Birth Centres

North Middlesex University Hospital Women & Childern's Building

It is widely known that by giving birth in a private, safe and comfortable environment with knowledgeable, supportive Midwives it is more likely for women to achieve a positive labour and birth. This also leads to better birth outcomes for both mother and baby, increased success with breastfeeding and lower levels of anxiety following birth.

Midwifery lead birthing centres are a more home like environment with birth rooms designed to provide you with comfort and privacy during labour and birth. Your room should be a relaxing home from home environment with birth pool, birth ball, cushions, low lighting, some centres such as The Birth Centre in the grounds of St Georges Hospital also provide an ensuite toilet, double bed. Your partner is encouraged to remain with you for the duration of your stay and visitors are usually also welcomed but there may be restrictions.

The midwifery teams are more likely to provide you more individual attention throughout your labour and birth. Being cared for by experienced professionals in an intimate environment with your chosen birth partner, allows you to safely relax deeply in labour which releases the body’s strong natural pain reliever endorphin which greatly helps during labour and birth. They usually also offer pain management options including deep warm water pools, TENS machines, and gas and air.

Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust Consultant Midwife Sarah Gregson said: “Research has shown that women who give birth at birthing units normally need less pain relief and are more likely to have a normal birth. Women are also more likely to be satisfied with their experience than if they give birth in hospital.”

“Research shows that women who give birth away from the hospital have a greater chance of a normal birth, require less use of drugs for pain relief, are less likely to have an episiotomy and are also more likely to be satisfied with their experience than if they give birth in hospital.

Remember you can book into a Birth Centre, Hospital and for a Home Birth simultaneously so keep your options open if you are undecided.

Wirral Women's and Children's Hospital

Description

Care in the hospital setting is provided on the delivery suite in either the high risk area or the midwifery led unit.

Women with low risk pregnancies who do not want to birth at home are cared for in the Midwife Led Unit, adjacent to the Delivery Suite.

The Midwifery-led Unit (MLU) has five home-from-home rooms and two poolrooms for waterbirths. This area is totally staffed by midwives. In total, there will be seven rooms where women can deliver their babies and remain in the same room until their discharge home.

The Ante and Postnatal Wards have 26 individual rooms, with ensuites bathrooms and sleeping facilities for partners to stay overnight. There is a six bedded Post Operative Care Bay where higher dependency care can be delivered around the clock.

Liverpool Women's Hospital

Offer three options: our midwifery-led unit; the consultant-led unit or home birth. The nature of your pregnancy may determine which of the three options best suits your needs.

If you have had a straightforward pregnancy without complications, then you are most likely to give birth in the midwifery-led unit. A team of dedicated and highly trained midwives and health care assistants will provide all the care and help you need, allowing you and your family to experience the birth of your baby in quiet and private, en-suite room. There is also a birthing pool. Most forms of pain relief are available but if you request an epidural this will involve you being moved to by the adjacent consultant-led unit.

Birth Centres in England, by region