Huron Perth Healthcare Alliance (HPHA) – Stratford General Hospital, Canada
2023
Sensory Delivery Room
At Stratford General Hospital in Canada, there is great excitement over the opening of the country’s first sensory birthing room.
Huron Perth Healthcare Alliance cut the ribbon on October 11, 2023, for the first sensory delivery room at Stratford General Hospital in Canada. This is quite a milestone, says Audra Boersen, Manager of the Maternal Child Unit and Scheduling Unit in Stratford, who is extremely excited to be able to offer a sensory birthing room to expectant mothers in their area.
“This project has truly been a labour of love and we are so proud to have the first delivery room of this kind in Canada.”
First-time mom Leah gave birth to her son in the Sensory Delivery Room in September 2023. She was nervous about the labour experience but that quickly changed when she stepped into the sensory delivery room:
“From the moment we arrived in the room, I felt a sense of calm. The digital screen was on and was displaying coloured lights along with calming music. It made the room feel so cozy and home-like. This set the tone for how the rest of our experience went. I would highly recommend the sensory room to any labouring person. I am so grateful it was available for my family and I to use!”
“From the moment we arrived in the room, I felt a sense of calm.”
Leah, gave birth in a Sensory Delivery Room
As Leah’s labour progressed the team made use of the different programs to support her through the different stages of birth. For example, the breathing program is beneficial for pain relief. The program helps the labouring woman to focus and can also be used for relaxation between contractions.
According to Dr. Cheryl Hillyer, the medical program director of the hospital’s maternal child unit, the patients and partners are encouraged to change themes – also after the birth:
“The welcome program creates a ‘nest’ ambience, supporting the skin-to-skin contact with the child and the lighting is dimmed reddish, positively affecting the newborn’s rooting and sucking reflex and attachment to the parent. The breastfeed program creates a relaxing environment to instill a sense of security and calm to promote successful breastfeeding.”
At the Canadian maternity ward, the team also experiences the effect of the sensory delivery room in their daily work:
“I value the ability of the Sensory Delivery Room to create a calm and relaxing environment. For me, it’s like I just walk in and it’s like a breath of fresh air. I’ve really seen the benefits with my students. Labour is not always predictable and things can get a bit intense and I’ve seen it work at calming my students.”
According to Audra Boersen, the hope is that positive feedback and attention can lead to more sensory delivery rooms in the maternity ward.
A Sensory Delivery Room has the same equipment and features as an ordinary delivery room but also includes a digital screen that plays nature scenes, dynamic lights in calming colors and specially designed sound programs such as wave ripples, all of which help to create a more relaxed environment that seems less clinical.
Wavecare sensory delivery rooms have already been installed in several hospitals in Denmark. In 2024, the first sensory delivery room opened in Sweden. Wavecare sensory delivery rooms have also gained attention in China.
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