Suzanne Hardacre, Head of Midwifery and Lead Directorate Nurse and the team
The Midwifery Led Unit at the University Hospital of Wales celebrated its 10th Birthday last week (July 1st 2015). Over 10,500 babies have been born at the Midwife Led birthing unit at UHW since it opened on July 1st 2005.
Professor Lesley Page, President of the Royal College of Midwives and Ruth Walker, Director of Nursing, Cardiff & Vale Health Board joined Midwives and support staff at the birthday celebration lunch.
The event was also attended by two very special guests, the first two babies born in the unit on July 1st 2005 Aaron Searle and Maisie Marsh-Simone.
The Midwifery Led Unit at UHW now has over 1,000 births a year making it one of the largest in the UK.
The National Institute for Care and Health Excellence (NICE) recommend that women with a straight forward pregnancy plan their baby’s birth in a Midwifery Led Unit.
Midwifery units provide care that is as safe for mothers and babies as that provided in larger obstetric units, but women that choose to go to a midwifery unit are less likely to have labour interventions such as caesarean sections.
Women opting for labour care in the Midwifery led Unit at the University Hospital of Wales can make use of facilities which are amongst the best the UK with four birthing pools and double beds in every room for new parents to stay together.
Liddy Shepard, Midwifery Manager for the MLU said: “As custodians of the unit, we play a massive role in the future of the MLU, what we have achieved has been through hard work and dedication. It is our responsibility to ensure it continues into the next decade.
We need to train our student midwives in the art of normal delivery, providing them with the knowledge confidence and freedom to have their babies with us in the MLU or at home.
As midwives are specialists in normal pregnancy and birth, we should continue to do what we love for the women we care for and their families, making them feel valued in this beautiful environment.”
Beccy Courtley was one of the first Mums to give birth in the unit, her son Aaron Searle was born ten years ago and she fondly remembers the day she was admitted to the MLU.
Beccy said: “Coming into the unit was wonderful, I was so relaxed and the midwives supported me so well, I wasn’t worried about anything. I came here throughout my pregnancy for my antenatal care and came back to the unit to have my second son. I was well looked after, the whole experience was fantastic. I’ve just been for a look around the Unit, the facilities here are amazing. When I had Aaron there was only one birth pool here, now there are now are four.
“I’d like to thank all the staff here for helping me to deliver my two sons, Aaron and Jayden, they were fantastic.”
Nicola Sloan and her husband Kevin, welcomed their baby girl Freya Jayne into the world on the MLU on 30th June at 15:41. Freya was born a healthy 7lb 9oz. Nicola tells her story: “I was midwife led throughout my pregnancy, so I only came into hospital for the general check-ups and scans. When I came in to the Unit in labour, they were so supportive, they reacted really well to how I was coping with things.
They have been so supportive since we’ve been in and it’s been lovely to have a double room so that my husband can stay with us overnight, any little questions we’ve had they’ve been around to answer but they haven’t been intrusive. As first time parents we’ve got loads to learn and they’ve given us the special time and privacy to do that.
Sue Worthington, Midwife on the unit has been amazing throughout the delivery, a massive support, the whole team have worked together really well to keep us informed about things along the way.
Kevin Sloan, proud dad said: “I been really included and involved in the birth, they kept me informed about what was going on, they made me aware in case I had to make any decisions but thankfully we had no complications. I’m so glad to see Nicola getting so much a care and the level of care has been outstanding. It’s been brilliant, can’t fault it at all.”
Jodie Marsh and Antonio Simone’s daughter Maisie Marsh-Simone was the first baby born in a birth pool in the unit 10 years ago. Jodie tells us about her experience: “We arrived at the unit and met the midwife who was lovely. She took us into the birthing room, which was brand new and still smelled of fresh paint, with dimmed lights and comfortable surroundings. When it came around to the actual birth, it was like a dream, she just popped out in the birthing pool.
“The care I had when I was in hospital was wonderful, I couldn’t have wished for better.”
Antonio said: “It was really daunting, coming into hospital and seeing the person you care about in so much pain and not being able to do anything about it. But the midwife we had really cared about us and even stayed longer at the end of her shift to see Maisie. Looking back now it was all a bit of a blur.”
