Your birth

Birthing choices

Here at MY Maternity, we offer all four options for you to give birth, these include:

Alongside birth centre at Pinderfields Hospital
Freestanding birth centre at Dewsbury and District Hospital
Hospital labour ward at Pinderfields Hospital
Home birth service

What our patients say

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Every member of staff I had contact with during my stay was kind and reassuring. My baby was delivered safely after a few complications

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I couldn't have asked for more. All the staff that treated me were amazing!

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I can say all those who looked after me were excellent and made me feel comfortable and at ease from start to end of my birth

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I called triage and spoke to a midwife who was waiting when I arrived. She took me to labour ward and stayed with me. It ended in emergency c-section but she remained with me, reassuring me throughout

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All staff made me feel safe and well cared for. Quick to help and so warm and friendly

When your waters break before week 37

Information on what to do if your waters break before labour begins at 37 weeks of pregnancy and beyond:

When your waters break before labour begins at 37 weeks .pdf[pdf] 348KB

Patient information leaflets

Early labour latent phase

Elective caesarean section

Information about epidurals or spinals for pregnant women with back problems

Pain relief and anaesthesia for women with a BMI over 35 in pregnancy

Tinzaprin and epidural pain relief

When your waters break before labour begins at 37 weeks

Induction of Labour

There are many reasons why induction of labour may be recommended, including the health of mum and of baby.

If you choose to have an induction, your doctor or midwife will discuss the process with you in detail, however, we know there’s a lot of information to take in. To help you to process this information in order to make an informed decision, our induction of labour team has created the following video. We hope you find this helpful but if you have any unanswered questions, please do get in touch or speak to your community midwife or obstetrician.

Labour Ward and PACU at Pinderfields Hospital

The labour ward is located at Gate 18A level C.

You will be cared for by our team of midwives who are also supported by specialist obstetricians.

The choice to birth on the labour ward is available to everyone. If your baby is pre-term (less than 37 weeks) we advise that you give birth on the labour ward.

Active birthing beds available
Birth balls available
Resuscitation cot
One pool room
Ensuite bathrooms
Theatres for unplanned caesarean births
High level of pain relief such as epidural
Direct access to the special care baby unit

The post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) located at Gate 18B level C at Pinderfields Hospital.

When you arrive, you will be shown to your bed and our midwifery team will explain what to expect and you’ll get to meet the team who will be there when your baby is born. We encourage you to ask any questions you may have.
For elective caesarean births, you will have a slot booked in advance.
There are shower and toilet facilities on each of the bays.
All meals will be provided for you to eat at your bedside.

After a caesarean birth, you will usually be discharged home after 24 hours.

Pinderfields Birth Centre

The alongside birth centre is located at Gate 18B level C next to the labour ward.

The birth centre offers a calming and relaxing experience. Features include:

Spacious birthing rooms
Adjustable lighting
Bean bags
Pool rooms with mood lighting
Bluetooth connectivity for music
Birthing balls
Birthing cubes
Ensuite bathrooms
Active birthing beds
Portable resuscitation cot
Pain relief options includes gas and air, meptid and pethidine
Located next to the labour ward for ease of transfer

Bronte Birth Centre

This freestanding midwifery unit is located in the grounds of Dewsbury and District Hospital and offers a calming and relaxing home from home experience when birthing your baby.

The Birth Centre is staffed by Midwives and Maternity Support Workers and is ideal for women with low risk pregnancies. For these families, birth in a midwifery unit is linked to lower rates of intervention, with no difference in outcomes for Mum or baby when compared to birth in a hospital labour ward (NICE 2023).

The spacious rooms maximise active birth and include

adjustable lighting
bean bags and birthing balls
two Birthing pools
bluetooth connectivity for music
birthing cubes, couches and stools
ensuite bathrooms in all rooms
gas and air (entenox)
resuscitation equipment

In addition to the birthing pool and gas and air, pain relief options also include pethidine and diamorphine. If epidural analgesia is preferred this would take place on the labour ward at Pinderfields Hospital.

Partners are welcome to stay with you on the birth centre for the duration of the stay, with both reclining chairs and double beds available.

Throughout your stay, your midwife will monitor the wellbeing of you and your baby. During labour this involves listening to baby's heart rate at regular intervals with a doppler.

If any new risks develop which require more detailed observation or medical input, transfer will be arranged to Pinderfields Hospital's maternity unit. This will be in an ambulance and you will be accompanied by a midwife.

Your midwife will discuss an individual discharge plan soon after birth. Many women choose to return home within a few hours of birth whilst others prefer to wait until later in the day. If a longer stay is required then consideration will be given to transfer to the postnatal ward at Pinderfields.

Home birth

We have experienced midwives who will offer specialist support and be by your side throughout pregnancy, birth and beyond. You will have two midwives present at the birth.

Our midwives have a passion for providing person-centred care, offering evidence-based information and supporting choice to empower you throughout pregnancy to achieve the birth you want in your own environment. We aim to ensure the care is tailored to you as an individual, and your birth partner and family.

Birthing at home has the following advantages:

Familiar surroundings help you to feel safe and more relaxed.
Privacy – allows you to relax which helps reduce adrenaline and aids the hormones needed for labour and birth.
Control – as midwives we are your guests, you maintain control.
You don't have to interrupt your labour to go into hospital.
If you have other children, you will not need to leave them.
Home birth is family inclusive, with partners and children having a more active role in the experience.
Shorter labour lengths due to all of the above.
Low intervention rates.
Increased wellbeing and breastfeeding rates.
You can mobilise freely, use mood lighting and music.
The option to use a birthing pool during labour at home.
Hypnobirthing.

The care you receive

If you decide to go ahead with a planned home birth, your care will be carried out by our community midwives. This allows you to build a relationship with the team throughout your pregnancy, and when in labour a member of the team will attend and stay with you for the duration until after delivery. This trusting and close relationship that builds between yourself and the team helps when you are in labour, enhancing your experience and improving outcomes.

The team will continue to care for you during the postnatal period, with extended postnatal care provided when required to support the transition into parenthood. Additional breastfeeding support will be provided as we as reassurance regarding any other areas of concern.

Birthing pools

We are able to offer a home water birth service. We hire out birthing pools (complete package), free of charge. Please click here for more benefits of water births.