12th April 2019
Belfast Trust is delighted to announce that the Midwife-Led Unit at the Mater Hospital exceeded 300 births for the first time in 2018.
The 303 babies delivered last year is a continuation of an upward trend in the number of births at the Unit as more women choose midwife-led care during labour.
The unit opened in 2013 and has increased the number of births in 4 of past 5 years, with the total number of deliveries thus far 1,298. The 13% increase in 2018 identifies a growing demand for midwife-led care and underpins the Belfast Trust commitment to providing choice for expectant parents.
Located at the Mater, the MLU has a number of delivery rooms with en-suite facilities and birthing pools as well as access to reflexology and hypnobirthing services. It has facilities for partners to stay throughout labour to make mother and baby as comfortable as possible. Whilst there are criteria for accessing the service, expectant parents wishing to use the service are asked to self-refer online and can arrange a tour of the unit before making a decision.
Jasmine Callow, Midwife Sister at the MLU said: “The unit has been designed for women expecting a healthy pregnancy and a normal birth. Year on year our birthing numbers have increased in the MLU and we are very grateful of all the women who have supported us since we opened in 2013. Exceeding 300 births in one year is an excellent achievement for a standalone unit and we are exceptionally proud of our staff for making this possible.”
“I would say to all expectant mothers that our highly experienced midwives are ideally placed to handle any special circumstances that may occur during your care. Safety is paramount at the MLU.”