New generations of water babies are set to be born at Heartlands Hospital due to a new state of the art birthing pool unveiled in the maternity unit’s delivery suite this week.

The additional birthing pool on the unit offers more women the opportunity to have a water birth and use the pool to help with pain relief.  With a monitor available on the delivery suite to check a baby’s progress during labour, the pool is also available for women having higher risk births.

Installation of the new pool, complete with new en-suite shower and toilet, has been funded as part of the £232,000 awarded to Heartlands and Good Hope maternity units from the £25m Department of Health fund set up to improve and upgrade maternity services.

Heartlands Hospital’s delivery suite matron, Carla Charles-Jones said: “The whole ambiance created has been considered and incorporated in the design of the room with the new birthing pool in.  Lighting and music have been considered and a mural has been painted to create a relaxing atmosphere for the ladies giving birth there.

“Using water eases contractions during labour and helps women feel more relaxed. It is exciting to be able to offer women who might not have had the choice before the option of having a water birth.”

Keeley Bramley, aged 28 from Coleshill is the second person to give birth in the new pool, to seven pounds, seven ounces, Mayce Willow Bramley born at 2.50pm on 6 March 2014.  Keeley said: “I had no pain relief and I think that this was partly due to finding the pool very relaxing, which took my mind off what was happening.  It’s good to have this option, it just felt right for me to give birth this way.”