17th September 2024
“I cannot speak highly enough of the Midwifery Led Unit (MLU) in Craigavon Area Hospital.”
That is the view of one mum who has highlighted the amazing experiences she has had following the birth of both her children within the home-from-home purpose designed Unit.
Amy Corvan’s daughter Mollie was born on Christmas Day 2022 and earlier this year she gave birth to daughter Maisie. She said that she had “no qualms” choosing the MLU for her birth for what was the most important times of her life.
In her first pregnancy, Amy said that she had no specific birth plan but that she liked the idea of trying to keep everything “as natural as possible and thankfully it panned out that way.”
“There is not one thing I could fault. The midwives were there at just the right times, they don’t overload on you too much, and I really felt, that I give birth to my children. Yes, the midwives were there but they didn’t intervene, they let me do my thing, and they also made me feel so safe within that space.”
The Midwifery-Led Unit is located on the second floor of the hospital and provides 24-hour care during labour and birth, 365 days a year. Last month 27 babies were born in the unit.
“I know from experience that it does not matter when you come in to have your baby in the MLU, you will be supported to the utmost every day. With my first baby being born on Christmas Day, my midwives were with me the whole time and I thought that was just because I think I was the only person on the ward that day with it being a Bank Holiday but as it turns out, that is what they are like with every woman that steps in through the door.”
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he MLU facilities are designed to help mums relax, with their well-being and comfort at the forefront. Craigavon currently offer eight rooms, with each room self-contained with their own bathroom, with a bath that can be used during labour.
“It is not like any other hospital ward where you can see what is going on beside you.
“You just feel you are the sole person and you are the sole attention of the midwifery staff on that day or by the staff who are assigned to you. Like the care that they give to you, it’s like you’re the only person in the hospital at that time.”
“I just don’t think there’s a place like it. The feeling you have when you’re allowed to deliver your own baby like, with minimal intervention, is a feeling that nothing will ever compare to, no feeling will ever compare to that in my lifetime. It’s very empowering, you feel if you can do that, you can do anything.”
Wendy Clarke, Interim Assistant Director of IMWH, said that “midwifery -led units are highly valued by the women who use them.”
“For us as midwives, it’s about women’s journeys. This is one of the most important times in their life. We aim to support all women by providing safe, compassionate care to ensure that their birth is a positive life changing experience.
“Midwifery-led units provide women and their families with more personalised care, possibly because of their small scale, possibly because of the particular philosophy of care, which is sometimes called a ‘social model of care’.
“Women’s safety is central to our care of mums and their babies and within Craigavon Area Hospital and Daisy Hill Hospital we have medical colleagues on standby in the event of any special circumstances that may arise during the labour or birth”.