)
• plus further useful websites and resources.