UHNM Birth Choices Clinic opens to support women make informed decisions about their birth

Pregnant women in Stoke-on-Trent and North Staffordshire can now get extra support and choice when planning their birth thanks to the launch of a new Birth Choices Clinic at University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust (UHNM).
 
The monthly clinic, which is run by a consultant obstetrician and professional midwifery advocate (PMA), gives women and their birth partners an opportunity to talk about where and how they want to give birth and how their birth choices can be supported.
 
Women are referred to the Birth Choices Clinic by their community midwife when they express birth preferences that differ from standard UHNM guidance.
 
Jude Davies, lead professional midwifery advocate at UHNM, said: “We are delighted to open the Birth Choices Clinic at UHNM, which has been created to support women to make informed decisions about their care during pregnancy and birth. The clinic provides a dedicated, supportive space for open conversations, particularly for women who wish to explore options outside standard UHNM guidance.
 
“Appointments give women time to understand the reasons behind clinical advice, talk through the risks and benefits and share their questions, concerns and what matters most to them. By working together, we can put together a personalised care plan that reflects each woman’s needs, values and choices, while always keeping safety at the heart of care.
 
“The service follows NHS personalised care principles, meets the Ockenden recommendations, and has been developed in partnership with the Maternity and Neonatal Voices Partnership (MNVP) to ensure women’s experiences help shape how care is delivered.”
 
The first patient to benefit from the service was Heidi Buckley from Newcastle-under-Lyme.
 
The 29-year-old stay-at-home mum said: “Having a say in the kind of birth and how it happens is very important. Being able to make choices helps you feel more confident, safe and in control during birth.
 
“With my first child, I just followed the hospital’s advice but now I see how important it is to have a birth plan that reflects what you want.”