With Lumsden Maternity Centre's downgrade imminent, past and present staff and trustees met last Friday night to reminisce and say farewell to the centre as they've known it.

Around 40 people gathered on the centre's lawns on March 22 to connect and reflect, with photo albums of families who had given birth at the centre on display. Ironically, the last mother booked to give birth at Lumsden's facilities welcomed her new daughter to the world only earlier that morning.

Next month Lumsden Maternity Centre will cease to offer birthing services and postnatal stays as part of its controversial transition to a "Maternity and Child Hub" announced by the Southern District Health Board (DHB) last year. 

The downgrade means the centre will only offer antenatal and postnatal care as part of a "hub".

After April 15, mothers will only be able to give birth there if it is a rapid birth, but will still have to seek postnatal care elsewhere. 

The proposed downgrade, announced last year, was met with fierce community opposition, including support from Clutha-Southland MP Hamish Walker. 

Northern Southland Medical Trust chairwoman Janese Priergaard-Petersen said the trust took every possible avenue to fight the decision.

Trustee John Douglas said he felt both anger and pride looking back over more than two decades as trustee — anger the Southern DHB was choosing to shut down a "highly regarded" unit and purpose-built facility, and pride in what the maternity unit's trust and staff had achieved, such as strong postnatal outcomes like breastfeeding rates.

"It is okay to be angry, but let us also be proud," he said. 

In the new arrangement, the trust will still own the building, but will lease part of it to the Southern DHB for its hub. Mr Douglas said the lease hadn't been signed yet, but the DHB had agreed to sign it. However much of the "nitty gritty" detail surrounding the hub was still to be determined, he said.

Muriel Ussher (left) and May Partridge browse through photo albums of families that have welcomed new additions at Lumsden Maternity Centre throughout the years. Both women were long time staff at the centre who spoke fondly about their experiences working there. PHOTO: Claire Kaplan