Richmond’s Birth Centre celebrates its evidence-based success

“When you want ketchup to come out of a bottle, you don’t lay the bottle down. It’s the same when you want the baby to come out of the mother.”

And so with a mix of mirth and metrics, Richmond Hospital Birth Centre staff, physicians, families and guests gathered in Richmond Hospital’s Ralph Fisher Auditorium Tuesday morning to attend an evidence-based practice event in celebration of the centre’s impressive track record of promoting vaginal births and high quality maternal care.

Healthy birth practices – which involve freedom of movement during labour and upright positioning in addition to other natural interventions, such as walking, birthing balls and chairs – have become common birthing strategies, leading to the centre having the highest vaginal delivery rate for first-time mothers for facilities of similar size in B.C. Just 17 per cent of first-time mothers have caesarean sections at Richmond Hospital’s Centre.

“The advances leading to more vaginal births have come about partially due to pressure from the natural childbirth movement,” explained Dorothy McKune, Birth Centre RN and event organizer. “The old clinical interventions left women dissatisfied with the birth process.”

Success Story

The Birth Centre’s success is a multi-faceted story that has its roots firmly planted in a belief that the best outcomes for mom and baby are achievable through the provision of continuous labour support.

The fact that the centre’s clinical and non-clinical staff are also tightly bonded by friendship, respect and trust also bodes well for its reputation as a high-performing team.  Not only is medical and clinical staff highly valued, but also equally so are the unit’s clerks, service support aids and cleaners. In fact, two if the latter group chose to attend the event on their days off.

“I think we have a really good gig going here,” said Dr. Sarah Monahan, a Birth Centre Obstetrician. “We have shared values and good transmission of knowledge, and we trust each other.”

Want to learn more?

Click here to read a previous story about the RH Birth Centre’s high rates of vaginal births.