THE 200th baby has been born at the new midwife-led birth centre at Worcestershire Royal Hospital, just four months after it opened for business.

Baby Ella-May Charlton was born in the Cornflower Room of the Meadow Birth Centre at 8.42am on Tuesday, August 18, weighing a healthy seven pounds and 10 ounces.

Mum Becky Keay said she and her partner Simon Charlton from Droitwich decided to deliver their new daughter at the centre, which was opened by Princess Anne in April, due to its calm and peaceful atmosphere.

"It was a nice experience being in here,” she said. “It felt so relaxed and peaceful.

“Having our own room was so nice and made the whole thing much more private.

“It was so much better being able to have a water birth this time too, the whole experience made me more relaxed and calm.”

Mr Charlton agreed, saying: "It was really good to be able to have our privacy for the birth.

“We were away from the ward but we were able to have the family here around us and having this room gave us time to bond with her in peace.”

The £600,000 centre is run by experienced midwives and is intended to offer a comfortable and low-stress environment for women with low-risk, straightforward pregnancies.

Midwife Sam Campion was present at Ella-May’s birth and said: "I am new to the Meadow Birth Centre myself so I feel really lucky to have been the one on hand as the 200th baby was born here.”

Meadow Birth Centre team leader Louise Turbutt said: "We are thrilled to have reached 200 babies in such a short space of time, and we're so pleased that Becky and Simon chose to have Ella-May here.”