River Ridge East Birth Centre – Birth Rooms
Birth Rooms
There are four fully equipped birthrooms, each having an adjoining en suite.
The birth rooms are designed to give you a relaxed and calming environment, with dimmable lights to add to a peaceful ambience. A CD player is available for your use.
You can choose from a wide range of birth equipment, such as the birthing pools for water birth or pain relief, birthing slings, a birth stools, bean bags, or Swiss balls.
The birthrooms are equipped to ensure the safety of you and your new-born baby.
All labour and birth care will be provided by your chosen midwife (LMC). In the event of an emergency your midwife will be assisted by the River Ridge East staff midwife and if need be will arrange transfer to Waikato Women's Hospital.
Water Birth
"Support in water is one of the most beneficial things that can be offered to a woman in labour."
The water provides a calming influence and a peaceful relaxed atmosphere. Women report that they enjoy their labours and find that the water allows complete freedom of movement and deep relaxation.
A birthpool in a birth room changes the atmosphere immediately. Voices get softer, the mother stays calmer and everyone becomes less stressed.
The effect of buoyancy that deep water immersion creates allows spontaneous movement of the mother. No one has to help the mother get into a new position. She moves as her body and the position of the baby dictate. Movement helps open the pelvis, allowing the baby to descend.
When a woman in labour relaxes in a warm deep bath, free from gravity's pull on her body, with sensory stimulation reduced, her body is less likely to secrete stress-related hormones. This allows her body to produce the pain inhibitors- endorphins-that complement labour. Noradrenaline and catecholamines, the hormones that are released during stress, actually raise the blood pressure and can inhibit or slow labour.
A labouring woman who is able to relax physically, is able to relax mentally as well. Many women, midwives, and doctors acknowledge the analgesic effect of water. Thousands of these mothers state they would never be able to consider labouring without water again.
Bath Room
The bathroom is adjacent to the birthrooms and opens onto a secluded outdoor area. A warm deep bath allows a woman to relax in labour and her body is less likely to secrete stress-related hormones.
Pool Room
The pool room is adjacent to the birthrooms and opens onto a secluded outdoor area. Support in water is one of the most beneficial things that can be offered to a woman in labour. Many women, midwives, and doctors acknowledge the analgesic effect of water.
Tours of River Ridge East Birth Centre
Tours of River Ridge East are held in the evenings at 6pm and 6.30pm every first and third Tuesday. An experienced staff midwife guides groups of expectant mothers and their partners through the birth centre, demonstrating the facilities provided and answering your questions. …contact us for bookings
Lead Maternity Carers (LMCs) with access to River Ridge East Birth Centre
Contact River Ridge East Birth Centre for a list of LMC midwives who hold an access agreement so that you can use this facility for your labour and delivery and/or postnatal stay, including postnatal transfer from Waikato Women's Hospital. …read more