Hospital Guide · Reading, Berkshire
Doula support at Royal Berkshire Hospital
Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust · RG1 5AN
The Royal Berkshire is the principal maternity unit for Reading, Wokingham, Henley-on-Thames, Theale and the western Berkshire catchment. It offers a full consultant-led delivery suite alongside the Rushey Midwifery-Led Unit for low-risk birth.
What to expect
On the day
Rushey is the dedicated MLU with multiple birthing pools and a focus on physiological birth. The consultant-led suite supports inductions, planned caesareans and any labour that needs medical input. The home birth team operates across the trust catchment. Joanne arrives ahead of you where possible so the room is already familiar by the time you do.
My role
How I sit beside you here
Reading is a 35–45 minute drive from Windsor. For Royal Berkshire births I arrive at your home when labour establishes, and ride in with you — or meet you at the unit if the timing is fast. My presence is continuous from active labour through the first hours after birth.
Practical tips
Small things that make a real difference
- 01If you're hoping for Rushey, ask your midwife to flag this in your notes from early third trimester — transfers happen if criteria change.
- 02The Royal Berks car park fills quickly during day shifts; partners should plan drop-off and re-park if labour starts mid-morning.
- 03Bring your own snacks — long labours run past meal service windows.
- 04Ask about delayed cord clamping, skin-to-skin and your preferred third-stage approach explicitly — these go better when named in advance.
Serving from
Local towns I attend Royal Berkshire from
Birthing at Royal Berkshire?
A free 30 min call is the gentlest way to start. Personally answered by Joanne within 48 hours.
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