The Birthing Centre

Following the birth of your baby, you will be invited to stay on the Birth Centre for a period of about six hours prior to being discharged home. During this period we will offer ongoing postnatal care, pain relief, routine newborn screening and support you with infant feeding. 

Early discharge home enables you and your family to be together and get to know your new baby. Once discharged home, you will be supported by your local community midwifery team and we will arrange for them to visit you on the day after you go home.

If you require further support and observations for you or your baby this will be provided to you on our excellent Maternity Care Unit.

On birth centre we provide a full range of pain relief options such as oral analgesia (paracetamol, dihydrocodeine, oral morphine), hydrotherapy, gas and air and opoid injection (pethidine). If you would like to have epidural this can be provided for you on the labour ward, just let the midwife know and our team will arrange for transfer.   

Midwives are highly trained to support safe high-quality evidence based care and to detect any concerns throughout. If complications develop throughout labour this will require transfer to our labour ward. The most common reasons for transfer are slow progress in labour, epidural or for further fetal monitoring. Transfer to the labour ward takes only a few minutes in which we maintain protecting your privacy and dignity throughout. 

There are many things that can occur throughout your pregnancy which are considered as risk factors that can increase the risk of complications during birth such as high blood pressure, gestational diabetes and complications in previous births. It is important to discuss all aspects of your medical and pregnancy history with your midwife so the appropriate care pathway and risk factors can be identified, you could still give birth on the Birth Centre following a discussion with a senior birth centre midwife to ensure you have individualised care plan created.

• Five birth rooms/postnatal bedrooms where you and your partner will usually be able to remain for the duration of your stay 
• Two birthing pools for you to labour and give birth in to help as a form of pain relief (over 70% of women who have their babies in the birth centre use water at some stage in their labour with 28% giving birth in the pool) 
• Each room has dimmer switches for you to create soft lighting and there are facilities for you to play music or listen to the radio during labour 
• All rooms are en-suite with showers and have reclining chair beds 
• Personalised birth plans - tailored support for your unique journey
• Expert midwives and healthcare professionals - our team is dedicated to providing compassionate, knowledgeable care
• Family-centered environment - we support you and your family in creating memories
• Birth stools to help you with an upright position, as well as bean bags and birth balls.

Choosing a birth centre means choosing a safe, supportive, and personalised approach to welcoming your baby - supported by research and centered on you. 

1. Safe, positive birth outcomes 

Research shows that for low-risk pregnancies, birth centres have comparable or better outcomes than the obstetric unit births, with fewer interventions like caesarean sections, episiotomy, and instrumental birth. A 2018 Cochrane review found that planned birth centre births had lower rates of medical intervention and similar neonatal outcomes compared to hospital births. 

Source: [Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2018] 

2. Lower rates of interventions 

Birth centres promote natural birth and minimize unnecessary medical procedures. This means fewer inductions, epidurals, and cesareans, leading to quicker recovery times and more positive birth experiences.  

Source: American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 2016 

3. Comfortable, home-like environment 

Unlike busy obstetric wards, birth centres offer private rooms designed for comfort and relaxation, which helps reduce stress and supports natural labor progression. Studies suggest that a calm environment reduces labor duration and pain perception. 

Source: Journal of Midwifery & Women’s Health, 2015 

4. Empowerment and family involvement 

Birth centres encourage active participation from the birthing person and their family, supporting informed decision-making and emotional wellbeing. Women report feeling more in control and respected in birth centre settings. Feedback gathered from women and their families who birthed with us at UCLH revealed that the majority of women were satisfied with their birth experience and would recommend it to others.  

Source: BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 2017 

Arezou is dual qualified as a nurse and midwife. She qualified as a midwife in 1997 and has had the opportunity to contribute to families care in a number of maternity services and settings. Arezou has been in a leadership role last six years, supporting safe, effective care, ensuring women and birthing people’s wishes are heard. 

"I feel passionate about creating a positive birth experience for mothers and their families. A key element of my role as a consultant midwife is to be an advocate and support informed choice regarding their care and preferred birth setting." 

Email: arezou.rezvani@nhs.net