Birthing Slings for an Active Birth

Ceiling mounted birthing sling

We at Softbirths make birth equipment for the NHS at a reasonable price and we do this by keeping our designs simple and safe.  Take our ceiling mount for birthing slings for example.

Robust

testing birthing slings
Weight-testing the sling cloth

We know that the average Midwife Led Unit or Birth Centre sees thousands of births a year with thousands of different women. Therefore quality, functionality and durability were our priorities when putting our prototype slings through their paces.

The metalwork is made in the UK by experienced, skilled craftsmen, our  steel ceiling mount and carabiner clips are virtually indestructible, yet incredibly easy to fit at a fraction of the price of other mounted fittings currently on the market, leaving you room to spend your budget on other home comforts for birthing women and midwives caring for them.

The tensile strength of the fabrics have been tested  up to 175 kilos. (We recommend using a ‘larkshead’ loop with the fabric through the carabiner clip for maximum strength – see photo of rope).

The metalwork is an area where savings to the NHS come in because it uses generic off-the-shelf components.  There is no mystery to fixing an eye-bolt to a beam or joist, no special components with patents.  We’ve added in two safety features so that there are two ‘locks’ to stop this metalwork ever unscrewing. The metalwork itself has been tested up to 400kg without it budging.  

Long and Strong

All our birthing slings are a generous six meters in length, giving plenty of length for loops and knots. They are manufactured in a beautiful series of jacquard weave, heavyweight cottons with for extra luxury and durability. They feel comfortable, strong and secure for labouring women to lean through or hold onto.

Birthing sling rebozo material
Beautiful, robust weaves in a range of designs

 

Washability

SoftBirth birthing sling fabrics are cotton or cotton blend and have been wash tested to 60°C with no noticeable loss of colour and a shrinkage allowance of just 3%.

Have a look

birth sling cloth  sling cloth birthing sling cloth  sling cloth birthing sling cloth birthing sling cloth birthing slings birthing sling cloth birthing sling cloth

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There is a whole range of beautiful colours and patterns of birthing slings to choose from, more than we can show here.  Take a look at Softbirth’s birthing sling page or contact us for more details.

Special Offer to Midwives ~ Cynnig Arbennig i fydwragedd

As SoftBirth is based in Wales, we’re having a special 10% offer for all hospitals in Wales and those that serve Wales (so this would include Chester, Oswestry, Shrewsbury, Telford, Hereford, etc.).  The offer applies to all the SoftBirth range (though it doesn’t apply to the 2 birthing couches which are already £100 off!!)

Birthing bean bag just after use! Wrexham Maelor Hospital

Ceiling mounted birth sling

Soft Birth Birthing Couch Kit

The special offer flyer can be downloaded here as a pdf – softbirth_offer_flyer_Wales and 

Borders

 

 

It also applies to the Aquabirths birthing baths.  This would mean a Canberra birthing Bath would be less than £3000!Aquabirths Canberra Birthing Bath

Mini Birth Couch Kit and Extension

 At 115cm long, the Mini Birth Couch is made for small rooms.  But sometimes the thing taking up the room is the bed! Midwives have asked us to make a foam ‘block’ to extend the couch to 2m long so that it can be used as a bed.  The block comes with a stretch-fit valence-style cover that holds the pieces together.  The block and the cover are in the same heather colour as the Mini Birth Couch itself.

See https://softbirth.com/mini-birthing-couch-kit/

Discount Birth Couch

We have a navy blue birthing couch similar to the one in the picture below. It is new and unused.  This couch is supplied with one liner fitted and a spare liner supplied. So, you will need to put the spare liner on. £750 + £12 delivery and VAT. GONE!

birthing couch Softbirth
Optional – recess on left

Mini Birthcouch Kit at Shrewsbury MLU

mini-birth couch kit at Shrewsbury

We had a little jaunt to see the midwives at MLU and before we knew it we had an idea for another product and this Mini Birthcouch kit is in their MLU for mums to try out.

