Johnston mum shares Withybush birth experience

A Pembrokeshire mother-of-three has shared her experience of giving birth in Withybush Hospital in the hope that her story will reassure mums-to-be that they are in safe hands in the Haverfordwest hospital.
27 year old Francesca Davies of Johnston, Pembrokeshire, gave birth to her five-week-old daughter, McKenzie, at the Midwife-Led Unit in Withybush with her husband, Leigh, and sister, Danielle, at her side.
Francesca has told how she felt at ease while giving birth at the unit, explaining: “It was about 1:30am when I felt my contractions getting very strong and painful, so I called to speak to my midwife, Dawn. She was very calm and talked me through the whole thing, giving me the choice to either wait or come to the hospital straight away.
“I decided to wait but after around an hour and I couldn’t wait any more and headed straight in. Dawn had already filled the birthing pool for me. It was so relaxing. Well... between contractions anyway!
“McKenzie was born just after 5am weighing in at a healthy 8lb 4 oz. Her shoulders got stuck during the birth but it didn’t faze Dawn at all, which kept me completely calm and comfortable - Dawn was completely in control throughout the whole delivery. Having her there felt like having another member of the family with me. She delivered my son, Jack, too! I feel very lucky to have had her as my midwife twice.
“After I’d had a shower and moved to a new room my parents brought Jack and Roxy to meet their little sister. I have to say, the rooms were very clean and I felt totally at ease – the staff couldn’t do enough for me or my family.
“I’m so thankful I could give birth in Haverfordwest, in a place that feels like a home from home, with a midwife who feels like part of the family.”
36-year-old Leigh, a forklift driver, added: “I want to thank Dawn for being a rock for my wife throughout it all ... again!”
McKenzie is the fourth addition to the Davies family; Francesca and Leigh have three children together - seven-year-old Roxy, nearly three-year-old Jack and five-week-old McKenzie - together with Leigh’s nine-year-old daughter, Brooke.
Chief Executive, Steve Moore, added: “Thank you to Francesca for sharing her story publically. We know that there is still some concern in the Pembrokeshire community about maternity services but we hope that by sharing Francesca’s experience we can help to alleviate some of the worry that pregnant women in Pembrokeshire may feel. We know that not all mothers-to-be are suitable for a midwife-led birth, but for those that are, they are in extremely capable hands with the midwifery teams we have in each of our three counties of Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire.”

Photo: Mum, Francesca, with baby McKenzie