I recently wrote a post on the difference between labour ward and a birth centre. Birth centres are amazing and we're so lucky to have one here in Salisbury now. However if you aren't able to use the birth centre, please don't be disappointed you can still have a really positive birth on labour ward!
The feedback from everyone about Salisbury Labour Ward is overwhelmingly positive, particularly about the midwives who are supportive, caring, amazing and advocate for the families they look after so very well.
Despite it being a consultant led labour ward you'll be surprised at just how very little you see of the Doctors! The Midwives are amazing at what they do and most normal births don't require any kind of involvement from a doctor. However they're always around if you do happen to need them!
Salisbury Maternity Unit doesn't just have the two birth centre rooms it also has two huge pool rooms on labour ward. If you're birthing on labour ward rather than the birth centre you don't have to miss out on your water birth! The only real difference is there's a hospital bed in the room, but you're welcome to push this to the side, pop a sheet over it so you can't see it.
Whether you're in a pool room or a different room you can still make it your own. Turn the lights down... or turn them off. You can take your own mood lighting in (fairy lights, battery operated candles) you can take your own bluetooth speaker to play your own music. You can take some photos with you as well as some affirmation cards and hang them up. That room is yours to do with as you wish to make it as calm, comforting and relaxing as possible.
You can even prepare a sign to take with you asking for silence or quiet in the room, or for questions to be directed at your birth partner so you can stay in the zone. Do ensure that you and your birth partner have written your birth preferneces together. It's your birth partner's job to be in charge of your Birth Preferences and ensure everyone who enters your birth room is familiar with your wishes.
You can ensure you stay active throughout your labour by taking your birth ball along or borrowing one that they've got there. You haven't got to lie on the bed just because it's there in the middle of the room! You can use it to lean against, you can use it to lean over. If you haven't managed to bag a birth pool room you're not missing out, because every room has it's own private bathroom so you can have a nice long shower (you aren't paying the bills!!) or you can even run yourself a bath!!
If you've been practising Hypnobirthing or you've been to my Pregnancy Yoga classes in Amesbury or Enford it might be worth asking for a Midwife who is familiar with Hypnobirthing techniques to support you through your relaxation and breathing.
A positive birth is definitely more about the journey than the destination. You may know EXACTLY what you want from your birth. But unfortunately nature has a funny way of working sometimes and you won't always get what you want. You can however make the best of the birth cards you've been dealt by making your birth environment your own (where ever you may be), you need to be informed and educated enough to make your own decisions, to take control of your own birth and more importantly than anything else you need to know what birth is, how it works and amazing it can be. If you're going in to birth feeling scared, feeling worried, anxious and afraid of the unknown birth won't work well, that's just science.
If you want to find out more about creating a positive mind set around birth, I'd love to hear from you. Head to the Contact Me page to get in touch by your preferred means :-)