Mums-to-be in Walsall who need support to manage their diabetes can now access an expanded specialist service for help and guidance.

Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust has grown its Maternity Diabetic Service, which was initially set up in 2022 for gestational diabetes, so that it now covers all aspects of the condition.

The team now consists of:

• Lavinia Hall – Diabetes Specialist Midwife
• Erica Birch – Diabetes Specialist Midwife
• Stacey Freeman – Diabetes Maternity Support Worker

It works with a wider team that consists of Diabetes Specialist Nurses, Consultants and Dieticians.

The team leads and manages care for women who have had a positive glucose tolerance test and who have gestational diabetes. The wider team manages type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

Women are seen in the Antenatal Clinic and on Postnatal Wards. Those who are type 1 or 2 diabetic are referred promptly to the service as soon as they start their antenatal care. Group education sessions on gestational diabetes are also held on Friday afternoons for those newly diagnosed.

Women are offered diet and lifestyle changes. They need to test blood glucose levels four times daily and have serial scanning for baby.

Erica said: “This service benefits women as the team provides more specialist care and support. Diabetes in pregnancy is the most common medical condition that affects a large group of pregnant patients. It has many associated risks to them and their unborn baby.

“The team is there to provide extra support and specialist care to help them manage their diabetes for the duration of the pregnancy, to reduce any further future risks and to ensure they have a healthy and safe outcome.

“This in turn benefits staff also as the team offers specialist advice and knowledge in order to manage the patient and their pregnancy optimally. It provides staff training on diabetes to keep them up to date.”

Both Lavinia and Erica have personal experiences of diabetes and said this helps them offer individualised support to patients.

They both trained as nurses before becoming midwives. Lavinia previously worked in Community and Antenatal Care and Erica worked on the Labour Ward.

They added: “All this experience helps to bring together a team that incorporates different knowledge and skills.

“Diabetes is on the increase; our caseload is ever-increasing year by year; however we do our best to always improve the service.

“We receive some wonderful feedback from our patients for the care we provide as we support them throughout their pregnancy so can build good relationships.

“It is also lovely when we get to see the women we helped and their babies a few months later.”