Wallingford Maternity and Birthing Centre

An MLU is a unit run by experienced midwives and maternity support workers (MSW).

They are supported by colleagues from the community midwifery teams and provide care 24-hours a day, seven days a week, for women and birthing people choosing to birth their babies in an MLU setting.

We offer a safe alternative to hospital birth in a relaxed and family-focused setting, led by an experienced team of midwives and maternity support workers who are dedicated to promoting individualised care.

Facilities

Our facilities include:

• cosy sitting room with television and DVD player for use in early labour
• kitchen area with tea and coffee making facilities
• two birth rooms each with a pool, en-suite, low-level and mood lighting, integrated Bluetooth speakers and active birth beds
• bean bags, birth stools and balls
• two bed postnatal room with 'next to me' cots, dining area and en-suite shower room.

If you have a straightforward pregnancy, with no medical or obstetric problems, and go into labour between 37 and 42 weeks, you are welcome to give birth at Wallingford.

If you feel you do not meet the above criteria, and still wish to have your baby with us at Wallingford or at home, then please do speak to your midwife.

Your midwife can arrange a discussion with a Consultant Midwife to ensure a plan is put in place which respects your choices for labour and birth.

If you live outside Oxfordshire but you are thinking of having your baby at the Wallingford Maternity and Birthing Centre, please ask your community midwife to contact the Maternity Screening Co-ordinator, before 16 weeks of pregnancy.

The leaflet 'Birth Choices in Oxfordshire' answers some of the questions you may have about the differences between a hospital birth, birth in a midwifery-led unit and a home birth.

Birth Choices in Oxfordshire (pdf)

Care in labour

Wallingford is staffed by midwives and maternity support workers 9.00am to 5.00pm, and staff are on call 24 hours a day.

We offer you one-to-one care during labour with a midwife who is experienced in supporting women in childbirth.

As labour progresses, your midwife will help you find comfortable, supported upright and forward-leaning positions, using equipment such as bean bags, stools and birth balls. We have state-of-the-art upright birthing beds available, and each room is equipped with a pool.

We offer:

• massage
• aromatherapy
• TENS
• Entonox (gas and air).

We encourage you to bring your own music, and welcome the use of hypnosis techniques throughout labour.

Complications

We know that most births will be straightforward, however our midwives are trained to monitor you and your baby closely throughout labour, and are skilled at identifying possible complications and dealing with emergencies should they arise: safety is our first priority.

If your midwife is concerned at any point about the safety of you or your baby, they will transfer you to the John Radcliffe Hospital Women's Centre, Oxford.

If you want any more information about transfers, or have any concerns, please call and speak to one of our midwives.

Postnatal care

We provide immediate postnatal care, facilitating skin-to-skin contact, delayed umbilical cord clamping, natural delivery of the placenta and initiating breastfeeding if desired.

We have a two-bed postnatal room where you are welcome to stay after your baby is born. Our aim is that you leave us feeling rested and confident to care for your baby.

If you give birth at the John Radcliffe Hospital Women's Centre, you are also welcome to transfer back to Wallingford Maternity and Birthing Centre for your postnatal care, providing both you and your baby are fit and well to do so, and we have the space available.

Other support we can offer you includes home visits, breastfeeding support or return visits to the ward should you wish to come back and see us for any help on your postnatal journey.

Advice line

After you return home you may call our 24 hour advice line with any concerns.

Tel: 01491 826037

Testimonials

"Personal touches and flexibility at every stage - could not have asked for a better start."

"I had a wonderful labour and birth experience and felt completely confident and in control during my labour thanks to the environment created at Wallingford."

"I came feeling exhausted and deflated that little-one wouldn't latch, but eventually we did it and I now feel happy and hopeful - what an amazing place."

Find us and contact us

Wallingford Maternity and Birthing Centre
Wallingford Community Hospital
Reading Road
Wallingford OX10 9DU

Tel: 01491 826037

Email: wallingfordcommunitymidwives@ouh.nhs.uk

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