Council opening hours throughout Christmas
Some Westmorland and Furness Council offices will be closed over the Christmas and New Year Bank Holidays. Read the full list of Council opening hours during the festive period.
Giving birth
Everything you need to know about giving birth, including your choices about where to have your baby, c-sections, pain relief options, who can be with you, and how to prepare.
Useful resources
Tommy’s provides comprehensive guidance for expectant parents on all aspects of childbirth, including:
Options for where to give birth (e.g., hospital, home, birth centre) and who can be present.
Recognizing signs of labour and understanding the stages, including the latent phase.
Pain relief options, support from midwives or doulas, and what to expect.
Information on planned and emergency caesareans, recovery, and future pregnancies after a c-section.
When and why induction might be recommended, and what it involves.
Special circumstances
Guidance for giving birth to multiples
Wellbeing support
A tool to create a personalised pregnancy and a post-birth wellbeing plan from Tommy's - to help parents prepare emotionally and physically for life after birth.
There's also an NHS webpage on labour and birth to help expectant parents understand and prepare for childbirth, covering:
Early signs, including backache, cramps, and waters breaking.
Explains the stages or labour and birth
All you need to know about what happens after the birth.