Choosing where to give birth in North Lincolnshire
This is a comprehensive guide, you may want to bookmark this and come back to it from time to time.
When your midwife casually asks, 'Which hospital shall we put you down for?' it might not have occurred to you to say anything other than 'Scunthorpe General Hospital’. But if you’re living in North Lincolnshire, you have a number of options to choose from…so what is the best choice for you and your baby? There’s more to consider than you might realise; read on to make an informed decision.
Don't worry, your current choice isn't set in stone. If, after exploring your options, you decide you would like to give birth elsewhere, simply speak to your midwife.
Bringing a new life into the world is such a special and momentous occasion; the thought of giving birth can be both exciting and a little daunting. Deciding where to give birth can have a big impact on your experience of birth. There are a variety of options for you to consider if you live in North Lincolnshire, which I will guide you through in detail. But before I do, I will share some important considerations for you to keep in mind as we explore the options.
Mum snuggles with baby after giving birth.
Things to consider
1. Birthing women need to feel safe – if you feel unsafe, your brain signals to your body that it is not an optimal time to give birth. This can cause labour to slow right down.
2. The environment plays a huge role in your experience of labour. The ideal setting is one that is dimly lit, quiet, private, and undisturbed - conditions that are naturally beneficial for all mammals, yet are often overlooked during human births. These simple, yet crucial elements are key to creating the right atmosphere for an easier, more efficient labour.
3. We are very lucky that in this country, in this era, birth is very safe for mum and baby no matter where you choose to give birth.
Keep these points in mind as you consider your birthing options and how to get the most out of your birth experience.
What are my options for giving birth in North Lincolnshire?
Giving birth in Hospital
The majority of parents living in North Lincolnshire choose to give birth in a hospital. You can choose to give birth at Scunthorpe General Hospital or Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital in Grimsby.
It’s worth noting that although these are the two hospitals within the Northern Lincolnshire & Goole NHS Trust, you can also choose to give birth in a different Trust such as Hull Women & Children’s Hospital or Lincoln County Hospital – the latter two options will not be explored in this guide. Speak to your midwife about this at your next appointment if you wish to consider giving birth in a hospital outside of Northern Lincolnshire & Goole NHS Foundation.
Maternity Services at Scunthorpe General Hospital
This hospital has a dedicated maternity unit with experienced midwives and doctors. Facilities include a mixed antenatal and postnatal ward where you will be among other women, a central delivery suite, a theatre for caesarean births (c-sections), a birthing pool, and a neonatal intensive care unit for babies who require extra support.
Main entrance into Scunthorpe General Hospital, maternity services are to the right. Photograph taken by Calvin Robinson for The Lincolnite.
Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital in Grimsby
At this hospital you are provided with your own en-suite room which is yours for the duration of labour, giving birth, recovery and postnatal care. Birth partners are encouraged to stay overnight after you have given birth to support you and help take care of the baby. They have a dedicated theatre for caesarean births, a family room, high dependency room, a room for disabled mums-to-be and a water birth room.
Benefits of giving birth in a hospital in North Lincolnshire
You have access to the full suite of medical pain relief options, including:
Entonox (gas and air)
Injections (opioid drugs)
Epidural
If you have been identified as having a ‘high risk’ pregnancy you will be offered continuous monitoring which is only available in hospitals.
Neonatal units are available for babies who need extra support.
If being in a medical facility gives you peace of mind, it can reduce stress and anxiety. Of upmost importance when choosing where to give birth is “do I feel safe”. If you know you will feel most safe in a hospital, this reassurance will allow you to feel more relaxed during labour. Being relaxed helps labour to progress well and birth your baby more easily and less painfully.
You will have access to birth pools in both Scunthorpe and Grimsby Hospitals. You will find information about water births at the bottom of this guide.
Giving birth in hospital is safe for mum and baby.
Disadvantages of giving birth in hospital in North Lincolnshire
You have less control over your birth experience. Hospitals must follow medical guidelines, which can lead to increased monitoring. Continuous monitoring limits your natural and instinctive movements and can make it more difficult to find a position that feels most comfortable.
There is an increased likelihood of medical interventions. Research shows that giving birth in hospital is associated with higher rates of interventions (i.e., inductions, assisted births (forceps/ventouse), and/or caesarean births) than midwife-led units and home births.
Hospital guidelines impose time limits on labour. Putting a time limit on women can make them feel pressured and lead to unnecessary stress which is very unhelpful during labour. Stress reduces the flow of beneficial hormones that we require in abundance for an easier labour.
