When you become a parent, you will likely meet a number of different healthcare workers. But, until you meet them all, it can be hard to know what each one does and what their role is in helping to care for your baby.
Here are some quick video guides to some of the people you might meet on your parenting journey.
Midwife
Community midwife Kelly Sawyer explains her role and what parents can expect from their midwife visits.
My name's Kelly. I'm a community midwife. I work with women and families in their own homes rather than in a hospital setting.
Now you might think that my job is just delivering babies but I actually spend most of my time supporting women and families in the months leading up to their birth.
I carry out all my appointments in the homes of the women I'm looking after. If it's your first baby, you'll have around 10 midwife appointments. If you've already had children, it's about 7, but you might have extra appointments if you're under the care of a specialist. At each appointment, we'll ask permission to check your blood pressure and also check your urine for protein and glucose. We do this to ensure that you and your baby are healthy. We will feel your tummy to see how baby is growing and listen to baby's heartbeat. Towards the end of your pregnancy, we'll also ask you about baby's activity and movement and also check which position baby's in.
As well as these checks, there are specific topics we'll talk about at each appointment. This includes things like which ante-natal and screening tests are available to you, advice about diet and exercise, making a birth plan, booking antenatal classes and providing emotional support to both you and your partner.
Ask as many questions as you want, and remember: no question is too silly. Your midwife is there to support you and your family to have the birth you want.
Sonographer
What does a sonographer do? How many scans can you expect and what are sonographers looking out for?
Matt Anderson explains about his role and answers these questions.
My name's Matt. I'm an obstetric sonographer, a specialist in scanning unborn babies using ultrasound.
An ultrasound scan is a procedure that uses high frequency sound waves to create images of the inside of your body. Ultrasound scans are very safe for both you and your baby.
You can expect to have at least two scans during your pregnancy.
The first takes place at around 11-14 weeks. This scan will give you your estimated due date. We'll also do a screening for chromosomal abnormalities, which include Down's syndrome, if you've given your consent for this. We can also check for many major structural abnormalities.
The second scan, called the anomaly scan, usually takes place between 18 to 21 weeks. We look in detail at things like your baby's brain, spine, heart, kidneys and abdomen. This is to check for 11 main conditions, which include spina bifida, cleft lip and heart abnormalities. It is important to know that these scans cannot check for every abnormality. Amongst other things, this growth scan checks the size of the baby, some blood vessels around the baby and also the amniotic fluid.
Ultimately, all anti-natal scans are there to provide you and your healthcare professionals with the best information, to ensure the safe arrival of your baby.
Health Visitor
Health visitor Sarah Heaney, who works in Stockport, explains her role and what she does to help parents.
My name's Sarah and I'm a health visitor who works in Stockport.
Health visitors work mainly with children 0-5 and their families. Our main role is to make sure that children are school ready. During the pre-school years, children are learning the essential skills to thrive, be happy, and to learn to the best of their ability.
All families receive a visit from their health visitor at 10-14 days and then again at 6-8 weeks. At 9 months and then again at 2 years, we invite children and their families into clinic. This helps us to check they are achieving the appropriate developmental milestones.
It's important to know that you can contact your health visitor at any point if you are concerned about your child's development or about your own wellbeing. We're the first port of call, and if we can't help you directly, we know the people that can.
It's the role of the health visitor to support families so that their children can thrive.
Hearing Screener
Jocelin Bentil explains how she tests newborns' hearing to pick up early on anything that might affect their speech and language abilities.
My name is Jocelin and I'm a newborn hearing screener.
Newborn hearing screening helps identify babies with permanent hearing loss, as early as possible. Finding out early gives the baby a better chance of developing language, speech and communication skills.
I usually offer the screening test before the mum and baby are discharged from the hospital. In some areas, they may be carried out in the baby's home. Regardless, the screening test must be done before the baby is four to five weeks old.
The screening test is quick and simple and most importantly, it doesn't hurt your baby. I place a soft tip ear piece in baby's ear. It plays gentle clicking sounds. The machine measures the echoes inside the baby's ears when the clicking sounds are heard. If we don't get a clear response, it doesn't necessarily mean that your baby has a hearing loss. If this does happen, we offer your baby a second screen. For both screening tests, the results are instant.
The hearing test does not pick up all types of hearing loss, so it's important for parents to check their baby's hearing as they grow.
Your baby's red book has a checklist of sounds your baby should make and sounds they should react to, to help.
If parents have any worries about their baby's development, they should speak to their doctor or health visitor.
Speech and Language Therapist
Speech and language therapist Janet Cooper explains what an SLT does, how a normal appointment for her goes and what you should do if you think you need to see an SLT.
My name's Janet. I'm a speech and language therapist and I work with children with speech and language difficulties from birth all the way up to nineteen.
The children that I work with generally have difficulties with speaking and communication. But some speech therapists also work with children who have difficulties eating, drinking and swallowing.
Speech and language therapy with children is generally very play-based, so we normally start a session by listening to the parent's concerns, observing the child at play, and then setting goals for them. Sessions could take place in a variety of settings including your home, a children's centre, or a clinic.
It's not about us doing all the work. We identify what the issues are and we pass that on to you for you to practise in your daily lives with your children.
You know your child best, so if you have concerns about your child's speech and language development, then discuss it with your health visitor, your GP, or your child's nursery and they can make a referral on if necessary.
Early Years' Practitioner
Early years practitioners can be found in a number of places including nurseries, children's centres and schools.
Jamel Campbell, an early years educator explains his role.
My name's Jamel. I'm an early years educator. My role is to provide the foundations for a life-long love of learning. Our aim is to help children build confidence and positive self-esteem, promote and develop their independence, foster perseverance, develop an understanding of right and wrong and respect and value others.
Play may be child-led. Play might also be more focussed and structured learning. For example, I froze toy cars in blocks of ice. They had to work out how to get them out of the ice by using their motor skills and problem solving. Physical play is so important. We might introduce an activity that strengthens arms and shoulder muscles. Why? Because we know that children need to develop their gross motor skills before they develop their fine motor skills. The skills they'll need to hold a pencil and write with it.
Every activity that I set up for the duration of the day has theory, neuroscience and psychology behind it.
I believe that it's hugely important that children have male role models in those early years. People like me, six foot, a black man, with a gold tooth in a nurturing and caregiving role.
