Women across Greater Glasgow and Clyde now have a range of choice when it comes to how they give birth, thanks to the work of two local midwives leading the charge to launch two Alongside Midwife Units (AMUs).
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) Project Midwives, Karen Taylor and Nicola O’Brien have won the Innovator of the Year Award at the health board’s Women and Children’s Awards 2024 for their work co-producing the Best Start AMU Project – an initiative focused on implementing a key recommendation from the Scottish Government’s Best Start review, to include a full range of choice for place of birth for all women wherever they live.
Pregnant women now have the choice to give birth in a labour ward, at home, or in one of the newly created AMUs, open now at the Princess Royal Maternity and Queen Elizabeth University Hospital.
Karen and Nicola co-produced the project with women and staff and have been innovative in their holistic approach to change for NHSGGC’s maternity services. This included developing bespoke staff training, clinical support in providing care in this setting, refurbishing rooms, installing equipment, and developing new guidelines with obstetric colleagues.
Their work has led to the opening of the tranquil AMU birthing rooms, featuring state of the art hydrotherapy pools that provide pain relief and aid comfort as they support a weightless freedom of movement.
Staff are trained to welcome babies into the world underwater if this is a women’s preferred birth plan. The rooms also feature custom lighting, Bluetooth speakers, birthing couches and recliner chairs, aids such as peanut balls birthing balls, ballet bars and a rebozo sling with a chair.
This month, the AMUs are celebrating their first birthday having opened in May 2023. Karen, who is based at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital Maternity Unit explained:
“Our AMUs opened to patients last year, however, we were so busy at the time that we didn’t host celebrations to mark these, so we held these today as part of our one year milestone celebrations, with an official ribbon cutting at both sites. The women who have used the AMU during their labour and birth have told us they felt empowered, in control and had an overall sense of satisfaction with the care they have received by our midwives,” she said.
Nicola, who is based at the Princess Royal Maternity explained the difference that the AMUs make to the service:
“Our AMUs are so important because they give woman a full range of options for where they choose to give birth. This encourages normal, natural birth with low risk and interventions and hopefully a good experience for the woman and her baby. We urge all expectant mums to consider their birth choices, discuss these with their midwives and to complete a birth plan on their Badger Notes App, which they can sign up to when they register for maternity services,” she said.
Director of Midwifery for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Dr Mary Ross-Davie, explained why both Karen and Nicola, and the AMUs, being recognised is important. She said:
“I can’t think of a better way to celebrate International Day of the Midwife than celebrate a major team success. Our service is constantly evolving and midwives across all units and in the community work hard to deliver person-centred care, listening to women, and presenting them with choice of how they bring their babies into this world.
“Congratulations to Karen, Nicola, and their teams for creating something special with the AMUs. Positive feedback from staff and women underscores the success of their efforts, highlighting enhanced care. Their demonstration of care, compassion, and teamwork while supporting staff through significant service changes reflects their commitment to excellence and improvement in maternity healthcare delivery. They are fully deserving of this award,” she said.
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde maternity services are made up of six maternity hospitals and units, Princess Royal Maternity, Royal Alexandra Maternity, Queen Elizabeth Maternity, Inverclyde Community Maternity, Royal Alexandra Community Maternity and Vale of Leven Community Maternity, as well as homebirth and community based midwifery services.
Anyone in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde area that is expecting a baby is encouraged to jump online to www.nhsggc.scot/meetyourmidwife as soon as they can in their pregnancy to register for their first midwife appointment.