You will have less privacy and a potentially more challenging environment. In Scunthorpe hospital, you will share a ward with other mums before moving into the delivery suite. The people, bright lights and noise can feel overwhelming and limits your ability to create a relaxing, home-from-home environment, with the ideal conditions for labour (i.e., dimly lit, quiet, undisturbed, private). If the hospital environment causes you to feel stressed, it will slow labour down and can make it more painful (due to the balance of hormones in your body).
In Scunthorpe hospital, birth partners are unable to stay with you after birth. However, at Grimsby hospital, your birth partner is encouraged to stay with you and help take care of baby.
Women gives birth in hospital with her birth partner by her side and midwives to support her.
Giving birth in a midwife-led unit in North Lincolnshire
Goole & District Hospital
This hospital has a midwife-led unit which provides a home-from-home delivery suite which has a bed and birth pool. It is for women who have been identified as having ‘low risk’ pregnancies; anyone who becomes ‘high risk’ is transferred to Scunthorpe General Hospital. You can find out more here.
Benefits of giving birth in a midwife-led unit in North Lincolnshire, Goole
Midwife-led units provide a more relaxed, home-like setting than a hospital, allowing you to create conditions that are favourable for labour – dimly lit, quiet, private.
You will have one-to-one support from a community midwife on your arrival and throughout your labour. It can be very reassuring to know you have a midwife by your side to support you all the way through.
You will have access to a birth pool (see benefits of water births below).
Midwife-led units are associated with lower rates of intervention (i.e., induction, assisted births (forceps / ventouse), caesarean birth) than hospital births.
You are less likely to require the use of medical pain relief (i.e., opioid injections, epidural).
On the whole, women tend to report more positive birth experiences in a midwife-led unit compared to a hospital.
Your pain relief options include Entonox (gas and air), TENS machine, birth pool (see more on this below), relaxation techniques, hypnobirthing.
Giving birth in a midwife-led unit is safe for mum and baby.
Disadvantages of giving birth in a midwife-led unit in North Lincolnshire, Goole
You must meet criteria to be able to give birth there.
You will not have access to opioid injections or an epidural for pain relief (however, you can be transferred to hospital is you wish to have either of these).
Your birth partner cannot stay overnight with you after you have had your baby.
There is no neonatal intensive care facility, a transfer to hospital would be required should your baby need additional support.
Giving birth at home in North Lincolnshire
Many people dismiss this option without any consideration, and I get why. Society has labelled birth as something to fear, something that is medicalised, something that you need a hospital for. Add to this the fact that there are many incorrect stereotypes about the ‘type’ of person that has a home birth and there is no wonder that it gets overlooked from the get-go. Some people aren’t even aware that home birth is an option. So, before we look at the benefits and disadvantages, I just want to set a few things straight straight…
We don’t need to look far back in history to see that it was commonplace for women to birth at home and for hospitals to be reserved only for ‘high-risk’ pregnancies and births. People wanted to give birth at home and not in hospital. Fast forward a few years and here we are at the opposite end of the spectrum. This shift hasn’t been associated with better outcomes or better experiences in birth.
In fact, one associated outcome with the increase in hospital births is the number of interventions women have. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) intervention rates are so much higher than they should be. To give a relevant and localised example, in November 2024, statistics reported by Northern Lincolnshire & Goole Hospital, showed as many births were induced as those that occurred naturally (in their own time). The WHO state induction rates should be no higher than 10%; with possible rates of around 50% in Northern Lincolnshire & Goole NHS Trust its worth considering where you stand with having an induction. It’s important to weigh up the benefits AND implications thoroughly before making a decision that feels right for you and your baby. For example, did you know that inductions can cause labour to be more intense, more painful, lead to more interventions, increase reliance on medical pain relief and are associated with more negative experiences of birth.
Home births are not for a certain ‘type’ of person, they are for people who understand the importance of giving birth somewhere they feel safe and familiar; and want to have the most control over their birth experience. When you are in your own home, it’s your rules, your way!
As I mentioned at the beginning, birth is safe no matter where you choose. Research conducted by Hutton et al. (2019) which examined 14 studies in total, found there was no difference in risk between home and hospital in women who were identified as being low risk. So concerns around safety should not deter you from preparing for a home birth.
Living in North Lincolnshire means that you have access to a home birth service with community midwives who attend your birth, they bring all the necessary equipment and expertise to support you during labour.
Mum kisses the top of baby’s head whilst enjoying skin-to-skin contact after a beautiful home birth.
Benefits of home birth in north lincolnshire
Being in your own home can provide a more comfortable and relaxed environment, usually home is somewhere that you feel safe which is a vital ingredient for an easier labour.
You can have a more personalised, one-to-one experience with the midwife (there will be an additional midwife present during the actual birth too). It can be very reassuring to know you have at least one midwife there to support you throughout labour and into that initial post-natal period.
