It's a labour of love as new mum welcomes baby son in the hospital room where she was born

A new mum gave birth to her baby son in the same delivery room where she was born 18 years ago.

Abbie Davies, from Cwmavon, was one of the first mums to have her little one in the recently reopened midwifery unit at Neath Port Talbot Hospital.

It is up and running again after services were suspended in September 2021 due to the challenges of the pandemic and staffing pressures.

Neath Port Talbot Birth Centre - a freestanding midwifery unit - originally opened in 2004, so Abbie is likely to be the first mum to have both been born in and had her own baby there.

Naturally enough, she couldn’t have been happier to welcome little Lucas into the world at the exact spot where she herself was born and says the connection helped to make a wonderful event even more special.

“My mum Rachel was with me, along with my partner Connor, and Mum recognised the room straight away,” said Abbie.

“It was kind of reassuring and nice to know I was in the same place, all these years later.

“The whole experience was just great. I can’t thank everyone at the birth centre enough.

“I was a bit concerned that I wouldn’t be able to give birth there because the reopening was delayed a bit, and we were running out of time before Lucas was due to arrive. But in the end it all worked out really well.

“My mum also has another connection to the birth centre, having worked as a cleaner there in the past so she spotted a couple of familiar faces. It was perfect, really.”

Being so close to home and having the option to give birth in the midwife-led centre were big plusses for Abbie and her family.

“I was so well looked after. My midwife Catrin Lewis was just brilliant,” she added.

“It’s nice to have had the option of the birth centre. I’m from just up the road in Cwmavon, so I’ve had my baby really close to home.

“Lucas is doing well. It’s been quite a big adjustment, but I know it’s probably the same for everybody. He was 7lb 15oz when he was born, so a good weight.”

Having reopened in September as part of a £750,000 health board investment, Neath Port Talbot Birth Centre has picked up where it left off three years ago with 45 babies born there to date.

While mums-to-be and their families are delighted to now have the option of choosing a freestanding, midwife-led unit as their birthing preference, staff are also thrilled to be able to provide a service which is perfect for many uncomplicated pregnancies and has well established benefits for many women.

Consultant Midwife Victoria Owens said: “Everybody is still really excited, there’s a great buzz around the place. Our midwives are just thrilled to be back providing care in the area and love being able to offer women and families this option again.

“We’re getting lots of families coming through the doors for tours and you can really feel their excitement about the opportunity to be able to birth somewhere as beautiful as the centre. For many families, this model of care offers the relaxed family centred experience they want.

“We certainly haven’t had a gradual move back into it. We started off with pretty much the same number of births as we had prior to suspension.

“At the birth centre, we are lucky to have the facilities to offer true family-centred care, including private postnatal rooms with double beds, where families can remain together during their stay.

“It’s very important to mention dads and co parents as well. Partners generally report positive experiences in midwifery-led units saying they feel very much part of the birth experience in these environments.

“This is why it’s been so important for the birth centre to get back up and running and to be able to provide this choice.

“Having the birth centre open again is a really great thing for our community and it’s something to celebrate.”

For more information about planning your birth experience and understanding the difference in your birth choices, click on this link. Your community midwife can also provide guidance around a recommended place of birth and also answer any questions.