Birthability brings tours and classes to Solihull’s birth centre “Netherbrook”

Last week we were delighted to bring our Free Pregnancy Information evening to Solihull’s Birth centre – Netherbrook. The session is intended for ALL couples – regardless of where they will choose to birth and is designed as an additional opportunity to “talk all things pregnancy and birth whilst meeting other parents going through the same experience”. The session is suitable at any stage, but the earlier you can attend the better as you will embark on your pregnancy with more knowledge and understanding of the options and choices that you will be offered.

At this first session we met 10 couples, all going through various pregnancy journeys with different interests and expectations about birth. Some were on their 1^st pregnancies, and others were on 2^nd and even 3^rd !  However, not surprisingly many of them were struggling with the same pregnancy complaints – pee-ing ALL the time, heartburn, constipation, bad backs and emotional ups and downs to name but a few! During the session we looked at the pressures placed on the body by a growing baby along with the hormones that affect a mum both physically and emotionally (as many partners can testify!)

A “crash course” in the foundations of birthing taught the partners how crucial they are in the birth room and how they can help the mother during labour – and we really turned many “myths” of labouring upside down! Probably the most popular part of the session – there were a lot of “wow” moments during the evening as we shared some of our experiences as doulas – helping make the birth experience more real for everyone!

Considering parenting approaches finished the “teaching” part of the evening, and we enjoyed a few laughs along the way. Most of the couples attending hadn’t really ever considered what happens after the baby arrives – and this was a real eye opener when comparing the ways in which people assume they will raise their babies.

Finally all of the couples were able to tour the amazing birth centre and meet the lovely midwives on duty. With over 1,400 births under its belt Netherbrook (or Solihull ) birth centre really is a home from home with subtle lighting, coffee area for guys to grab a break in and two postnatal rooms in which the couple can stay together overnight. Over 50% of births at Netherbrook take place in their beautiful birth pools and postnatal care is second to none with up to only 3 other mums to “share” the dedicated midwifery support with.

A number of couples that had never heard of Netherbrook are now considering transferring to it for their birth – which is fabulous news! Of course there were also couples that would LOVE to use the unit, but don’t fit into the stricter criteria of a stand alone unit. Whilst this is always a shame, the session still proves really beneficial as the partners get a true understanding of the difference a calming environment can have on a labour. We share suggestions with them that can be transferred into any labour ward to create a better environment by considering music, lighting, comfort and movement, and help to normalize birth by proving that it doesn’t all have to be like “one born every minute”.

We have already received such fantastic feedback from our first evening and really look forward to meeting more local parents in future sessions. If you would like to book your space please fill in a booking form as numbers are restricted and must be pre-arranged.

What the parents said…

J – 2^nd time mum – “I have already birthed and yet I learnt SO much from this short session!! Thankyou”

S – 1^st time dad – “Just wanted to thank you for helping me appreciate what an important role I have in supporting my partner in labour.”

M – 1^st time mum – “You were so great – I am telling all of my friends to get booked on quickly – how do I book a full course with you?”

K – 1^st time mum – “Thankyou so much for the whole evening! We are definitely going to book an appointment to see the units midwives on our own and get our birth swapped over to Netherbrook!”