First Irish Birth Centre to open

SanFran07

Finally - some real choice coming soon to the Dublin area and no doubt more to come around the country.

http://www.birthcentre.ie

Thankfully there's mountains of evidence to support natural birth and it's benefits for Mums and babies.

January

Do you know where it will be located SanFran? And will it have the kind of strict criteria the midwives clinics have? Such as previous c section is a no no etc?

Moonbeam

Would love something like that locally.

SanFran07

Hi January - this first one will be in Dublin. The owner is Philomena Canning who is very pro normal birth after a caesarean (up until recently she did homebirth after caesareans and breech homebirth). It will all depend on the new legislation that is due to pass in the next few months.

I'll post more when I have more details.

CathyMoran

My pregnancies are due to several health issues c-sections but I do like the idea of the other care during pregnancy and afterwards - curious to get more details.

crazy cat lady

I've met Philomena, she's lovely. Ladies who go to her will be in good hands

amdublin

SanFran07 wrote: »

Thankfully there's mountains of evidence to support normal birth and it's benefits for Mums and babies.

Please excuse my ignorance but what is a normal birth compared to an abnormal birth

Mothman

crazy cat lady wrote: »

I've met Philomena, she's lovely. Ladies who go to her will be in good hands

Philomena has delivered my 2 and I'm delighted that a birthing centre that she has been talking about for as long as I've known her is finally getting off the ground.

Please excuse my ignorance but what is a normal birth compared to an abnormal birth

Other can put into waords much more eloquently that I can, so I'll just copy a paragraph from this pageon the birthcentre.ie website

If you are healthy and want to give birth normally and naturally with no, or minimal, intervention, the Birth Centre offers you the appropriate care and support to meet your needs. We provide a flexible approach to coping with labour and birth, including the use of warm, deep birthing pools, low lighting, relaxing music, movement, massage, complimentary therapies, hot flannels, soft mats, flexible furniture, and soothing words of encouragement and reassurance to enable you to birth your baby at your own pace for a safe and fulfilling birth experience.

Personally I wouldn't choose to use the wording of "normal birth" and perhaps "natural birth" is more appropriate.

SanFran07

Mothman you're absolutely right (I've edited my post).

Amdublin - normal is definitely in the eye of the beholder what one person considers normal might not be for another. A stand alone birth center or homebirth is the best place to facilitate a natural birth unless you arrive into hospital in the very late stages of birth and even then policies have to be navigated and negotiated.

Natural birth is an amazing physiological process and occurs best when it is supported with little or no unnecessary interruptions/interventions/drugs.

GoerGirl

amdublin wrote: »

Please excuse my ignorance but what is a normal birth compared to an abnormal birth

Its based on a definition by WHO - spontaneous, unaccelerated, unassisted vaginal birth - are the main components if I remember correctly:rolleyes: When people say they support or campaign for "normal birth" or "normal birth practices" it just meant women are allowed to have a physiological birth with no medical interference to the process - no time frame women must birth in or push for, no induction, no speeding labour up, etc. It basically just means they will support women to achieve this where other units may have policy which does not support normal birth (AML for example)

HTHs

Edit to add: so fab a birth centre is FINALLY being organised for Ireland!!!!!!

Suaimhneach

This makes me so happy. I'm a few years off having kids but very very broody and pop in here occasionally either to stave off the urge or to do some research. Seems like a lot of things are looking up - no church in our schools and possibility of something like this! it

Cat Melodeon

Would love to see this and Midwife-led units extended to the rest of the country. Most of us have no option but a 'standard', medicalised hospital birth. Even to have midwife-led antenatal care and a hospital birth would be amazing. It won't come in my child-bearing years, maybe by the time my son is having kids...

Good luck to Philomena, I hope it is a raging success and spreads nationwide.

bobobear

While I love the idea, I would be terrified of not having the option to see a doctor if things went wrong.

Myself and my two brothers both needed resuscitation after we were born. Also, my brother had a heart problem that was only diagnosed after birth and needed treatment.

I definitely plan to have an unmedicated birth, but just on the off chance that something went wrong, I would prefer to be in a hospital, just in case. It's the same reason I wouldn't go for a home birth.

If the birth centre had doctors available, I would consider it.

SanFran07

bobobear wrote: »

While I love the idea, I would be terrified of not having the option to see a doctor if things went wrong.

Myself and my two brothers both needed resuscitation after we were born. Also, my brother had a heart problem that was only diagnosed after birth and needed treatment.

I definitely plan to have an unmedicated birth, but just on the off chance that something went wrong, I would prefer to be in a hospital, just in case. It's the same reason I wouldn't go for a home birth.

If the birth centre had doctors available, I would consider it.

A Mum should give birth wherever she feels safest. But on the point of resuscitation - all Midwives are trained in emergency procedures and often a heart condition isn't picked up immediately after birth as it can take days for the baby's circulatory system to adapt to life outside of the womb. So you could have a perfectly wonderful birth in hospital and still end up being sent home 7 hours later or 3 days later with a baby who has an undiagnosed heart problem.

If you are planning an unmedicated birth in an obstetric led unit I'd recommend doing a good bit of research and learning about the routine procedures that will influence how you give birth. It sounds like you'd really be suited to a Midwife Led Unit where unmedicated births are the norm and the Midwives are highly skilled in supporting unmedicated births (+ access to labour pools). Also the two articles I posted on the 'planning vs preparing for a natural birth' will be helpful to you.

Hope you have a wonderful experience no matter where/how your baby arrives.

ETA - just saw that you're with the Community Midwives - so you're definitely in good hands when it comes to having a natural birth. You won't have to worry about the routine interventions in H.Street.