Editorial: Birthing unit is overdue

Michelle Whittaker and her son Cooper who is rapt about the new Bethlehem birthing centre.

The day one's child is born is a precious memory however they come into the world, but the place of birth is paramount for mums to be, particularly first-time mums.

In 2003 before I had my first child my mind played a scene in which my daughter would be born with the help of a few drops of lavender oil. Then I would spend the next days relaxing, taking long baths in the ensuite spa with baby asleep wrapped in muslin in a linen hammock.

Instead, she came into the world in a bright operating theatre in downtown Auckland. While I was grateful for the hospital services that looked after us both so well, I felt peeved that we missed out on the hammocks.

Until now, a private birthing unit, such as Auckland's popular Birthcare has not been available to Tauranga mums. News of a $5 million private birthing unit, reported in the Bay of Plenty Times Weekend has been welcomed by local women, as Sandra Conchie reports today.

As director Chloe Wright says, it complements existing local maternity services, offering another choice of where to birth. New mothers who want a hospital birth will also be able to transfer to the facility for postnatal care.

What the birthing centre offers in accommodation and support for new mothers after the birth is also a welcome service for new mums. While new mothers can at present stay at the hospital longer, mostly they don't if there are no complications. First-time mums may be home alone with baby just a day or two after birth. A daunting task, particularly if you don't have family around or are in a vulnerable situation at home. Contrast this to the previous generation who spent up to a week in hospital, recovering from the birth and learning the essentials of caring for a newborn, such as wrapping, bathing, even dressing - what they used to call "mothercraft".

Paediatricians have called for a longer hospital stay for new mothers. Given high rates of child abuse, it is a safety net to give mother and baby the best physical and emotional start they can have in those crucial first few days.

The birthing unit is long overdue, having been mooted for several years. Yesterday, mothers took to Facebook to express their happiness that it has finally become reality.

Ms Wright and her business partners are to be applauded for finally making it happen.