The mini kit is about half the length of the full-size softbirth birthing couch (115cm instead of 200cm long).  The midwives asked for an extra rectangular piece 115cm long so that they could make it into a long bed or, put it side by side with the kit here to make a big square bed.  They would be held in place by a ‘fitted sheet’ made of the same PU material used for the couch itself.

Which is a good time to remind you that we can make stuff if you have an idea for something different.  Get in touch with some measurements and we can make it for you.

Customise your Design

And we can customise existing designs.  If you want a narrower or wide couch, please ask because it probably won’t cost any more!  Cambridge have a birthcouch and they sent us a picture of it  the way that worked best for them.  But it is upside down.  (You can see the text in top but, more importantly, the safety flaps covering the zip are facing up and could collect any ‘fluids’ and allow them to seep into the cushion.)

 

birthing couch Softbirth

If you would like you cushion on the right instead of the left (see the picture of the default design here), then let us know and we’ll make one for you. Same price.

Small Birthing Couch

Following the popularity of the SoftBirth birthing couch, we’ve been asked to make a small birthing couch that will fit into smaller birthing rooms or in the back of a small car.  Here she is!  The mini couch kit is made of the same fully cleanable PU material as the full-size SoftBirth birthing couch kit.  It is double lined for additional safety too and the zips are covered by wide flaps.  The dinky birthing couch is 115cm long x 85cm wide by 40cm high.  Just like its big sister, it has the pull-out seat for partner or midwife. And a shaped kneeler so that the birthing mum can kneel into the recess and lean into it.

We met Wendy Cutchie, HoM for MLUs across Shropshire  at #SaTHFMU conference and she asked for a smaller version of the SoftBirth birthing couch.  So, we’ve made her one.   We can turn round new products very quickly and cheaply.  Midwives from Burton Hospital also asked us for a breast-feeding cushion to sit on top of the birthing couch. That has been designed and is ready. We’re looking for a hospital (with a couch) who’d like to trial it for us.  Get in touch if you’re interested.  We can turn around new products very quickly.  So, if there any things you’d like us to design for you, get in touch! We’d love to make something for you.small birthing couch kit

 

The smaller birthing couch with Midwives.dinky birth couch at #WARM17

The dinky birth couch had its first outing to a meeting of the ARM at Wigan (#Warm17) last week.

 

 

 

How much is a dinky birthing couch kit?

The special offer price on the full size SoftBirth birthing couch kit comes to an end on the 31st March. The dinky birthing couch comes in at an introductory price below £600 with FREE delivery in the UK.

 

 

 

#SoftBirth Birthing Couch Kit

birthing couch Softbirth
SoftBirth Birthing Couch Kit

The special offer price on the SoftBirth Birthing Couch Kit  comes to an 31st March 2017. This is rapidly approaching but orders placed before 31st will still qualify for the discount.

SoftBirth Birthing Couch at #SaTHFMU Conference, Shrewsbury, 2017
SoftBirth Birthing Couch at #SaTHFMU Conference, Shrewsbury, 2017

Since the trial at Darrent Valley in Kent, we’ve sold birthcouch kits to Bath, the Royal Berkshire, Burton on Trent, Derby, Great Yarmouth, Llandrindod, Newtown, Oldham, Warrington, Welshpool, Wirral and Wolverhampton – and that’s just the ones I can remember!

Orders placed before the 31st will still qualify for the special offer price of £795+delivery and VAT – and there are further discounts for ordering 2 or more!

Contact Ruth on 0345 230 1381 or contact us now for details.

Rebozo Birthing Slings for Active Birth Environments

When we started SoftBirth, our aim was to create a ‘whole birth environment’ for active birth settings. Today we are one step closer with the exciting introduction of our new range of Rebozo Slings.

Midwives, if you haven’t yet utilised a sling to assist a woman in labour, you may be surprised to learn how versatile and successful they can be in assisting birth.  Look out for our next Blog: Midwives – 7 Tips and Tricks for Using Softbirth Rebozo Slings.

