Maternity unit celebrates 21 years
Earlier this month Derriford Hospitals Maternity Unit was visited by the first baby to be born at Derriford Hospital, in the lead up to the unit’s 21st anniversary and his birthday.
Adam Jones, who was born on 17 January 1994 at 2:40pm, was the first baby to be born in the new Maternity Unit at Derriford Hospital, following its move from Freedom Fields Hospital. Last week he returned to the unit with his mum Susan, to pay a visit to the midwife who was working that day.
On that very same day, on the other side of the city, another baby arrived in the world – the last baby to be born in Freedom Fields Hospital. Baby Matthew was born at 2.30pm in the only room remaining in the hospital.
Matt, the son of Angela and Ray King, was delivered by Midwife Angela Wright, who has worked as a midwife since 1985 and who now runs the antenatal Curvy Mums service at Derriford.
Mum Angela recalls: “I was due on the 8th or 9th of January and I remember the midwife Liza saying to me ‘whatever you do, don’t have the baby on the 17th – that’s moving day’.
“The day before Matt was born, a friend who was a midwife, asked in a knowing sort of way whether I was alright, as I’d been sat down more than usual. In hindsight things were getting started.”
In the early hours of the morning on the 17 January, Angela K went into labour and went to Freedom Fields Hospital. Angela W arrived on shift that morning at 7am with student midwife Kim.
“I went along to see Angela and I thought that we would be all done by 11am,” explains Angela W. “But labour didn’t progress as quickly as expected and Angela needed a drip, etc. So a decision was made that it would be safer to keep a small team at Freedom Fields and to deliver there rather than trying to transfer up to Derriford.”
Both of the Angelas laughed as they reminisced about the removals that were taking place around them, whilst they were in the last remaining delivery room.
“There were removal men outside of my room taking everything away,” laughed Angela K. “I can remember Angela saying to my husband “sit down Ray, or they’ll take your chair and turning to me and saying “stay on the bed or that could go too.”
“Also when I arrived at the hospital and went to the room, there was a white board outside with my name on it. By the time we left the hospital, it had been taken off!”
Image take on the day of Matt's birth“We had different removal men knocking on the door as Angela was in labour,” Angela W added. “We had to ensure we kept hold of any equipment we may have needed.”
Speaking of the birth, Angela W said: “Matt was a very cute, textbook baby. As he cried his first cry, it was like he was crying for all those babies born at Freedom Fields over many years.
“It was a really touching moment for me as I had delivered so many babies in that room.”
After his birth, Angela K and baby Matt were transferred to Derriford Hospital to spend the night. They still have the commemorative silver spoon he was given by the hospital to mark the birth of the last baby at Freedom Fields.
Angela K said: “I felt very special; Matt’s birth was even announced on the radio!”
At the end of her shift, Angela W, closed and locked the door of the old maternity hospital for the final time.
“I did shed a tear,” she said. “It felt like I was saying goodbye to an old friend. I remember standing back and looking up at the building and realising how things were going to be different.”
The last birth at Freedom Fields and the first at Derriford, made front page news of the local newspaper, the Plymouth Herald and also featured in the Western Morning News.
