500th baby born at new birthing unit

In the space of just five months the Midwifery-Led Birthing Unit at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital has seen the delivery of its 500th baby.

Baby Hattie Rose, weighing 2.70 kgs, was born on 20th January at 2.00am to Aisha Heward. Aisha had her first baby (son Cody) at the NNUH exactly a year earlier and was attended by the same midwife who attended her this time, Molly O'Brien.

Baby Hattie was born in the unit’s Rose room which was yet another co-incidence as Hattie Rose was already named prior to her being born.

Mum Aisha, aged 26, who is a bar-maid at The Nelson in Norwich, said: “The MLBU is such a lovely tranquil unit and it really helped my to relax and be at ease. The whole positive experience of having both my children at the NNUH has led me to want to train as a midwife when my children are older. ” Dad, Christopher Aldis, a bricklayer, who brought Aisha in at 9.00pm and was also impressed by the new unit.

Opening it's doors for the first time in August 2011, the Midwifery-led Birthing Unit offers women a home-from-home environment in which to have a natural birth if the delivery is expected to be low-risk.

The unit is on the hospital’s Blakeney ward and has four birthing rooms named Lavender, Lotus, Jasmine and Rose. The new birthing unit has a total of three birthing pools and cost £400,000 to build.

Pam Sizer, MLBU Midwifery Manager said “Following our opening last August this unit has been a great success for women and has provided an additional choice of place for women to give birth. It offers greater opportunity for women to have waterbirths and has the advantage of having medical assistance nearby should the need arise”.

The philosophy of the new midwifery-led birthing unit is to give one-to-one care and support to women throughout the process of birth naturally and without intervention. Some of the midwives on the unit are also trained to do the newborn examination check needed before babies can go home.

Photo opportunity

2.00pm on Monday 30th January 2012 on the Midwifery Led Birthing Unit.