UHB Charity fund £1 million project at Good Hope Hospital.
University Hospitals Birmingham Charity have announced the opening of a new Midwifery Led Unit at Good Hope Hospital. The unit opened in April 2021, giving women a choice of birth and the reassurance that they are in the safest place they can be when delivering their new baby.
Having a baby is a very special time in parents’ lives and in the build up to the delivery date, the bond between mother and midwife becomes very strong as the midwife supports the mother throughout her pregnancy. More recently, there has been an increase in demand for Midwifery Led Units where the midwife assists with a natural birth. This past year has particularly shown the need for developments such as the MLU.
Good Hope Hospital Maternity Unit
The pandemic has meant pregnant women must undergo the experience of giving birth without their partners or loved ones. This can add immensely to an already stressful and anxious time. Research has shown that stress is incredibly damaging for an unborn baby’s development, and there is a link between stress in pregnancy and severe postnatal depression. The MLU will provide women with a ‘home from home’ like experience, so that women feel safe, comfortable and in control of the birth of their baby.
This £1 million investment into Maternity services at Good Hope Hospital will have a direct benefit on the mother, baby and families. The new unit is home to four new spacious and beautifully decorated birthing suites (Lavender Suite, Camomile Suite, Eucalyptus Suite, Jasmine Suite), two of which include birthing pools. They also incorporate brand new equipment such as birthing cubes, stargazer chairs and height adjustable cots to encourage family centred care and ensure everyone involved feels as comfortable as possible.
There are two new overnight rooms which will provide a home away from home for mothers, a family dining/lounge area and its own entrance, all creating a more relaxed and less clinical environment (home-like birth) which will have a positive impact on mother and baby.
The unit was opened with the help of Friends of Good Hope, who donated £150,000 towards this project.
Talking about the Midwifery Led Unit, Maggie Coleman, Matron for Maternity Services at Good Hope Hospital, said: “It is hard to put into words just how much difference a Midwifery Led Unit will make to parents having their baby at Good Hope Hospital. Allowing midwives to focus on the mother’s needs and wishes before, during and after the birth, in a relaxed environment, helps to reduce the stress and anxiety of child birth and give the mother and her baby the perfect start to their life together.”
Fundraising Manager at University Hospitals Birmingham Charity, Laura Power said: “UHB Charity are so pleased with the new Midwifery Led Unit, it looks amazing, better than we could every have imagined! This £1 million project has been entirely charity funded, and we are so grateful to Friends of Good Hope and the support of the local community for making this project possible. With over 3,500 babies born each year at Good Hope Hospital, the MLU will mean more mothers will be able to benefit from the support of midwives in a specialist unit. We cannot wait to hear about all the families who are have benefitted from our new unit.”
