Barts and The London Maternity Service | Barkantine Birth Centre
Barkantine Birth Centre
The Barts and The London Birth Centre at the Barkantine Centre on the Isle of Dogs is the first purpose-built NHS Birth Centre.
It is run jointly by Barts and The London NHS Trust and NHS Tower Hamlets, and opened in January 2008. Care is provided in a ‘home from home’ environment with a range of antenatal and intrapartum services. The Birth Centre has capacity for up to 500 births a year and offers a new opportunity for women expected to have a straightforward birth when deciding where to have their baby.
It is a ‘stand alone’ midwife-led maternity centre for pregnant women booked to have their babies within the Tower Hamlets area. It has five multi-purpose rooms, each with a birthing pool double bed and ensuite facilities, plasma television, sofa and balcony. The midwife-led service provides care for pregnant women before, during and immediately after the birth and improves access to maternity services. The centre offers antenatal check-ups from 36 weeks of pregnancy, active birth workshops and tours of the unit through the week.
As a midwife-led service, there are no obstetricians, paediatricians or anaesthetists (all specialist doctors) on site, therefore only women with low risk of complications in labour are suitable to have their babies at the Birth Centre. In the event of any concerns or in an emergency, women are transferred by ambulance to The Royal London Hospital labour ward.
Philosophy
The birthing centre staff provide a welcoming, supportive, caring environment for women and their families with the service designed around users’ needs. The staff are committed to normal births and view childbirth as a normal physiological process; consequently they can adopt a ‘low tech,’ woman-centred approach to birth. This has been shown to reduce the use of pain relief measures in labour and interventional therapy. The midwives and support staff work closely together to deliver high quality, evidence-based care; thereby supporting normal birth with confidence and competence. The use of water is actively encouraged for pain relief. Entonox and pethidine is available if needed. Birth aids to support active birth like floor mats, balls, beanbags and birthing stools are readily available.
Care is given regardless of background, culture or religious belief. Involving relevant local health and social care agencies is advocated if appropriate. Midwives want women to feel safe, confident and totally involved in all aspects of their care. The birthing centre promotes best practice guidance in relation to infant feeding and the Barts and The London and Baby Friendly standards infant feeding policy.
Facilities
The birth centre is not just for births. It also delivers a range of services associated with care in pregnancy.
- antenatal care between 36 and 41 weeks of pregnancy
- active birth workshops
- signposting to antenatal and postnatal community support services
- tours of the unit
- 24 hour telephone support and advice during pregnancy, labour and after birth
- baby check clinics
- breastfeeding drop in session
- parent groups
- antenatal follow-up care
The Birth Centre has:
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Consultation room - for antenatal appointments
Reception area at the Barkantine Birth Centre -
Meeting room eg for active birth workshops
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Five en-suite bedrooms (two rooms have disabled en-suite facilities) each with a birthing pool, double bed so that your partner can stay and access to a balcony
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Each bedroom has piped gas and air for pain relief
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Birth aids are available to support active birth, these include mats, balls, beanbags and birthing stools
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Kitchen for women and staff to prepare meals and drinks
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Facilities available for women to prepare formula feeds - ask the midwife for information
- Free-access kitchen for women and their families to prepare drinks and snacks and for staff to prepare meals
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General equipment rooms
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Staff office
Information about birthing at the Birth Centre
Below are the statistics for 2008 and 2009. Our statistics are also posted on the birth choice UK website www.birthchoiceuk.com
Births
- 304 (2008) and 421 (2009) women birthed at the centre
- 45% (2008) and 48% (2009) of women had a water births
- 79% (2008) and 84% (2009) of women gave birth in an upright/all-fours position
Pain relief
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72% (2008) and 81% (2009) of women used water for pain relief in labour
- 40% (2008) and 37% (2009) of women needed no drug-based pain relief
- 2% (2008) and 1% (2009) women were transfered for an epidural
Transfers
- 27% (2008) and 19% (2009) women were transferred to the Royal London during labour
Of the women transferring:
- a third had a normal birth
- a third had an assisted birth (ventouse or forceps)
- a third had a caesarean section
If you are having your first baby you are more likely to transfer than a woman having her second or subsequent baby:
- 37% (2008) and 28% (2009) with your first baby
- 8% (2008) and 5% (2009) with second or more baby
If you are at all curious, please give us a ring to ask questions, or come on a tour and chat to us about your choices. You can discuss this option with your, GP, midwife, obstetrician or any other health professional.
Articles
How to book your care at the Barkantine Birth Centre
This service is available for women who expect to have a straightforward pregnancy and birth.
Women may book directly with the Birth Centre or be referred by any health professional by either fax or by telephone. Women are encouraged to come on a tour of the birth centre after their anomaly scan (20 week scan) to look at the facilities and ask questions, the staff also talk about the way the centre works, the philosophy of care, the process in case of concerns or emergency and the likelihood of transferring.
Care is taken over by the birth centre from 36 weeks and 50-70 women per month are offered spaces; slots are allocated after consideration of a number of factors such as where you live in the city, what number baby this is for you and when in the month you are due.
In the event that bookings for the Birth Centre are full, we will still keep your name on file and contact you if a booking becomes available.
Contact details:
The team at the Barkantine Birth Centre
Birth Centre Reception: 020 7791 8300
Birth Centre Fax: 020 7791 8301
Alternatively, please talk to your midwife, GP or call the antenatal clinic on 020 3594 2508.
Quotes
We had such high hopes for our birth experience at the Barkantine Birth Centre and we were not disappointed. It is wonderful, relaxed, comfortable setting but it is the wisdom and kindness of the midwives and staff that really make it such a special place. Ellen and Wilf
Thank you so much for taking care of us and joining us on the start of our journey to parenthood. From walking through the doors until leaving us felt looked after in a safe and relaxing environment. If you are reading this and thinking of giving birth here, I would highly recommend it. All the staff was profesional, knowledgable yet personal. Yan and Alan
This is all about offering mothers a choice and we believe they will benefit from the level of one-to-one care we can provide and the fact that they are delivering in a very relaxing environment. Midwife Lynn Nash