Home birth allows for more control and flexibility - you have full autonomy over how you move and position yourself, allowing your powerful instincts to take over and do what your body needs to do. You can choose where in the house you want to be and have the environment set up just how you want it. You can decide who is with you throughout labour; your birth partner can be by your side the whole time. There is more flexibility around timings and guidelines than in hospital.
It boosts the likelihood of having a more natural, less interrupted birth experience; home births are associated with fewer medical interventions (i.e., inductions, assisted births and / or caesarean births) and less reliance on medical pain relief (opioid injections, epidural) than hospital births. Please note, these interventions and pain relief options would only be available following a transfer to hospital.
Being at home means you can focus all of your attention on bonding with your baby after birth and enjoy uninterrupted skin-to-skin contact. You can snuggle up in bed with a cup of tea, relaxed and cosy with your new baby.
You have access to Entonox (gas & air), TENS machine, relaxation techniques, hypnobirthing and a birth pool for pain relief.
Midwives are highly skilled and usually identify any issues well in advance, advising a transfer to hospital in plenty of time should you need one. Its also worth noting that if you prepare for a home birth and then change your mind once you’re in labour, it’s absolutely fine to head into hospital to give birth. There is always flexibility.
Birthing at home is safe for mum and baby.
Disadvantages of home birth in north lincolnshire
You are unable to have opioid injections and epidural as methods of pain relief at home, however you can have a transfer to hospital for this.
You will need to be transferred to hospital for interventions such as induction, assisted delivery and caesarean birth.
You will need to be transferred to hospital if your baby requires additional support.
You are not advised to have a home birth if you have been identified as being ‘high risk’.
Resources
· Watch a positive home birth video (includes water birth too).
· Book: Why Home Birth Matters by Natalie Meddings
· Northern Lincolnshire NHS Foundation guide to planning for a home birth
Having a water birth in north lincolnshire
I have mentioned birth pools in all three main options for giving birth. So here is a summary of the benefits of having a water birth.
Water births are becoming increasingly popular, and they are definitely an option for you as all three facilities in North Lincolnshire provide birthing pools, you can also hire a birth pool if you would like to give birth at home.
Post birth photo of a home water birth.
Benefits of a water birth
Increases privacy and creates a physical barrier, giving you a stronger sense of control.
Being immersed in a birth pool is an incredibly effective method of pain relief.
Reduces the need for medical pain relief (opioid injections and epidural).
Having a water birth is associated with fewer interventions (i.e., inductions, assisted births, caesarean births).
Being immersed in water has a buoyancy effect which allows you to move freely and provides the opportunity for you to get into the most comfortable and optimal positions for giving birth.
Water births are associated with shorter labours.
Being in a birth pool promotes a wonderful sense of relaxation.
They reduce the likelihood of tearing as baby is born.
Water births are rated very highly by women; women who use birth pools report more positive experiences of giving birth.
Water births allow for an easier birth and a gentle journey into the world for your little one.
Water births are safe for mum and baby
Considerations for a water birth
You cannot be in a birth pool whilst being continuously monitored and / or if you have been induced.
You cannot have opioid injections or an epidural whilst in a birth pool (however you can use Entonox (gas and air), relaxation techniques and hypnobirthing whilst in a birth pool).
The temperature of the pool must be kept constant at body temperature.
Resources
Watch a positive water birth video
Book: The Water Birth Book by Janet Balaskas
Home Birth Supplies – Hire a birth pool
I hope this guide has provided you with a helpful starting point as you explore your birth options. When making your decision, remember to ask yourself, "Where will I feel most safe?" and consider how you can create the ideal environment to support a smoother, shorter, and more efficient labour.
Check out the FAQs below, and feel free to ask any questions in the comments section. You can also contact me using the link below or message me on Instagram (@bloom_in_birth). Do get in touch if you would like any more information. I’m here to help!
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If you are giving birth at hospital you will have access to all medical forms of pain relief including Entonox (gas & air), opioid drugs and epidural. If giving birth at a midwife-led unit or at home, you will have access to Entonox as well as other (natural) forms of pain relief which includes using a TENS machine, relaxation techniques and a birth pool.
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You can have a water birth at hospital, midwife-led unit and at home. If you are giving birth at home, you will need to hire a birth pool. It is very easy to do and will usually come with all the equipment you will need. Check out Home Birth Supplies.
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Hypnobirthing is a comprehensive type of birth course that fully prepares you for labour. It provides you with all the information you will need to feel capable of giving birth and making decisions that feel right for you. You will learn and practice a variety of tools and techniques so that you can feel more comfortable during labour. You will remove any fear or doubts about giving birth so you can approach birth with confidence.
Find out more about hypnobirthing here.
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