THE first baby to be delivered by a newly formed home birthing team has been named in their honour by her parents.

Grace Isabella Eden Witt was delivered at home in Westbourne on April 4 – the first delivery overseen by Poole Hospital’s Eden team, which was formed two days before.

Mum Serena, whose midwife Louise Malcahy joined the new five-strong team and so was able to care for her throughout her pregnancy and birth, said: “We thought it was a lovely middle name and it has so much meaning behind it. It’s a nice thing to be able to share with her – that she was the first baby to be born under this home birthing team is quite special.”

Serena, 35, and husband James, 36, had initially planned on a water birth at Poole’s Haven unit – but inspired by fellow first-time parents at their antenatal classes, they decided to find out more about home birth.

“Louise, our midwife, was so confident and made us confident about choosing a home birth,” she added.

The Eden team is dedicated solely to supporting home births, with the midwives’ working week dictated by the women.

Their role also includes raising awareness of home births in the area, where around two per cent of deliveries were at home last year – compared to almost three per cent nationally.

Midwife Diane Smallworth, the Eden team leader, said this discrepancy was largely due to the popularity of the Haven birth centre at the hospital.

“More and more women are choosing a midwifery-led birth,” she added.

“That’s a very positive thing, because the benefits of giving birth in a more relaxed, calming environment are well known.

“What we’d like to highlight is that those same benefits, like the reduced need for pain relief, as well as many more, are available with a home birth.”

And new mum Serena agreed, adding: “Having two highly experienced midwives present – one looking after me and the other looking after the baby – and for us to be their sole focus was just so reassuring.

“The birth was everything we wanted it to be. We hired a pool so we could have the water birth we wanted at home, and the whole experience was just amazing.”

Meet the team at a stand outside Marks & Spencer in the Dolphin centre from 10am-4pm today.