The choices for birthing in Leeds have opened up to more appealing options as I discovered in my role as Chair of the Maternity Voices Partnership (MVP) at Women’s Health Matters. On Friday 3 May 2019 myself and two other parent reps – Claire Licence and Nicki Collins (both Doulas) saw the official opening and naming ceremony of the newly furbished ‘Lotus Alongside Midwifery Led Unit’ at LGI (AMU). Situated towards the end of the delivery suite (L44) the doors of the new birthing suite stand to welcome in pregnant ladies and their families to give birth in a less medical environment. The prestigious event was timed nicely with the International Day of the Midwife and opened by Deputy Chief Nurse Dawn Marshall.
An AMU is a birthing centre for pregnant women who are ‘low risk’ and wish to give birth in a home from home environment, but can be physically transferred for intervention if they need an epidural or obstetric care.
I spoke to Team leader Homebirth midwife Naomi Robinson and Matron Vicky Brooksbank. They said the planning of the AMU has been in the pipeline for a couple of years now, and when funding came through last March (2018) it was the green light to prepare for the building work. They worked alongside staff and the homebirth support group to research different regional AMU’s to see what kind of active birthing equipment worked the best between women and staff. Following the relevant governance checks and more finishing touches such as candles and aromatherapy diffusers the area was ready to be opened. They did mention there was still a few bits of furniture needed and would be seeking fundraising for the necessary items through the trusts charity Leeds Cares.
After giving birth women and families can leave straight from the room, so they don’t need to get moved to Postnatal wards, the checks before home are done straight from the room you gave birth in. The booking policy is that women do still have to go through the Maternity Assessment Centre (MAC) on admission beforehand.
The space on the delivery ward had always been there but the double doors separating two areas of the floor signify two different practices and caring labour services. A Midwifery Led care means instead of seeing other clinician’s busying about, it’s just your named midwife around offering care and support.
Claire, Nicki and I looked around the three birthing rooms, all with low lighting, calming colours and birth pools. There are a couple of medical reminders including the free-standing K2 electronic screen notes system and the entinox (gas and air). Claire and Nicki agreed the long awaited birth unit is great to raise awareness in active birth and test drive some of the equipment. Nicki commented on the space and says ‘By not having a bed in the middle of the room, makes it so much easier to move around and help the flow of the birth’.
Naomi Robinson Home Birth team leader says this is a great way to promote home birth. If a woman leans towards a Home Birth but is unsure it’s a great first time try out this method. The AMU will require a new mindset of working but Vicky Brooksbank reassures us that they are willing to be flexible to learn to listen to women’s wishes and look out for what works best between families and staff to make sure this resource is fully utilised.
Later in the morning we were greeted by Tom Everett Clinical Lead and Johnathan Nelson Consultant Obstetrician. They added their approval saying that this is going to be a great space in that they can ‘reassure women that this is the right place for them coming through clinic’.
What about if you choose to birth at St James’s? Don’t worry there are still some wonderful low risk active birth rooms on the delivery suite there too with a separate area even though there’s no doors to separate the area. Leeds Trust are making sure they are working towards a midwifery led ethos across the estate.
Find out more here www.leedsth.nhs.uk/a-z-of-services/leeds-maternity-care/
