Mums-to-be soon won't be allowed to visit baby units before they give birth.
Instead, hospitals will send out DVDs or ask them to take a "virtual tour" on the internet.
Traditional visits to show mums what to expect are being axed because maternity wards are too busy to cope with them.
DVDs are already being sent out in Cheltenham, Nottingham, Oxford and Surrey and it is expected to be rolled out across the country. But Kedi Simpson of the National Childbirth Trust, said: "Being familiar with your surroundings is key to feeling safe and relaxed." Judy Slessar of the Royal College of Midwives said: "On a tour they can meet the staff and have questions answered. A DVD can't do that." Louise Silverton, of the Royal College of Midwives, said: "The service is being stretched to breaking point by cuts."
But Gill Walton from the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, which has scrapped tours, said: "Many new mums said they did not appreciate having large crowds of people walking past."
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