New birthing pool now open at the Horton General Hospital

A new birthing pool, complete with a renovated birthing room, is now open at the Horton General Hospital and available for anyone who would like to give birth there.

The new pool has innovative features, like a new water filling system which allows better control of the water temperature and is designed to be easier and more efficient to clean.

The birthing room has been redesigned with comfort in mind, including increased accessibility to the pool with improved steps to make it easier to get in and out, and a mural of a peaceful woodland scene.

Joanna Cozon, one of the first patients to give birth in the new birthing pool said: "I was keen to give birth at the Horton as it is so close to home. 

"My first labour was in a pool. Even though I couldn't give birth in the water the first time, I had experienced how super helpful water is to ease the process and the pain. 

"The ambience was really calm, it didn’t feel like I was in hospital. The whole process went exactly as I’d hoped. It made a huge difference how kind and supportive the midwives were too. They were encouraging and I felt safe and well taken care of. I really couldn’t have pictured it better — it was an incredible experience."

The renovation project cost around £34,000, with additional funding of around £5,000 from Silver Star Maternity Fund, which is part of Oxford Hospitals Charity, to support this OUH project with further improvements including the artwork, and ceiling lights that mimic the sky and other room comforts.

Wendy Hill, Matron for Maternity Community Services at OUH, said: "We are excited to have opened our new birthing pool in a newly renovated and peaceful space.

"We hope that the room, designed with the needs of our patients in mind, will provide a calming and accessible space to those who will use it."

Maggie Findlay, Society Manager at the Silver Star Maternity Fund, said: "We are pleased to support the Trust's work in this area. Giving birth is a significant event in anyone’s life. We hope these enhancements like the artwork and the lights make the room a calming space during such an important time."

Milica Redfearn, Director of Midwifery at OUH, said: "We are pleased to provide the option of waterbirths at the Horton again. We are consistently looking for ways to improve our maternity services and to provide excellent compassionate care, and the renovated birthing room with a modern pool is another step towards that.

"We appreciate the remarkable dedication and effort demonstrated by our midwives and Estates team to ensure that this project becomes a reality.

"We are also grateful to our colleagues in Oxford Hospitals Charity and its Silver Star Maternity Fund for their support in making the birthing room a peaceful and comforting space."