EAST Lancashire’s first midwife-led birth centre has celebrated its 50th baby – less than seven weeks since it opened.
Poppy Yates came into the world at 10.10am on Wednesday 20 October, weighing a healthy 7lb 5oz.
Mum Vanessa Yates, 20, of Delph Approach, Blackburn, said the centre was a “fantastic” place to have a baby.
Early in her pregnancy, she had asked for a Caesarian section to be performed to deliver her baby, but at the birth centre she was able to have Poppy naturally, with no need for pain relief, after a labour of just a couple of hours.
She said: “When I had my son Harley four years ago I was very young and stressed out, so I was very tensed up and it was a really long, horrible process. I was in labour for more than 40 hours.
“I was frightened of that happening again so that’s why I originally asked for a Caesarian, but the doctors and midwives explained that I would be better off giving birth naturally, and after I’d looked round I booked in at the birth centre.
“It’s been absolutely brilliant. I spent some time in the birth pool and with the birthing ball, and eventually had Poppy in bed – it was great to be able to try everything out and get into the most comfortable position for me.
“The midwives are really nice, even though I gave them a bit of a hard time during the labour! I apologised afterwards, and they have been very supportive all the way through.”
Proud dad Martin Ayres, a forklift driver, added: “The centre is a really nice, relaxing place and me and Harley have been able to stay with Vanessa nearly all the time in her room. Everyone has been great with us.”
Midwife Kath Pollard, who was with Vanessa when she gave birth to Poppy, said: “Vanessa’s story shows that, even if there had been a difficult birth before, many women can give birth naturally with the right support.
“It’s a relaxing place to be, for both the staff and the families, and that really does help women through the birth. Vanessa’s problems with her first birth had been quite a big issue for her so I hope this birth experience has helped her come to terms with that.
“The 50th baby is an important milestone for us, and demonstrates just how popular the centre is already becoming.
“Midwife-led birth centres are a brilliant option for healthy women, and we are expecting even more to choose this facility when hospital births move over to the Lancashire Women and Newborn Centre in November.”
