After your baby is born

Registering a child’s birth

All babies must be registered with the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages within 42 days of the birth. If you are married, either parent may register the baby. If you are single, you are responsible for registering the baby. If you are single but you want your partner’s name to appear on the birth certificate, your partner must be present with you at the time of registration.

It is quick and easy to book your appointment online. Go to: surreycc.gov.uk/birth or for help with online booking please call: 0300 200 1002

You can book an appointment to register the birth at one of these register offices in Surrey:

• Camberley
• Leatherhead
• Farnham
• Reigate
• Guildford
• Weybridge

If you live in West Sussex, you can choose to register your baby in Surrey or at a West Sussex office. For help with booking for West Sussex please call 01243 642122

The Listening Service

Royal Surrey has a Listening Service which offers you the chance to talk about and reflect upon your birth experience.

This can help you to make sense of what happened and answer any questions you may have. Talking through your experience may also help you to prepare and plan for future pregnancies.

Would the Listening Service be useful for me?

Sometimes giving birth can result in unexpected events that you may have felt unprepared for. This can leave you with questions about events that took place and it is not uncommon to be unable to remember every detail of your birth experience.

When should I access the Listening Service?

There is no time limit on when you should access the Listening Service if you want to. If your labour was recent, then it may be useful to speak with your community midwife at your postnatal visit as she may be able to answer your questions. It is recommended you wait until your baby is a minimum of 6 weeks old to assess the service.

How to access the Listening Service

The best way to access the service is to email  rsc-tr.maternitylisteningservice@nhs.net . A midwife will then contact you and arrange a mutually convenient time to meet with you. This can be in person or virtually.

What happens at a Listening Service appointment?

The midwife can go through your notes and explain the timeline of events and help you understand why certain events happened during your labour and birth. This service is an information sharing service, and not a counselling service.