The Birthplace study reported on last year compared the safety of 64,500 births planned in four settings:

• Home
• Freestanding midwifery units (FMUs) – not situated in a hospital or site with an obstetric unit or neonatal unit.
• Alongside midwifery units (AMUs)- situated in the same hospital or on the same site as an obstetric unit.
• Obstetric units in hospital.

The main findings relate to healthy women with straightforward pregnancies

                                                                   Safety of birth outside the hospital

First baby
The study found that for women having a first baby, a planned home birth increases the risk for the baby. For first time mothers there were 9.3 adverse outcome events per 1000 planned home births compared with 5.3 per 1000 births for births planned in obstetric units, and this finding was statistically significant. Adverse outcomes include the death of a child or upper arm injuries.

Second or subsequent baby
The study revealed that for women having their second or subsequent baby giving birth at home or a midwife-led unit (MLU) is as safe as giving birth at an obstetric unit. The study also confirmed that planned births outside hospitals have a far lower rate of medical intervention, fewer caesarean sections and  more ‘normal births’.

                                                                           Transfer rates to Hospital

Birthplace found that possibility of transfer is one of the main worries that stops women from giving birth outside an obstetric unit. It can be distressing travelling in labour in an emergency ‘blue light’ ambulance. The study says: ‘The prospect of intrapartum  transfer was a major consideration when women made a decision around place of birth, and women often cited concerns about transfer distance as a reason for planning labour in hospital.’

First baby
For women having a first baby, there is a fairly high probability of transferring to an obstetric unit during labour or immediately after the birth – the transfer rate was 45% for planned home births, 36% for planned FMU births and 40% for planned AMU births

Second or subsequent baby
For women having a second or subsequent baby, the proportion of women transferred to an obstetric unit during labour or immediately after the birth was 12% for planned home births, 9% for planned FMU births and 13% for planned AMU births.

The research confirms that midwife-led care is much more likely to lead to a normal birth – without any interventions, including forceps or ventouse. That was true whether the baby was born at home or in a midwife-led unit. The emergency Caesarean rate for the low-risk women in the study was 11% in obstetric units compared with only 2.8% at home, and 4.4% in a midwife led unit on a hospital site.

There is more research which will come from this study and you can read the full report on the BirthPlace website https://www.npeu.ox.ac.uk/birthplace

Called ‘Fit Mamma’ it’s an excercise club where you take your baby in the pram and join other mums in the park for a 45 mins workout. Have a look at her website for locations and prices.

http://www.feelingfitandfabulous.co.uk/

You are invited to sample health & fitness programmes, holistic therapies, beauty treatments, expert advice, luxury products and gifts …….all together in sumptuous surroundings.

The midwives from Bumps and Babes will be on hand as well as other health professionals. For more information visit the Bumps and Babes website http://bumpsandbabes-yorkshire.co.uk

The Trust have launched a new web site to give people an insight into maternity services at the three sites. It contains short videos showing the rooms and facilities and also aims to provide answers to some questions:

What do I need to know before I come to hospital?

What happens when I arrive?

What happens at each stage of labour?

What happens after I have had my baby?

What extra care is available to me and my baby?

You can visit the website at  www.mystorkwalk.co.uk

Couples Courses
The couples evening course in Garforth, Leeds, has really thrived with couples attending from Garforth and the surrounding areas. The course filled up quickly in December so we launched another evening course in Roundhay. Word is spreading as people are coming to us through recommendations  from Halifax, Huddersfield and even York. The feedback has been excellent and we have learned that our classes are suitable for everyone, not just first time parents. A few of our couples have taken part in One Born Every Minute at the LGI so we look forward to the series when it arrives on our screens.

Currently we are offering two courses of antenatal classes in Leeds (Garforth and Roundhay) and one in Wakefield (Ossett). This year will see more classes being offered in other areas.

One-Day Classes
The Weekend One-Day classes have been very popular with couples from all over Yorkshire. These were mainly first time parents who just couldn’t commit to a regular evening course. It works so well at the hotel in Garforth and staff are just so helpful.  We will be taking the day to other areas as well starting with York in February, then back to Leeds in March.

One-to-One Sessions
We had a rush on for One-to-One sessions in December but managed to fit everyone in before Christmas. Two of the visits were for couples where partners were servicemen just home in time for Christmas. It’s so important to us that we offer something for everyone. We have noticed that many people are using BirthPrep classes in addition to their NHS classes which they feel isn’t enough.

