St John of God Hospital – Bendigo, Australia

Three spacious birthing suites have recently been refurbished at the St John of God Bendigo Hospital, offering a homely feel with a TV, day bed for partners, comfortable furniture and spacious ensuite in each.

One of the suites features a bath for pain relief, and a CS Acrovyn by Design wall mural created by local photographer and artist Lauren Starr. The wall mural was a suggestion by the midwifery team, to help provide women with a sense of calm and tranquillity during labour.

Acrovyn by Design is a durable wall covering offering complete design freedom, and high quality image reproduction, allowing the hospital to embed Lauren’s beautiful artwork behind a clear layer of impact resistant Acrovyn Sheet. This means that cleaning and scrubbing won’t affect the image and the underlying walls are also protected from impact damage, ensuring a clean, hygienic and calming environment.

“I was honoured to be asked to come up with an art piece for the space,” Lauren said.

“I talked to many women about their birth experiences to get an idea of what picture they might want to look at while in labour. Hearing their birth stories was incredibly moving. Common themes that emerged were water, nature, strength, love and overcoming fear. I wanted to create something calm for birthing mothers to look at. The mum in the picture has laboured, and is now basking in the joy of her sweet newborn: that’s inspiring.”