The Friarage maternity centre offers a comfortable relaxed environment for women and their partners.
The unit is run by a team of enthusiastic, experienced and skilled midwives who provide friendly individualised care to women with straightforward pregnancies.
Partners are welcome to stay in the ensuite rooms during and after the birth until you choose to go home, usually within 24 hours.
The ‘birthplace study’ found that birth centres are just as safe as hospital for low risk women and increases the chance of a normal birth with less intervention. Midwives are trained to detect if labour is not progressing normally.
If the midwife is concerned about you or your baby’s wellbeing or progress in labour, or if you decide you need an epidural, you will be transferred to The James Cook University Hospital.
As there are no doctors in the midwife led birthing centre there are close links and communication with James Cook. So if it was deemed clinically necessary you would be transferred by ambulance with a midwife to the Middlesbrough hospital, which is 22 miles away, where your care would continue.
Benefits:
Comfortable friendly surroundings helping you feel more controlled and relaxed
Individual midwife led care with experienced midwives
Increases chance of having a normal birth with less intervention
Waterbirth available
Good option if do not want a homebirth, but do not need an obstetric unit
Complications
If problems arise before or after the birth, or you need an epidural, you will be transferred to the consultant unit at James Cook in an ambulance with a midwife.
Admissions
Every effort will be made to ensure we are able to safely accommodate birthing your baby at the Friarage, unfortunately under exceptional circumstances the unit may be closed to admissions. If this occurs, you will be informed by a midwife and your care will be safely transferred to our James Cook maternity unit. A midwife will be able to answer any concerns or queries you may have regarding this.
