Antenatal clinic celebrates first birthday

A SERVICE that provides pregnant women with an opportunity to have their antenatal appointments in a local setting as an alternative to travelling to the Rotunda Hospital celebrated its first birthday last week.

Over the past year, the Belle Antenatal Clinic, located in the Darndale-Belcamp Village Centre, has given pregnant women from Dublin 5, 13 and 17 the opportunity to have their antenatal appointments in a relaxed setting.

Since it officially opened in June 2014, over 100 women have used the free service, but there is capacity for many more women to attend this clinic.

Midwives are urging more women from north east Dublin to avail of the service.

Community midwife-led clinics are offered by the Rotunda Hospital to women who are considered low-risk and have relatively straightforward pregnancies.

Women still attend the Rotunda Hospital for their booking visit at 14-weeks and scans at 20-weeks. Women then attend a combination of their chosen community clinic and GP for all other routine check-ups during their pregnancy.

The service was brought to the Dublin 17 area through a partnership between the Rotunda Hospital, HSE and Preparing for Life.

Preparing for Life is an area based prevention and early intervention programme funded by the Atlantic Philanthropies and the Department of Children and Youth Affairs under the Area Based Childhood Programme.

Through the programme, pregnant women from selected parts of Dublin 5 and 17 are also being offered a range of other complementary services including antenatal classes in community settings, baby massage courses, mother and baby groups and a home visiting programme.

Sinéad Heaney, Community Midwife Manager with the Rotunda Hospital, said there were huge benefits for women who opt to attend the community clinics.

“It offers women great continuity of care,

? said Ms Heaney.

“In a clinic like the Belle Antenatal Clinic, women will generally see the same midwife for all of their antenatal visits and will be able to build a relationship and rapport with their midwife that just wouldn’t be possible in a busy hospital outpatients’ department.

?

Ms Heaney said the facilities in Darndale were purposely built for its work.

“It is a lovely fresh, new and comfortable environment for women to have their antenatal appointments in,

? she added.

Louise Byrne, from Donaghmede, attended the clinic in 2014 and returned with her now five-month-old daughter Jessica for the first birthday celebration.

“I didn’t actually realise before I was offered this clinic in the Rotunda that this health centre existed,

? said Ms Byrne.

“I went to the Belle Clinic and my GP for all of my visits after my booking visit in the Rotunda and had a great experience.

“It was really convenient for me. I also felt that I got more time with the midwife who really listened if I had any issues.

“I remember one day I had a complication and had to go into the Rotunda for a scan. The midwife Debbie called me the next day to see how I had gotten on which I don’t think would happen if I wasn’t attending the clinic here.

?

Ms Byrne added:

“Attending this clinic also helped me to connect with other services in the community like baby massage classes and the Bosom Buddies mother and infant group.

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For further information on the services offered by the Preparing for Life programme, visit www.preparingforlife.ie.