Birth suite for stillbirths and pregnancy loss to open in Cairns

A new birth suite set to open in the coming months will provide a safe haven for mothers and families experiencing pregnancy loss.

The Cairns Hospital maternity unit will build a $200,000 Butterfly Birth Suite, for mothers and families who lose their baby during pregnancy and birthing. KenFrost Homes has donated the final $40,000 to the Far North Queensland Hospital Foundation needed to build the suite. Cairns Hospital Maternity Unit midwives Nerissa Ward, Nicole Peterson, Jo Taylor, Far North Queensland Hospital Foundation CEO Gina Hogan, midwife Martine Shanks KenFrost Homes marketing manager Alex Loughton, midwife Remya Nair and Cairns Hospital midwifery and nursing director Mary McGuinness at the hospital's birthing suite. Picture: Brendan Radke

A new birth suite set to open in the coming months will provide a safe haven for mothers and families experiencing pregnancy loss.

The Far North Queensland Hospital Foundation has reached its fundraising goal of $200,000 to build their specialised Butterfly birth suite at the Cairns Hospital, which will provide a purpose-built space for those experiencing pregnancy loss.

“At the moment, if there is a pregnancy loss, patients are in the usual birthing suites, which are brilliant and fantastic, except they are set up for a family that is able to take their little one home with them, so this is creating a space that’s really tailored to those families and their situation,” Foundation CEO Gina Hogan said.

Ms Hogan said choosing to name the suite Butterfly was a thoughtful decision.

“Butterflies often signify loss and rebirth and creation so it’s a space that gives (families) the feeling of safety and warmth and acknowledges that family but in a different environment,” she said.

She said she hoped the suite would offer a comforting experience to grieving parents.

“(Pregnancy loss) is one of those things that often many people won’t speak about but it does touch many people.”

Ms Hogan said the suite would likely be ready to use within the next few months.

Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service midwifery and nursing director Mary McGuinness said the space would accommodate all members of the family, not just mothers.

“We’re looking for this to be very clinically safe but very warm and homely,” Ms McGuinness said.

“We’ll have a double bed so partners can stay, if there’s a toddler, they can tuck in beside mum.

“We’re also doing a beautiful art wall so that when you’re taking photos and creating memories with your baby it’s actually with this beautiful backdrop,” she said.

Ms McGuinness said the experience of caring for a patient undergoing pregnancy loss was especially “harrowing” and difficult for health professionals.

“From our point of view, we want this service even if we only use it five times a year,” she said.

“I can only speak for myself but the better we can make the experience for our mums and our families, the less harrowing it is.”

Cairns construction business Kenfrost Homes put forward the final donation of $40,000.

Kenfrost Homes marketing co-ordinator Alex Loughton said they were drawn to the cause.

“Cairns is the area that we do business exclusively so we’re only too happy to support initiatives that contribute to our local community.”

Originally published as Birth suite for stillbirths and pregnancy loss to open in Cairns