'Fantastic from the start' - mum has high praise for Portlaoise hospital's midwife lead clinic

The Midland Regional Hospital Portlaoise Maternity Service has announced what it says are two exciting new developments in maternity care for women of the midlands.

The Community Midwifery-Led Clinic and Parentcraft Antenatal Education for expectant mothers were launched at The Portlaoise Family Resource Centre, Treo Nua.

The HSE says women attending the Laois hospital are offered a choice of care pathways based on individual needs, clinical needs and best practice. It says this Midwifery-Led Clinic aims to provide high-quality, safe care for all women, babies and their families that attend the service.

The HSE says Midwives provide up-to-date evidence-based care and information for women, supporting them throughout pregnancy, preparing them for labour, birth and caring for themselves and their newborn baby in the first few weeks after delivery.

The Midwifery-Led Clinic, launched on Thursday, April 6 at Treo Nua, was originally established in Maternity Services in Portlaoise hospital in July 2022. The HSE says restructuring the clinic to a community setting focuses on an integrated care approach, strengthening ties with the community whilst increasing the convenience for women as they will now not need to attend the hospital for appointments.

The HSE says the Parentcraft Antenatal Education offers evidence-based information to women and their support partners on late pregnancy, labour, birth and the transition to early parenthood. The goal of Parentcraft classes is to build confidence in expectant parents’ own ability to birth their baby and have the knowledge to support their own informed choice about care. Women will be offered collaborative classes with a Midwife, Dietician, Infant Feeding Specialist and Physiotherapist.

Laura Grant, the first woman to give birth in the Midwifery-Led Clinic at Portlaoise hospital. She spoke about the service.

“This was my second pregnancy and being a midwife myself I am aware of the different models of care that are available to pregnant women. I knew I was healthy, low risk and met the criteria so thankfully I was able to avail of the Midwifery-Led Clinic.

"And honestly, it was just fantastic from the start, the appointments were so convenient and I was always with the same two midwives so I really felt that I built a trusted relationship. The midwives couldn’t have been nicer, if I had any concerns at all they were listened to and you have that bit of reassurance knowing that if you did have an issue you can be seen by a doctor straight away.

"The midwives are there for anything that you need and if anything else arises you still have access to an Obstetrician. I adore this service and I am delighted that Freddie is the first baby born with this clinic,” she said.

Ita Kinsella, Director of Midwifery is the Laois hospital, was also in Treo Nua.

"I am delighted to launch this Community Midwifery-Led Clinic in Portlaoise which is particularly focused on the development of midwifery-led care for women with low risk pregnancies.

"Midwives will be the lead professional in the planning, organising and delivery of care to a woman from the initial booking through to the end of the post-natal period. However, midwives will continue to work collaboratively with the Consultant Obstetricians in the hospital and with the GP to ensure that women receive the best care suitable to cater for their individual needs.

"We are also delighted today to launch Parentcraft Classes at Treo Nua. The focus of Parentcraft education is to equip women and their partners with the knowledge and skills to prepare them for childbirth and parenthood. The aim is to support improvements in the health and wellbeing of babies, women and their partners throughout the antenatal and postnatal period.

"I would like to take this opportunity to thank Ms Paula Phelan and Mr Colm Dunne for collaborating with us and enabling the use of the community space in Treo Nua. Without their support and provision of space, we wouldn’t have been able to bring these clinics into the community, which is key to integration of primary and acute sectors,” she said. MORE BELOW PICTURE.

John Joyce is the General Manager at Portlaoise hospital said maternity Services at MRHP, in line with the National Maternity Strategy, recognises that pregnancy and birth is a normal physiological process in a woman’s life.

"the provision of safe, high quality, women-centered care is paramount to the improved health and wellbeing of women, their babies and families.

"The Midwifery-Led Clinic is an integrated service that’s planned, managed, co-ordinated and delivered by midwives in line with the supported care pathway. The service offers a comprehensive antenatal care package delivered by senior midwifery staff. The midwifery-led clinic aims to provide a woman-centred approach whereby women’s wishes are valued and respected. The clinic will provide women with a continuity of care and a holistic approach to labour and birth,” he said.

Angela Dunne, Director of Midwifery for the HSE National Women and Infants Health Programme spoke a the launch.

“Midwifery services are increasingly moving from the hospital to the community. The National Maternity Strategy recommends offering normal-risk pregnant women the choice of having their pregnancy led and delivered by midwives on supported care pathways within a multidisciplinary framework, with most antenatal and postnatal care being provided in the community.

"This new community based Midwifery-Led Clinic and Antenatal Education available to women in the Midlands is a fantastic development, providing women with integrated care as close to the home as possible. Well done to the MRHP Midwifery team, it is a great facility and they should be very proud of what they have achieved,” she said.

Áine Lynch is the Interim Chief Director of Nursing and Midwifery at the Dublin Midlands Hospital Group.

“The development of midwifery-led clinics in the community supports the core concepts of Sláintecare which recommends the development of primary and community health services that is person-centred whereby women can receive the right care, at the right time and in the right place. Community midwifery-led clinics offer more choice for women and allows for increased access to antenatal care in the community.

"This initiative is endorsed by The National Maternity Strategy which identified the need for improvements in the type of maternity care available to women and to offer them greater choice during pregnancy and birth,” she said. MORE BELOW PICTURE.

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The launch was attended by Ita Kinsella, Director of Midwifery, MRHP; Emma Mullins, Assistant Director of Midwifery, MRHP; Caoimhe Kenny, Senior Dietitian, MRHP; Laura Grant with baby Freddie; Audrey Smyth, Clinical Specialist Physiotherapist in Pelvic Health, MRHP; Siobhan Flynn, Parentcraft Co-ordinator; Georgina Enderson, Senior Physiotherapist in Pelvic Health, MRHP; and Angela Dunne, Director of Midwifery for the HSE National Women and Infants Health Programme, John Joyce, General Manager, MRHP; Geraldine Davis, Grade V, Health Centre, Portlaoise; Paula Phelan, Community Services Manager.

More information on Parentcraft Antenatal Education is available at the Treo Nua HERE.