Nottingham women come together to celebrate relaunch of NUH home birth service

Dozens of women and families from across Nottingham and Nottinghamshire gathered in Sherwood yesterday to celebrate six months since the relaunch of NUH’s Home Birth Service and to find out more about having a home birth.

Experienced midwives, community advocates and some of the 37 women who have had a home birth since the service was relaunched in March this year were on hand to answer questions and share their own stories.

Moms-to-be and healthcare professionals attending the event had the opportunity to hear from a family who chose to give birth in a cabin in the woods, a first-time mom who had a successful home birth, and a mother of seven who had three of her babies at home.

A birthing pool has also been set up on site to help families considering home birth visualize the option.

Dorrie Scott, 34, was one of the women who spoke at the event and shared her experience of giving birth to her first baby, Orly, at her home in Sneinton in May this year.

She said: “Every room in the house had a different setup – the living room had fairy lights and music, a birthing pool was in the dining room, we had a fuel station in the kitchen with plenty of snacks, and upstairs we prepared both bedrooms with practical items like waterproof sheets so we were ready wherever I gave birth.

“I was worried about having too many people in the house when the time came, but the midwives were so subtle in the way they came into the house, very calm and firm, that it didn’t feel intrusive at all.”

“Our experience was incredible and I was proud that we were able to leave our own mark on our birth. Of course, it was also very intense, but everything felt very gentle and calm. It was amazing to be in my own bed, with my baby in my arms, when the midwives left.

“If you decide to have a home birth, the team at NUH are amazing – they offer such a personal service that they can be called out at any time of the day, to any home in Nottingham, to any home set up – it can be a difficult thing to deal with, but they do a great job.”

Another family, Joana and Nick Weaver from West Bridgford, dreamed of having an independent birth in the heart of nature for their fourth child, Otto, and the NUH homebirth team went above and beyond to make it possible.

The couple found a cabin in the woods in the Vale of Belvoir that was completely off-grid – no electricity, no cold running water, no internet, and a petrol generator and wood-burning stove, and candles for light. They worked with the Homebirth Team to ensure the birth would be safe.

Joana said: “We are so grateful to Homebirth Team for making our dream birth possible – they had a ‘how are we going to make this happen for you’ attitude. This allowed me to give birth my way.

“For anyone considering a home birth, make sure you educate yourself. It’s important to know the risks so you can make peace with them and empower yourself to understand what’s happening to your body during labor and birth – we were made to have babies. This will help you take control and decide how you want your birth to go.”

Nick added: “We were completely immersed in nature, exactly as we had hoped. We can only describe it as absolutely perfect.”

Eliza Jones, NUH’s lead homebirth midwife, explained that the homebirth team provides individualised care to support women and families throughout the homebirth journey, and that two midwives will be present at the birth.

She said: “There are many benefits to having a home birth – women often feel more comfortable and relaxed in their own environment.

“This can help increase one of the ‘love hormones’ – oxytocin – which is responsible for progressing labour and therefore can help things go more smoothly.

“Many families also find that one of the best parts of having a home birth is that when we leave, they can be tucked away in bed in their own home, having a cup of tea and a slice of toast.

“If you would like to discuss home birth further, ask your community midwife to refer you to the Home Birth Team for an initial conversation.”

NUH chief executive Anthony May said: “Our NUH homebirth service is important because it provides more and better choice for families across Nottingham and Nottinghamshire.

“This empowers women and their families to experience this milestone in their lives in a way that is authentic to them, especially if they choose to give birth outside of a hospital.

“The availability of a 24-hour Home Birth Service meets a commitment made in 2023 following a listening exercise with service users, where mothers told us that a Home Birth Service is an important option for them. This is part of improving the experience of maternity services for women and their families.”