Birthing Units

The Birthing Unit at Broomfield Hospital (Labour only), WJC Birthing Centre (St Michael's hospital), Braintree and St Peters Birthing Unit, Maldon

We have two excellent Birthing Units in Mid Essex.  These offer a home from home environment and are a relaxed alternative choice to delivery in the busy Consultant Unit at Broomfield.

If your are healthy and well and your pregnancy is uncomplicated you will be offered delivery at one of these units.   Even if this is your first pregnancy this is not a problem and you are still able to book for care and delivery at the Birthing Units.

If you are pregnant and would like to book for care and/or delivery at one of our Birthing Units :

To contact the birthing unit of your choice, click on the relevant e-mail in the box in the right hand column.

Antenatal Care

Once you are booked you can choose to either have all of your antenatal care at the birthing units or, if you live in Chelmsford, you may wish to continue seeing your community midwife but go to your chosen unit to deliver your baby.

We endeavour to have the same midwife at each clinic in order to provide continuity of care, however this is not always possible and you may see other members of the Birthing Units midwifery team. 

Our Consultant Obstetricians also offer clinic appointments at the birthing units.

Parent Education Classes

Both units offer classes for couples, please ask your midwife for details

Delivery

When labour starts you can ring the Unit you have booked with for advice.  There is a midwife available 24 hours of the day, 7 days per week at St Peters and The Birthing Unit. They will advise you when to come in but this is usually when contractions are every 3 to 4 minutes and lasting for almost a minute.

If you are having your baby at Braintree then we ask that you contact The Birthing Unit, Broomfield on 01245 513384. The Midwife there will take your details and contact the on call midwife for Braintree who will arrange to meet you at the birthing unit. 

We have 2 birthing pools at Braintree and also a birthing pool at each of the units in Broomfield and Maldon and you can use the birthing pool to relax and help with pain relief and for delivery.  All of our midwives are experienced in water birth.  

You will receive one to one care throughout your labour from an experienced midwife that you may well have met during your pregnancy.

Pain Relief – at Braintree and Maldon Units we have TENS Machines available.  These machines produce a mild electric stimulus to your skin, through pads placed on your back, this encourages the body to make it’s own pain relief – called Endorphins. 

If you would like to use Complementary Therapies, such as Hypnobirth, Homeopathy, Essential Oils, Reflexology, Acupuncture etc, this is perfectly acceptable but we would advise that you consult a qualified Therapist.

You can also use Entonox, which is a gas administered through a mouthpiece.  It is used throughout your contraction and although it can make you feel quite dizzy, as soon as you stop inhaling it the effects pass quite quickly.

Post Natal Care

If you have your baby at St Peters Birthing Unit you will be moved to a comfortable room and you can stay in the Units for up to 24 hours.  For the first night your partner may stay with you in our double bedded room if it is available.  If you deliver at Braintree you have the option of early transfer home or of going to St Peters for an overnight stay.    During your stay you will be helped with breastfeeding and will be given all of the support you need to enable you to care for your baby.  Our Community Midwives will continue to provide care when you are at home.