New birthing centre celebrates life

The new Bethlehem Birthing Centre will celebrate children's births by lighting up either a pink or blue circle on the exterior of the building. Photo / Ruth Keber

Every time a baby is born in Tauranga's new birthing centre, the building will glow either pink or blue.

The Bethlehem Birthing Centre was officially blessed by local Maori in a ceremony yesterday with a whakatau (a speech of welcome) and a karakia.

The centre is the brainchild of Tauranga businesswomen Nicky Campbell, Chloe Wright and Gabi Buechel.

The side of building, which can be seen on State Highway 2, will feature two circles, about five feet in circumference, which will light up after a baby is born.

Mrs Wright said if a baby boy was born a blue circle would light up and if a baby girl was born, the light would be pink.

"If we have a boy and a girl born on the same day, they will both come on."

Mrs Wright said the purpose behind the circles was to highlight to the community a new life had entered it.

"I just feel we don't celebrate life enough anymore, we don't do a welcome, it has just become something that has happened," she said.

The building also featured a tikorua symbol, a Maori symbol which represented "threads of people coming together".

"The twist represents people and or cultures coming together and growing together, it shows a unified community and people."

Mrs Wright said it was incredibly important to be able to bless the land, building and to establish relations with local iwi.

The 12-room birthing centre, due to open in November, would provide another birthing option for women having non-complicated births and is a free to all women eligible for publicly-funded maternity services.

Bethlehem Birthing Centre
*For women having natural, non-complicated births.
*It is not a hospital or clinical setting, meaning no medical intervention or drugs.
*Works in collaboration with Tauranga Hospital in the event that a transfer is required.

What do you think?
Email editor@bayofplentytimes.co.nz, go to our facebook page, text 021 241 4568 BOP (message) or write to Private Bag 12002.
Response may be published.