A MATERNITY unit is celebrating its 10th anniversary by collating a montage of pictures of babies born there in its first decade.

Blackburn Birth Centre staff are hoping to put together a montage of photographs of babies to display in the centre.

In the ten years since opening, the centre, in Park Lee Road, Blackburn, has seen 6,193 births.

It has also provided family-centred midwifery care during pregnancy and post-natally for many more families and their newborns across Blackburn, Darwen, Hyndburn and the Ribble Valley.

The freestanding midwifery-led birth centre in Blackburn is run by East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust.

Prior to the opening of the Birth Centre, babies in East Lancashire could either be born at home, or at the Lancashire Women and Newborn Centre at Burnley General Teaching Hospital.

Karen Mitchell, associate lead midwife at the centre said: “We are so excited to have reached this milestone, and for everything we’ve achieved in the ten years since we opened our doors to the families of East Lancashire

“Our staff take great pride in providing the best care possible for our expectant parents from the local area, and our outstanding reputation and beautiful facilities often mean that families from outside of East Lancashire also chose to come and birth with us.

“We look forward to continuing the great success the centre has had, for many years to come, and we want to thank the local community for their support over the last ten years.

“It is a great privilege to support parents as they experience pregnancy, and welcome a new baby in to their family.”

If you have had a baby at the Blackburn Birth Centre and would like their picture included please email blackburnbirthcentre@elht.nhs.uk.