It took nearly two years from planning to completion, but Wexford now has its first ever ‘water baby’. 

For Helen McLoughlin, Director of Midwifery at Wexford General, and her team the wait was worth it all.

Helen and her colleagues at the Wexford Maternity Unit began to offer Hydrotherapy and Waterbirth as a choice for birth in the county last autumn and their first delivery took place on 25 November last.

“Since then, we have had 20 women who have used the pool for hydrotherapy. Eleven of those progressed to a waterbirth while five others used the pool for labour and subsequently delivered on land,” says Helen.

“A key point of the National Maternity Strategy (2016 – 2026) is that women should be offered the option of water for labour and/or birth and we are delighted that women in Wexford and our catchment area now have this service as an option.

“We are very grateful to our local NMPDU and National Women and Infant’s Programme for their funding and support in allowing us to develop this service in Wexford Maternity Unit.”

The pool arrived at the end of December 2019 and was installed by September 2020. The project team defined the Inclusion and Exclusion criteria, developed patient information leaflets and posters, held ongoing waterbirth study days, developed competency and audit documents and held training sessions for staff.

“On Wednesday 25 November 2020, after nearly two years of planning and training the very eagerly anticipated first waterbirth in Wexford General Maternity Unit happened,” says Helen.

“A beautiful baby girl  – weighing 7lbs 12 ozs - arrived gently into this world and was greeted by a unit full of very enthusiastic midwives who celebrated her arrival.

“It not only marked the arrival of another great woman on this planet but it also marked the point where strength and determination to deliver evidence-based women-centred care, when challenges appear was finally rewarded.

“The benefits of working collaboratively within a multidisciplinary team from the outset were clearly evident.

“The response on social media was just phenomenal, it was simply joyous to see that amount of supportive positive comments from our midwifery colleagues and water birth supporters across the nation and further afield.

“We are so proud of our step forward for our midwifery team in facilitating choice and evidence-based birthing options for women.”

In December almost a quarter of all women requested the use of the birthing pool at Wexford for either labour and/or birth.

The benefits of water for pain relief and/or birth are highlighted in information leaflets produced for women in hospital settings where water births are now facilitated. Expectant mothers who wish to discuss the use of a birthing pool should discuss this option with their midwife.

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