Lola's the first arrival after baby unit reprieved

NEW mum Frances Callaway cuddles her daughter Lola after becoming the first woman to give birth at a maternity unit, which has undergone a £100,000 revamp after recently being saved from closure.

Frances, aged 19, from Hathersage, was originally planning a hospital delivery.

But, in the days before she was due, she changed her mind and opted to use the Darley Birth Centre, between Bakewell and Matlock, in the Derbyshire Dales. It is run by midwives and offers a more relaxed environment than hospital.

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Assistant care worker Frances has no regrets and said: "The people who looked after me were lovely."

The centre, previously known as Darley Maternity Unit, was threatened with closure this year, in budget cuts. But hundreds of people protested, and Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust relented.

Frances had a straight-forward birth. She and husband Adam had their own room to relax afterwards with Lola, 7lb 3oz.

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