Tuesday 27 April 2010

27 April 2010 - I am melting!

Hello there, so chaired my second meeting today and the room was so hot I thought we might all melt into a puddle. It was a quiet meeting which means I managed to get us finished early. Key outcomes from the meeting include:

That efforts will be made to support the 11 peer breastfeeding supporters trained in one of the Children's Centre even without funding for co-ordinator.

The new information booklet for maternity services in Lewisham is now at the final stages. The maternity matters booklet about the new Midwife led unit is published and in circulation. Information about pelvic floor and bladder exercises should also be avaliable and links will be made with Phsiotherapy...Also information should be easily available on UHL website shortly.

Service user reimbursement - Information provided to each service user attending and should be emailed to existing members. Service users to attend 3 meetings before committing to the committee... he he.

The PCT will look at options to support a GP to attend meetings by providing locum cover at their surgery... Hopefully will have a GP present at the next meeting...

Engagement: This was a last minute AOB slipped in by me asking if the MSLC could have a presecence at Lewisham People's day .... hopefully this is achievable and we should do something jointly with the hospital... so ideas and volunteers needed.

So dates for the diary meetings for the rest of 2010:

Tuesdays
15th June 6pm - 8 pm (giving Service users working full - time the chance to attend at least one meeting of the year)

14th September 12 - 4 pm The MSLC Training session for all members of the committee with lunch (fingers crossed!)

21st September 2 - 4 pm

16th November 2 - 4 pm

All dates TBC subject to venues being booked...

Thursday 15 April 2010

No.3 - A proper tour of the new unit at Lewisham

So we all had our proper tour of the new unit due to open on the 10 May (The opening has been put back due to the elections)... We were expecting a quick walk around but were greeted with balloons, cake and drinks and goody bags for those of us with bumps.

Oh and the art selected the day before was all up on the walls...along with the specially commissioned wooden sculptures for each of the rooms. The beds, sofa's, TV's and other finishing touches are still to go in but the birthing stalls, ropes, balls and pools all look cool... and made some of us feel envious of the women who will get to birth actively in this space. Seriously made me think about having Number three... eeek.

The first year of the unit will be an exciting challenge for all the staff and supporters and hopefully the ethos of the MLU will rub of on Labour Ward just upstairs... and rumour has it that Labour Ward will get a well needed facelift shortly. Will be great to hear from women using the new unit on this blog!!!

Tuesday 13 April 2010

The new midwife led unit : a piece of art

So in my role as chair I get to do some fun stuff like help pick out the art for the new midwife led birthing unit at Lewisham hospital .... Only for the corridors... This was fun and challenging try to pick stuff with a broad appeal and things that go together... we ended up going for a watery theme as a lot of the pictures chosen has the sea, lakes and rivers featured... trying to create a sense of calm and peace and encourage those wome in labour to take the plunge, maybe!

Will have a full tour of the unit tomorrow with my other service user colleagues.. can't wait... almost makes me want to go for number 3!!!