The Fatima Allam Birth Centre is an Alongside Midwifery Led Unit situated on the Labour & Delivery Suite on the 2nd floor of the Hull Women & Children’s Hospital. The environment is more homely, and the focus is on birth without medical intervention. Our ethos puts women at the centre of their own care; supporting them in making decisions about how they want to give birth whilst ensuring safe and high quality care is maintained.
The Birth Centre is staffed 24 hours by midwives who provide midwifery led one-to-one care to women who have uncomplicated pregnancies. We have a team of midwifery assistants working on the Birth Centre who work in partnership with women and midwives to provide supportive, individualised care.
There are 3 en-suite birthing rooms that are designed for women to stay in throughout labour, birth and after birth until transfer home or to the postnatal ward should this be required. Two birth partners (adults) can be present throughout your whole stay here on the Fatima Allam Birth Centre.
The Fatima Allam Birth Centre has a friendly home-from-home atmosphere which can help women feel more relaxed. The spacious birthing rooms are beautifully presented with dimmed and coloured mood lighting, with facilities to allow women to play their own music via CD or Bluetooth.
Each room has a birthing pool providing women with the option of using water to assist their movement, encourage relaxation during labour and birth. The Fatima Allam Birth Centre is an ideal place for healthy women with uncomplicated pregnancies, who do not want a home birth, and yet don’t want or need a hospital-like facility. Women may consider birthing here if they would like to use different coping methods such as birthing mats, balls and stools; these help women to adopt different positions to aid their comfort throughout labour and birth. We also support the personal use of complementary therapies and TENS machines which have been agreed in the plan of care made by the woman and her midwife.
If you’re a healthy first time mum and having a straightforward pregnancy, planning to give birth in a birth centre is particularly suitable for you because it’s as safe for your baby as planning to give birth in a labour ward, and you’re less likely to have medical interventions. Similarly if this is your second, third or fourth baby then birth in a birth centre is as safe as giving birth in a labour ward but with a reduced chance of medical interventions. If you’re unsure about being eligible for a birth centre birth please speak to your midwife or contact 01482 607860.