All in all it’s been a busy, rewarding and enjoyable year.  We are starting the new year with some reunions that are overdue because of Christmas and if you are thinking of coming to join us in any of our classes we look forward to welcoming you.

So here is their list:

1.    Pack the bags together so that you know where everything is
2.    Organise music and make sure devices fully charged
3.    Organise food and drink
4.    Arrange the care of other children and pets
5.     Make sure there is enough petrol
6.     Know the route to the hospital and where to park
7.     Have money for parking
8.     Limit alcohol or arrange taxis
9.     Be local if you can
10.   Remember a pillow if needed and pregnancy notes
11.   Know the Birth Preferences
12.   Give reassurance by – holding hands, saying: ‘You are doing really well’,'You are nearly there’, ‘ You can do it’
13.   Breathe with her
14.   Be calm
15.   Use massage
16.   Speak with a quiet voice
17.   Take photos
18.   Have contact numbers in your phone
19.   Have breaks
20.   Get someone to support you either at the birth or on the end of the phone
21.   If you’ve been up all night go home for a sleep after the birth
22.   Take the car seat if going home the same day

My contribution to the discussion was to suggest that on labour day think of yourself  as the organiser of a long journey. You take care of all the practical things while your partner is free to concentrate on her breathing and relaxation.

No doubt we will have more suggestions.

A small machine provides tiny electrical impulses through the skin via four electrode pads placed on the mother’s back when labour starts. This stimulates the body to release endorphins, which are natural pain-relieving chemicals (the body’s equivalent of morphine). It also targets the pain gate, which stops pain signals from reaching the brain.

TENS can be used throughout labour and as labour progresses the intensity of the electrical stimulation is raised to cope with the increased pain of contractions.

You can hire a complete MamaTENS unit with pads and free delivery for £24.99 with the code   jc978   (£5 off the advertised price) by visiting their website www.mama-tens.info or call 013 7272 3434. The code is exclusive to BirthPrep and there  is no time limit for using the code.

There is no postage to pay when you return the unit. More information is on their website including  ‘Frequently asked questions’.

Therefore, we are now including everyone in all our classes. We will be holding some refresher classes as well during the day in 2012 for anyone who just wants to be with others who have also had babies before. Details will be on our Refresher Classes page.

Please get in touch if you want to give us any feedback -  info@birthprep.co.uk

In Leeds there is only one place to go and that is the Leeds General Infirmary. St James’s Hospital maternity unit doesn’t have a pool. The LGI has 3!

There is a Waterbirth Class held at St James’s Hospital in the Bexley Wing on the first Wednesday of the month from 7.30 pm. to 9.30 pm. There is no need to book. I know that several of our parents have been and found it really useful.

You can also attend a tour of the Delivery Suite at the LGI. Ask your community midwife for details.

The Birth Plan  has been defined as ‘a way of communicating with the professionals’. However, being in labour doesn’t mean you are sudddenly unable to communicate. You will be able to discuss things with your midwife and make decisions as you go. In fact the majority of women don’t have a birth plan. 

Is it possible to plan a birth?
The problem with the words ‘Birth Plan’ is that it gives people the impression that you can plan what happens during labour and birth. In fact you can’t. You can plan a holiday or a party because you know the dates, times and lots of other definite facts. On the whole most will go to plan. You can’t plan a birth. You don’t know when it is going to start, how long it will take, how much pain you will be in and what the outcome will be. You can only prepare.

Birth Preferences
At BirthPrep we don’t talk about Birth Plans, we talk about ‘Birth Preferences’. These are things that you would like to happen and you can make a note of them on the Birth Plan/Birth Preferences page in your hospital notes. They will remind you of what you have thought about when you go into labour.  Antenatal Classes  and talking things through with your midwife will give you the information you need to make decisions about your preferences. These are things people have written:

‘I would like to try and avoid an epidural if possible’
‘I would like an epidural’
‘I would like a waterbirth’
‘My partner would like to cut the baby’s cord’
‘I would like my partner to tell me the baby’s sex’

Note down anything that is important to you. Make a note of any phobias.

Now Prepare
Remember that writing it down doesn’t mean you don’t have to do anything else. If you decide for example that you would like a waterbirth do some reading on the subject, go to a local class and get all the facts. If you say that you would prefer not to have any drugs/pain relief in labour then prepare for that with relaxation & breathing or take a course in hypnobirthing.

One of my parents at a recent antenatal class said she was going to write only two words on her Birth Preferences page – Open-minded!