Isis Birth Centre at Wexham Park celebrates sixth birthday

The Isis Birth Centre at Wexham Park Hospital is celebrating its sixth birthday this month, after its official opening in October 2005.

The midwife-led unit, which has been recognised as one of the best performing birth centres in the South Central Strategic Health Authority, offers a ‘home from home’ environment to prospective mothers who fall into the low risk category. Mums-to-be are encouraged to pursue an active birth in a comfortable, safe and relaxed atmosphere where birth is treated as a natural process and medical intervention is kept to a minimum.

“When choosing the Isis birth centre, mums-to-be can expect a calm and welcoming atmosphere with the support of experienced, highly-skilled midwives who will care for them throughout their labour”, says Julie Watson, head of midwifery at the Trust.

“We’ve been delivering babies here for the last six years and the team is really proud to have brought more than 4,500 babies into the world!”

Lisa Perry, a local mum from Maidenhead, gave birth to son Jude in August at the Isis unit: “My experience was fantastic. Being my first baby, I was a bit nervous about using the midwife-led unit in case there were any complications but I couldn’t have been made to feel more at home. The staff were absolutely amazing and gave me and my husband all the support and encouragement we needed”.

The birth centre has five birth rooms, two of which have en-suite facilities and one a birth pool. The rooms are furnished to support mum’s choice of natural birth and create an atmosphere that helps families to feel as calm as possible. A fully equipped kitchen is also available, where snacks and food can be warmed or stored and a lounge/dining room to relax either during the early stages of labour or following birth.

The centre offers a range of traditional and alternative methods of pain relief, including aromatherapy, reflexology, massage, gas and air (entenox), pethidine, an active birth pool and TENS. The centre encourages active birth, and there are birthing balls, mats and beanbags available to ensure that women are given every opportunity to labour and birth in the way they wish.

If complications arise during labour or if labour does not progress as expected, mums will be transferred to the labour ward, located in the same building, to complete their birth. If this happens, wherever possible the Isis Birth Centre midwives will continue the care, or it may be necessary to transfer care to one of the many experienced midwives on the labour ward.

The Isis Birth Centre has a six-bedded postnatal room which is available for women and their babies to relax and recuperate after the birth. Mothers are normally able to go home between six and 24 hours after the birth.