Welcome to Mulberry Birth Centre

Many women choose to have their baby in a birth centre. Birth centres are away from the Labour Ward but are in the hospital. The care you receive in a birth centre will be from a midwife. 

Mulberry Birth Centre at Frimley Park has five birth rooms, with en-suite facilities and one which includes a birth pool with mood lighting. The rooms are furnished to support your choice of natural birth and create an atmosphere that will help you and your birth partner feel as calm as possible.

The Mulberry Birth Centre offers a range of traditional and alternative methods of pain relief, including water/pool, gas and air (entonox), pethidine, and TENS.

The emphasis of the Mulberry Birth Centre is on the use of mobility and water to cope with labour. When you are in established labour your birth room will be ready to provide and promote active birth, which means that you will be encouraged to move about freely and to find your own comfortable positions during contractions. Slings, bean bags, birthing balls and mats will help you be active during your labour as this is well known for improving the birthing experience and facilitating normal birth. Please feel free to bring your own music (CD players and docking stations are available) and small personal items to create a homely and relaxing atmosphere.

Our highly skilled midwives are able to recognise and act upon any findings that may cause concern in you or your unborn baby’s condition. If there are concerns you will be transferred to the Labour Ward (adjacent to the Birth Centre) where you will be assessed and supported by the obstetric team.

What the experts say:

The Birthplace Study (2011) has evaluated the evidence relating to hospital maternity and states that:

• Having your baby in a birth centre is very safe for women without existing conditions or pregnancy complications that require additional support or monitoring.
• Women who plan to birth in a birth centre have fewer interventions, including less caesarean sections, less instrumental births and less episiotomies, and more spontaneous vagainl births when compared to women who give birth on the Labour Ward. 
• 40 out of 100 (40%) women having their first baby transfer from the birth centre to the Labour Ward during labour or soon after the baby is born. 
• 13 out of 100 (13%) women having their second or subsequent baby transfer from the birth centre to the Labour Ward during labour or soon after the baby is born. 

Birth centre criteria

The birth centre is an environment that is suitable for women who have an uncomplicated pregnancy and women who do not have existing fetal or medical conditions that can impact on their pregnancy, birth or immediate wellbeing of their baby. The criteria listed below are not intended to limit your choice but to promote the safety of you and your unborn baby. If you have any further questions please speak to you midwife or obstetrician