New mums, babies and birth centre midwives
11 November 2010
A crowd of new mums, young babies and midwives gathered at the birth centre at St Helier Hospital on Wednesday (3 November) to celebrate the unit's first birthday.
The centre, which gives parents-to-be the chance to have their baby naturally in a relaxed, homely atmosphere, has proved to be very popular in its first year, with many of the new mums gladly returning to help celebrate the anniversary.
The Trust's Head of Midwifery Sally Sivas said: "After just one year, it is clear that the birth centre is a wonderful asset to us and local families. It makes me incredibly proud to hear about the fantastic experiences people have had in the centre, and I would like to thank all of the midwives and supporting staff who make the centre the success that it is.
"I would also like to thank the women who have given birth here, as you have given us the opportunity to serve you and give you the birth experience you wanted. That's exactly what we're here for."
The centre, which cost £180,000 to create and has seen 500 births since it opened, contains three birthing pools, specialist furniture, birthing balls and mood lighting that gently changes colour. It has been designed so that women who have had problem-free pregnancies have the chance to give birth in a home-from-home environment, supported by midwives.
New mum Denny Allan, who gave birth to son Ashton at the centre six weeks ago, said: "This is the first time I've been back to the centre and it feels very special. I felt honoured to be invited.
"I knew that I wanted to give birth naturally and be able to use a birthing pool for pain relief, and I'm pleased to say that it all went to plan. The whole experience was lovely. My husband and I both felt like we were receiving private care while we were here. It's so clean, so friendly and everyone worked really closely together."
Lead midwife Gina Brockwell holding Arlya
Lead midwife for the birth centre, Gina Brockwell, said: "It's been a very productive year, and the birth centre midwives have thoroughly enjoyed providing such a high standard of care for women and their families. It's a privilege to be able to give women such a special birthing experience that is tailored to their wants and needs."
The birth centre formed part of a £2.8 million revamp of maternity services at St Helier. Other improvements included a complete refurbishment of the neo-natal unit, where premature and sick babies get treated. In addition, more than £850,000 was spent on refurbishing the gynaecology ward and ante-natal clinics.
