New Bradford birth centre is officially opened (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

New Bradford birth centre is officially opened

7:00am Saturday 2nd February 2013 in News

Bradford-born TV presenter Anita Rani officially opened the city’s new midwife-led birth centre.

Mothers and babies joined staff at Bradford Royal Infirmary yesterday to celebrate the grand opening of the centre.

The new facilities will cater for women with a low-risk pregnancy and birth, with all care provided by midwives.

Miss Rani, a BBC One Show reporter, was given a tour of the unit.

She said: “I think it is brilliant that the Bradford Trust is so progressive.

“It is so important that women have a choice when they give birth. I am also particularly excited about the iPod docking stations on the walls. It just looks really chilled out. It seems a very comfortable and safe environment for a woman to have a baby.”

Another special guest at the event was Rayyaan Ovais, who was the first baby to be born on the centre’s first day on November 27, 2012.

Proud mum Muniza Abowath said: “It was really nice to be back here. It’s a lovely centre and a very relaxing place.”

The Foundation Trust spent £1.2 million on the new birth centre and a full refurbishment of the adjacent consultant-led labour ward.

The seven-bedded birth unit boasts two birthing pools as well as a relaxing environment where women can give birth in specially-designed ‘home-from-home’ rooms.

iPod docking stations are attached to the walls of every room and birthing aids, like birth stools, mats and balls, encourage women to remain upright in birth so that labour can progress quickly.

Four-year-old Isla Grace Sharp was the first baby born in the hospital’s birthing pool in May 2008 and to mark this a room in the new unit has been named after her.

The Foundation Trust has invested £400,000 in staffing levels, which aims to enhance the service provided to women across the district.

A further £2 million will be spent on the Foundation Trust’s neonatal unit expansion when work begins next month.

The 13-bed consultant-led labour ward is only the second unit in the region to sit alongside a midwife-led centre.

Since the centre opened in November, more than 279 babies have been born there.

Carol Dyson, birth centre manager, said: “We’ve received some great feedback from mums who have already given birth at our new centre.

“Women who laboured in our new birthing pools have said they found it a really effective form of pain relief, so we are expecting demand for these two rooms in particular to increase.”