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Darling Downs Health is celebrating Stanthorpe’s first water birth, with midwives from Southern Downs Midwifery Group Practice (MGP), helping mother Ruby Constanzo with the birth of her daughter Genevieve recently.
Ms Constanzo said it was incredible that mothers in Stanthorpe were able to access such a service.
“I wanted a minimal intervention birth and I read into water immersion. I did find it helped a lot with reducing the pain with contractions and birth,” she said.
“To be able to go home the same day after giving birth here in Stanthorpe in the water, not being in any pain really, and to be able to just enjoy the newborn bubble with my daughter was pretty special.”
Southern Downs Midwifery Unit Manager, Toni Randall said the milestone had been nearly a decade in the making.
“The midwives have worked hard to do all of their training so that they can be ready to offer water births,”
Southern Downs Midwifery Unit Manager, Toni Randall
Since the birth of baby Eve, midwives at Stanthorpe hospital have supported two more mothers to give birth in water.
Ms Randall said it was important Darling Downs Health offered such options to expectant mothers, as it allowed them to stay in their community and be supported by friends and family.
“When you ask mothers what their priority is, they usually always say it's that they birth at home in their community,” she said.
Since being set up in July 2024, the Southern Downs MGP has cared for around 77 women in Stanthorpe, with similar
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