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BIRTH CHOICES

Ensuring mothers, babies and their families are at the centre of the care we provide is the highest priority. We want to ensure that you can make informed choices about your pregnancy, place and type of birth.

We encourage women and their families to work in partnership with healthcare professionals to
ensure that continuity of care and the needs of each individual and their families are met. To help you make the best decision on the birth of your baby, the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Maternity System (LMS) have developed a useful resource to provide all birthing options available to you in the local area.

The LMS includes three acute trusts providing maternity services:

  • University Hospital Coventry & Warwickshire (UHCW) NHS Trust
  • George Eliot Hospital (GEH) NHS Trust
  • South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust (SWFT)

Planning on where to give birth is a very important decision that you will need to consider in your pregnancy. You can choose to have your baby at any of our tranquil birthing units, in the comfort of your own home or on one of our Labour Wards. There is more than one hospital care package available in your area. Your midwife can support you to decide which feels right for you and your family. There is no need to make a firm decision on a place of birth early in your pregnancy. Making a decision on the place of birth later in pregnancy will allow you more time to make an informed decision. You are welcome to change your mind at any point in your pregnancy.

If you choose to have your baby in a maternity unit, a tour is an option for you. At the beginning of your journey a decision of which hospital you plan to start with for scans and plans for antenatal care will be required to progress with making appointments.

To download the Your Birth Options leaflet, please click here. Also, click on the tabs below for more details on each option.

This is arranged through your community midwife and a supervisor of midwives. The community midwife carries out antenatal care at your GP’s surgery or in your home. If complications arise in labour you can be transferred in to hospital.

If you are low risk in this pregnancy you can spend the early part of labour at home. Contact your midwife or Maternity Triage to discuss the best time to attend the maternity unit.

There is a birth pool on the Labour Ward at University Hospital. During your pregnancy you can discuss your suitability for using the birth pool with your midwife. The midwives on the Labour Ward will assist and advise you regarding the use of the pool during your labour and birth.

Water is the first choice for pain relief in a normal labour. Using the birthing pool enables you to move around freely and maintain an upright position to facilitate normal birth. It can help to prevent the use of drugs during labour to enable you to have a more a natural experience.

Your antenatal care is shared between the hospital obstetrician, your community midwife and your GP. You give birth to your baby on the labour ward at University Hospital. The antenatal care is provided in the Maternity Unit, in the community or at the Hospital of St Cross. Your clinic time will be on your appointment card. The scanning department is situated in the antenatal clinic.

For more information on the Lucina Birth Centre, click here.