FRIDAY, 5 JULY, 2024

Photograph attached: Picture 1: Melanie and Florian Diaconu with five week old Sebastian and midwife Elspeth. Picture 2: Perth midwife Carrie and daughter Evie. Picture 3: Staff from Perth Maternity Unit.

Perth Community Midwifery Unit celebrates 20-year anniversary

Thousands of babies have been welcomed into the world at Perth Community Midwifery Unit (CMU) since it opened its doors 20 years ago.

Families from Perth and Kinross joined staff at the midwife-led unit at Perth Royal Infirmary to celebrate the 20^th anniversary milestone at a family open day this week.

The CMU, which officially opened on 4 July 2004, supports women and families with antenatal care and postnatal care, and can also be a birth place choice for women experiencing non-complex pregnancies in the Perth and Kinross area. More than 4920 babies have been born in the Perth CMU since it opened its doors.

The unit has evolved and developed over the past 20 years, with midwifery teams working in line with clinical research to support women throughout their pregnancy and birth and improve health and wellbeing outcomes for women and families. This includes providing access to a named midwife to provide continuity of care throughout their experience and supporting women to have a birth at home.

Families joined staff at the open day on Thursday, 4 July, where they got the chance to take part in a range of activities, including a tour around the unit, meeting the team of midwives, and discussions about infant feeding, vaccinations, smoking cessation, nutrition and birth place choice.

Mum Chelsea McCabe gave birth to baby Luca in the CMU in 2020 and said that she is so grateful for the experience she had there.

Chelsea said, “I was completely and utterly at ease at the CMU, all the staff were amazing. I was so unbelievably calm because of the support from the midwives. I birthed so easily and I was and still am so thankful and so grateful for the experience I had.

“From start to finish I was cared for like I’d known everyone that was there my whole life. I was positively encouraged and totally looked after the whole time I was there.

“When my baby arrived the whole experience was just amazing. The unit is so warm and comforting and my birth experience was everything I could have dreamt of and more.”

NHS Tayside’s Director of Midwifery Lesley Sharkey said, “We were delighted to share in the celebrations for Perth CMU reaching 20 years old.

“The CMU provides a safe care choice for women and families, with care provided as close to home as possible. Evidence shows that women with low risk pregnancies who plan to give birth in a CMU or are supported to have a home birth can have a very positive birth experience.

“The unit in Perth provides care in a compassionate and family- centred way, supported by the fact that most women know the midwifery team who is caring for them, something which the women of Tayside tell us is important for them. The open day was a lovely opportunity to welcome past, present and future families to the open day to help celebrate the work of the Perth CMU and mark its 20^th anniversary.”

Contact:

Communications

NHS Tayside Communications

(01382) 424138