Freya, who weighed 7lbs 2oz, was the first of seven babies born at home since the relaunch of Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust's 24-hour home birth service

A total of seven babies have been born at home since the relaunch of a hospital trust’s 24-hour home birth service.

Freya was the first to be born at home after Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust restarted its full 24-hour service in mid-September.

Freya, who weighed 7lbs 2oz, arrived in a birthing pool at home in Swinderby. She is the first child for Kamila and Hugh Cornwell.

Kamila, 30, who received her antenatal care via the team based at Newark, said: “I could not have wished for a better first birth. I felt very safe and well cared for. The midwives, Hadassah and Amanda, were attentive and caring, providing me with the right level of support at each stage. I can also vouch for the pain-relieving properties of water.

“Birthing at home meant I could fully focus on the birth itself, without having to worry about the logistics of getting to hospital at the right time, while being supported by a team of experienced midwives. Seeing our daughter for the very first time, in the safety of our home, was such a blissful moment.”

For a year the service had been limited to Mondays to Fridays between 9am and 5pm during the pandemic. If a woman birthed outside of these times then the mother had to be transferred to the Sherwood Birthing Unit to give birth at King’s Mill Hospital. As a result of successful recruitment to the community midwifery team, the 24-hour service was able to safely restart, and the team were busy upskilling in preparation for the relaunch.

Kamila continued: “A lot of women, myself included, would be hesitant to book a home birth, in case they go into labour ‘at the wrong time’ if it was not a 24-hour service and I hope that it will continue to be available.”

Melanie Johnson, matron for community and outpatients, said: “Congratulations to Kamila and Hugh on the birth of Freya. Those who are well and are having a straightforward pregnancy may want to consider a home birth for a variety of reasons, including the benefits it can bring.

“We know how important it is for families to have personalised choice and reinstating the full 24-hour service as soon as it was safe to do so has been a priority for us.

“Thank you to our on-call team who went above and beyond to support as many women as possible during a challenging year. We look forward to being able to support many more.”

There were a total of five home births in October, two in November and four are due in December.