Read Online The Midwife's Christmas Miracle by Jennifer Taylor - Free Book Online
Authors: Jennifer Taylor
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dingy.’
‘The maternity unit was rebuilt a few years ago,’ Lucy explained. ‘I wasn’t here then, but I’ve seen photos of the old unit and this is much nicer.’ She led the way to the en suite bathroom and switched on the light. ‘Apparently, the facilities in the old unit had to be shared, but the new rooms are all en suite, so you have your own bath and a separate shower, plus loo.’
‘I wish we had an en suite at home,’ one of the other mums declared. ‘I’m fed up with having to trail along the landing every time I need to go to the loo during the night. I must have got up at least a dozen times last night and I’m worn out!’
Everyone laughed at that. Lucy smiled when she heard them swapping stories about their own experiences. It was good for them to know that they weren’t alone in suffering these minor discomforts.
‘Is there a separate suite for water births?’ Rachel Green asked once everyone had settled down. ‘I’ve been wondering about a water birth but I wasn’t sure if it was possible to have one here at Dalverston.’
‘It is,’ Lucy assured her. She crossed the room and pulled back a folding screen so they could see the birthing pool. ‘Two of the suites are equipped with birthing pools, so it isn’t a problem.’
‘Oh, I’m not sure if I fancy a water birth,’ one of the others said, grimacing.
‘It’s not for everyone,’ Lucy agreed. ‘Some women don’t like the idea and others do. It’s a matter of personal choice.’
‘My mother-in-law is really against it,’ Rachel told her, sighing. ‘She keeps trying to persuade me to change my mind but I’ve read so many good reports about water births that I really fancy giving it a try.’
‘A lot of women find that giving birth in water is less stressful. The buoyancy of the water helps to support them and makes it easier for them to relax. And that can make the whole process of giving birth far less painful.’
‘What about the baby, though?’ another mum asked. ‘Isn’t there a risk that it could drown?’
Lucy shook her head. ‘No. The baby is still receiving oxygen via the umbilical cord when it’s born, so being submerged under the water for a short time won’t harm it. Once it’s lifted out of the water then it will start to use its lungs to breathe.’
‘What if there’s a problem during the birth?’ someone else piped up.
‘Then we would ask the mum to get out of the pool,’ Lucy explained. ‘We carry out all the usual checks during the birth, so we would pick up on any problems if they occurred. And it goes without saying that if there was any indication beforehand that a water birth wasn’t the right choice then we would advise against it.’
Everyone seemed happy with her answers, she was pleased to see. She was a firm believer in the benefits of a water birth and could only hope that it might encourage some of the other women to consider the idea. It obviously hadn’t put Rachel off because she smiled happily.
‘I’m going to tell David’s mum all that the next time she starts going on about me having a proper birth. It might stop her nagging me to death!’
‘But remember, Rachel, it’s your choice, and you need to make that clear to her,’ Lucy said firmly. ‘Actually, I think we’ve got some leaflets about water births in the office. I’ll give you one to take home. Maybe that will help to convince her.’
She made a note to fetch the leaflets after they’d finished their tour and carried on. They visited one of the wards next and once again everyone was impressed by the bright and airy facilities. After that, they went to the nursery and then the special care baby unit, where any sick babies were treated. Although they could have missed it out, Lucy knew that a lot of mums found it reassuring to learn that such facilities were available if necessary.
The women were a little subdued as they made their way back to the meeting room afterwards, but they soon brightened
‘The maternity unit was rebuilt a few years ago,’ Lucy explained. ‘I wasn’t here then, but I’ve seen photos of the old unit and this is much nicer.’ She led the way to the en suite bathroom and switched on the light. ‘Apparently, the facilities in the old unit had to be shared, but the new rooms are all en suite, so you have your own bath and a separate shower, plus loo.’
‘I wish we had an en suite at home,’ one of the other mums declared. ‘I’m fed up with having to trail along the landing every time I need to go to the loo during the night. I must have got up at least a dozen times last night and I’m worn out!’
Everyone laughed at that. Lucy smiled when she heard them swapping stories about their own experiences. It was good for them to know that they weren’t alone in suffering these minor discomforts.
‘Is there a separate suite for water births?’ Rachel Green asked once everyone had settled down. ‘I’ve been wondering about a water birth but I wasn’t sure if it was possible to have one here at Dalverston.’
‘It is,’ Lucy assured her. She crossed the room and pulled back a folding screen so they could see the birthing pool. ‘Two of the suites are equipped with birthing pools, so it isn’t a problem.’
‘Oh, I’m not sure if I fancy a water birth,’ one of the others said, grimacing.
‘It’s not for everyone,’ Lucy agreed. ‘Some women don’t like the idea and others do. It’s a matter of personal choice.’
‘My mother-in-law is really against it,’ Rachel told her, sighing. ‘She keeps trying to persuade me to change my mind but I’ve read so many good reports about water births that I really fancy giving it a try.’
‘A lot of women find that giving birth in water is less stressful. The buoyancy of the water helps to support them and makes it easier for them to relax. And that can make the whole process of giving birth far less painful.’
‘What about the baby, though?’ another mum asked. ‘Isn’t there a risk that it could drown?’
Lucy shook her head. ‘No. The baby is still receiving oxygen via the umbilical cord when it’s born, so being submerged under the water for a short time won’t harm it. Once it’s lifted out of the water then it will start to use its lungs to breathe.’
‘What if there’s a problem during the birth?’ someone else piped up.
‘Then we would ask the mum to get out of the pool,’ Lucy explained. ‘We carry out all the usual checks during the birth, so we would pick up on any problems if they occurred. And it goes without saying that if there was any indication beforehand that a water birth wasn’t the right choice then we would advise against it.’
Everyone seemed happy with her answers, she was pleased to see. She was a firm believer in the benefits of a water birth and could only hope that it might encourage some of the other women to consider the idea. It obviously hadn’t put Rachel off because she smiled happily.
‘I’m going to tell David’s mum all that the next time she starts going on about me having a proper birth. It might stop her nagging me to death!’
‘But remember, Rachel, it’s your choice, and you need to make that clear to her,’ Lucy said firmly. ‘Actually, I think we’ve got some leaflets about water births in the office. I’ll give you one to take home. Maybe that will help to convince her.’
She made a note to fetch the leaflets after they’d finished their tour and carried on. They visited one of the wards next and once again everyone was impressed by the bright and airy facilities. After that, they went to the nursery and then the special care baby unit, where any sick babies were treated. Although they could have missed it out, Lucy knew that a lot of mums found it reassuring to learn that such facilities were available if necessary.
The women were a little subdued as they made their way back to the meeting room afterwards, but they soon brightened
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