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Birth facilities

Posted By lotionmz58

"Birth facilities"

About: King Edward Memorial Hospital / Maternity

(as the patient),

We gave birth to our second baby at King Edward Memorial Hospital earlier this year. We wanted to have a water birth like for our firstborn but were surprised to discover that the State's premier birthing hospital doesn't have water birth facilities. 

We hired a birthing pool at considerable expense to ourselves but unfortunately, after the time it took to retrieve the pool, and inflate it we weren't able to fill it in time for the birth. 

While overall it was a positive experience, and the midwifery team were great, I feel the lack of access to adequate birthing pools should be addressed.

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Responses

Response from Jodi Graham, Executive Director, Sir Charles Gairdner Osborne Park Health Care Group 2 years ago
Jodi Graham
Executive Director,
Sir Charles Gairdner Osborne Park Health Care Group

Submitted on 18/10/2021 at 12:15 PM
Published on Care Opinion at 12:41 PM

picture of Jodi Graham

Dear lotionmz58,

Congratulations on the birth of your child. Thank you for taking the time to share your experience with the King Edward Memorial Hospital (KEMH). I apologise for the long delay in responding to you.

I understand how disappointing it can be for a woman and their family when there are changes to a birthing plan, however I am happy to read that you still had a positive experience with our service.

The KEMH Family Birth Centre (FBC) includes a bathroom with a large bath for women choosing a water birth and who meet the FBC inclusion criteria. Whilst the KEMH Labour and Birth Suite does not currently have a bath/pool, patients birthing in the Labour and Birth Suite can discuss their wish for a waterbirth and arrangements can be made to enable the patient to bring their hired pool on presentation to hospital, just as you had done. I am sorry to read that unfortunately you were unable to use the pool due to the time it took to retrieve the pool and inflate it.

With the planning of the new Women and Newborn Hospital which is set to be built at the QEII site, it is incredibly important that we receive feedback such as yours. Your feedback will form part of the new hospital planning phase and will be considered when reviewing patients’ birthing preferences and adequate access to birthing pools for women choosing waterbirths.

I wish you and your family all the best for the future.

Kind Regards,

Jodi Graham

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