Warren Midwifery Group Practice supporting water births for the first time
L-R: Student Midwife Niamh Hickman, Clinical Midwife Robyn Turner, Director of Nursing Services/Health Service Manager Justine Kelly and Endorsed Midwife Erica Claydon.
WA Country Health Service’s Warren Blackwood Midwifery Group Practice (MGP) is offering water birthing facilities for the first time.
Following consumer feedback for water birthing to be an option, the hospital auxiliary donated a portable ‘birth pool in a box’.
The team can now provide local mums with low-risk pregnancies the option to water birth.
The award-winning Warren Blackwood MGP provides care to women close to home throughout their pregnancy, birthing and postnatal period alongside local GPs at Bridgetown Hospital and Warren Health Service.
One of several midwife-led services in country WA, the Warren Blackwood team has supported more than 150 local births since September 2020.
During a water birth, the mother is immersed in water to labour and birth their child. It is widely reported that the warmth and buoyancy of the water helps to lessen labour pains, and often, no other methods of pain relief are required.
WA Country Health Service’s Regional Clinical Midwifery Consultant Amy Gumbrell said engaging with consumers was important to informing service delivery and improvement.
“We received consumer feedback about the importance of having a birth pool as an option at Warren Health Service.
“Based on that feedback, we spoke to the hospital auxiliary who very kindly purchased it for us,” she said.
Amy also said the Warren team are committed to delivering the best possible care to expectant women and means the highly skilled midwives can provide even more support to country mums and bubs.
“Our midwives are committed to providing patient-centred care for expectant women and families.
“As well as prenatal, birthing and postnatal care, it’s fulfilling for our dedicated team to support women with another birthing option close to home,” she said.
“It’s a tremendous result and we look forward to supporting more women who are able to water birth close to home.”
Local women interested in exploring water birth as an option should contact the Warren Blackwood MGP on 9777 0300 or 0436 005 881 to discuss their eligibility.