Inside Salisbury: Generous donations enable babies to sleep more easily
Stars Appeal Charity: 20 new specialist cots arrive at Salisbury District Hospital
by Annette J Beveridge
BABIES born at Salisbury District Hospital can now sleep in greater comfort thanks to the arrival of 20 specialist cots.
The cots are height-adjustable with drop down panels which enable mums to sleep right by the baby’s side in comfort and will help more than 2000 babies born at the hospital each year.
First-time mum Lizzie Johnson and her baby Noah have already benefitted from the new cots.
Lizzie said: “The cots are brilliant as they turn into a ‘next to you’ crib. This was fantastic especially when I was finding it painful to bend and I couldn’t lift Noah out of the cot. It meant I could sleep by his side and keep him settled through the night.”
Charlotte Harryman also praised the specialist cots for making her time in hospital with her baby Matilda a more comfortable experience.
She said: “It was lovely to be closer to Matilda and not have to stare at her through a plastic screen. It also felt safer to co-sleep with her and getting her in and out of the cot was so much easier. The cot made it more comfortable to be with my baby. Matilda loved being in the new cot.”
Many of the cots were funded by individual donors, who gave £1,900, and were given the opportunity to have their cot named in recognition of their support.
Jan Sanders was a midwife on the Hospital’s Maternity Unit for 30 years, and recently visited the Postnatal Ward with her husband Bill to see the cot named after her family in recognition of their support.
It was a cause close to their hearts.
Jan said: “It means such a lot to me and us as a family to fund one of these cots. We have a very close connection to the Maternity Unit. I had my two sons at Salisbury Hospital, my granddaughter, who was born premature at 26 weeks, was cared for on the Neonatal Unit, and I trained and worked as a midwife here. The cots are super, lots of mums are going to benefit and their babies will be so much more comfortable.”
The new cots cost £38,000.
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Maternity Matron Becky Roberts said: “We want to thank the wonderful Stars Appeal supporters for their generosity, which is providing babies and their families with the best equipment possible for their care and comfort.
“These new cots give mums the chance to sleep side-by-side with their babies, which enables greater bonding in the first few hours and days of life. They can feel closer to their babies even when they are unable to get out of bed. We look forward to seeing even more babies who are born in Salisbury resting well in enhanced comfort.”
Picture 1: Midwife Helen Cross and Matron Becky Roberts with new cots Picture 2: Lizzie, and James with their baby Noah Picture 3: Charlotte with her baby Matilda Picture 4: Jan and Bill Sanders with midwife Helen Cross
