Stroud Maternity Unit is providing women with a more relaxing birthing experience thanks to the donation of new ‘sky tiles.’

The Stroud Hospitals League of Friends provided over £4,000 to enable our maternity team to purchase and install the light fitting for the ceiling of the Mulberry Birthing room. The sky tiles have been installed directly over a birthing pool and the team are hoping to buy another for another birthing room in the future.

The sky tiles replace four ceiling tiles and, as the name suggests, is a light fitting behind an image which gives the impression of a window looking out into the sky, as Stroud Maternity Unit Lead Midwife Bobbie Cullimore explains: “We have over 300 women who give birth here each year and thanks to the generosity of the Stroud League of Friends we have been able to keep our facilities up to date. The sky tiles have been in place since October and they have gone down really well. Our aim is to keep lighting low and draw the curtains to help provide a relaxing environment, but this does mean the mums in labour could not look outside. Now the sky tiles are in place, they can be in the birthing pool and can look up and see the trees and sky and it helps them relax and feel calm.”.

President of Stroud Hospitals League of Friends, Dr Roy Lamb said: “The Stroud Maternity Unit is quite unique and the new skytiles gives a really special atmosphere. It is more than just a birth centre and we have been proud to help to improve the environment over the years as well as supporting activities such as yoga, baby massage and singing and helping new mums to make connections and find the support they need following the birth of their baby.”

The formal presentation by Stroud Hospitals League of Friends took place at 11.30am on Tuesday 21st February in the Birthing Room at Stroud Maternity Unit.

Stroud League of Friends President, Dr Roy Lamb, Chairman, Dr Gordon Horner and Administrator, Susan Strongitharm attended along with Bobbie Cullimore, Lead Midwife at Stroud Maternity Hospital, Keith Norton, Non Exec Director of Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Assistant Director of Midwifery Dawn Morrall and Revd. Dr Alison Evans from Stroud Hospitals’ Chaplaincy.

Photo shows Bobbie Cullimore with Skytiles above