The rebozo, of Mexican origin, is a long shawl-like strip of tightly woven, colourful fabric. It has been used traditionally by generations of indigenous women to carry babies, wrap the belly during pregnancy and the postpartum period, and of course as a tool during labour and birth. It is also handy for protection from the sun, not that those of us residing in Europe need that at the moment!

Frida Kahlo wearing a rebozo
Frida Kahlo; the most famous rebozo wearer?

An increasing number of maternity units and birth centres are installing rebozo slings and running workshops on how to use them to facilitate birth, although there have previously been limited options on the market suitable for use in such rigorous environments. After much research we believe we have found the perfect solution, marrying form and function, and today we are launching a beautiful range of sling fabrics to match every colour scheme, plus a strong, easily installed ceiling mount system to hang them from.

A rebozo used during all stages of labour provides an aid to help the mother assume helpful, supported positions which relieve pressure, offer comfort and assist in optimising foetal position.

Robust

testing birthing slings
Weight-testing the sling cloth

We know that the average Midwife Led Unit or Birth Centre sees thousands of births a year with thousands of different women.  Therefore quality and functionality were our first priorities when putting our prototype slings through their paces.

The tensile strength of the fabrics have been tested using a variety of weights and techniques up to 175 kilos. (We recommend double looping the fabric through the caribiner clip for maximum strength).

Long and Strong

All our slings are a generous six meters in length, giving plenty of length for loops and knots. They are manufactured in a beautiful series of jacquard weave cottons with a minimum fabric weight of 280gsm for extra luxury and durability.

Birthing sling rebozo material
Beautiful, robust weaves in a range of designs

 

Washability

SoftBirth sling fabrics are cotton or cotton blend and have been wash tested to 60°C with no noticeable loss of colour and a shrinkage allowance of just 3%.

Fixings

Sling mount

Made in the UK by experienced metalworkers, our purpose made steel ceiling mount and caribiner clips are virtually indestructible, yet incredibly easy to fit at a fraction of the price of other mounted fittings currently on the market, leaving you room to spend your budget on other home comforts

 

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Take a look at the products section of our website to see our full range

 

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Implementing the National Maternity Review in Rural Areas Conference

SoftBirth will be attending the conference in Shrewsbury on 13th February.  Come and see a couch for yourself!birthing couch Softbirth

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/implementing-the-national-maternity-review-in-rural-areas-tickets-30546634807

Birthing Couch Kit Special Offer

[heading]The SoftBirth birthing couch kit is on special offer [/heading]

Instead of the normal price of £950, the kit will be held at £795 until the 31st March 2017.

Innovative yet simple, the Birthing Couch Kit has been exclusively designed for SoftBirth and comes in versatile segments that can be moved around to suit the needs of the moment.

The integrated stool pulls out to give comfortable seating for the Midwife or birth partner.  The recess created can then be used for the mother to kneel in a supported position.  We even include an interlocking kneeling mat for comfort.

When fully assembled the couch becomes a comfortable flat surface for mothers to relax with their newborns.  For Midwives this gives easy access for exams and suturing without the need for a bed.

[icon type=”i.g. icon-heart”][/icon]Choice of three tasteful colours –
dark heather, teal  or french navy

[icon type=”i.g. icon-heart”][/icon]Comes complete with integrated kneeling
mat and stool

[icon type=”i.g. icon-heart”][/icon]Additional memory foam topper available
for supreme comfort

[icon type=”i.g. icon-heart”][/icon]Additional covers available to purcha­se

[icon type=”i.g. icon-heart”][/icon]Manufactured in the UK

[icon type=”i.g. icon-heart”][/icon]Meets all requirements for infection control

[icon type=”i.g. icon-heart”][/icon]Designed in consultation with Midwives
and mothers

More details softbirth_midwives_flyer  and a specification sheet softbirth_spec_sheets_birth couch

Or see the website direct at https://softbirth.com/