The Midwife Birth Centre

The Midwife Birth Centre is a dedicated unit within the Maternity Centre for women with an uncomplicated pregnancy.  Approximately 1500 babies are born here each year.

The Centre is run by midwives who care for women in labour, deliver their babies, provide immediate post natal care and transfer women back to the care of the community midwife on discharge from hospital to their home.

The unit has 11 delivery rooms and a dedicated birthing pool room.  Mum stays in her own room from when she is admitted in labour, through delivery until she goes home.

Each room in the midwife birth centre has an ensuite bathroom with a hydrotherapy spa bath for pain relief.  Apart from the birthing pool room, every room has a flat screen TV and dimmer switch lighting for an ambience of calm. The birthing pool room has special colour change lights which can be set to the patient's preference and create a comforting and relaxed atmosphere. There is also a music sound system for use if desired.

Mum can have two people with her during labour and birth.

The Centre has a dining room where mums and their partners can relax and make drinks and snacks. 

Women who use the Midwife Birth Centre unit don’t usually have any underlying medical problems. The unit promotes a calm, relaxing birth environment with the aim of achieving a normal birth.  

The Centre offers weekly antenatal relaxation classes for women and their partners, which can help with parent education relating to the various stages of labour. 

The breastfeeding coordinators also offer monthly antenatal breastfeeding classes in the department.