A NEW £1.2 million unit for expectant mums and their new arrivals from all over the region called “The Nest” opens its doors tomorrow, Tuesday, December 1, providing a home away from home birth experience.
‘The Nest’ is a Midwifery-led Unit which is a relaxed, less clinical environment to create a truly special labour and birth experience for all women.
Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (WHH) has invested in this new facility to provide more choice for women and their families. The Nest is available alongside other WHH maternity services, including those for pregnancies that are considered to be more complex, and home births supported by community midwives.
Evidence highlights that Midwifery-led units (MLU) have proven to be beneficial to women and their families. Labour is often shorter and there is less intervention required when birthing in the MLU.
The Nest offers four en-suite birth rooms, each with its own birthing pool and two of these have outside access to the garden area. The state-of-the-art rooms have been designed to promote active, upright labours in a calm and relaxed environment.
The equipment available includes birthing couches, birthing stools, mats and positioning pillows. Specialist lighting, Bluetooth speakers and projectors, all support women in labour to personalise the space to help create a home-from-home feel.
Most families will choose the option of an early discharge home from the MLU and to be supported by the midwives in the comfort of their own home. There is a large and inviting kitchen area for patients and staff use, as well as refreshment facilities in each room. Future plans include developing a more private outside garden area for ladies to utilise during their labour.
Chief Nurse for Warrington and Halton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Kimberley Salmon-Jamieson, said: “We are delighted and proud of this amazing new facility for families across the north west, and we believe it is one of the best not only in the area, but in the UK. The suite is both state-of-the-art, and also creates a relaxing and supportive place in which to have your baby. We can’t wait to welcome our first families.”
For more information on The Nest, contact 01925 662043 or visit – https://whh.nhs.uk/services/maternity
