I believe that women are designed to be pregnant and give birth. Our bodies know what to do, we need to be able to relax and let them get on with that, with the minimum of interference. My aim is to help you achieve the best possible mental and physical environment in which to do this.
With encouragement and support and a little forethought you can create the optimum environment in which to give birth and make it a positive and memorable experience for everyone in your family.
I will provide you with information, based on many years of experience working with women in their childbearing years. This will help supply you with the knowledge and tools to decide how you want to give birth. We will have ample time to work together to make this a reality.
The importance of knowing your midwife and having easy access to her is clearly shown in the following quote
"A survey of more than 1100 women (www.tommys.org) found that one in three women could not obtain information as their doctor or midwife was not available when they had a question. One in five could find information, but they either could not understand it or it did not answer their questions fully enough. There has never been more information available, but this survey highlights how confusing this can be and the importance for healthcare professionals to take time to answer queries and allay women's anxieties."
Childbirth is a process that will profoundly affect your own physical and psychological well-being, as well as that of your immediate family and bonding with the new baby. It will not always be within your control to achieve your ideals, but we aim to make it as healthy and positive experience as possible.
"The systematic damage caused to children by insensitive treatment during birth in modern hospitals is much more dangerous than for instance smoking. The many relatively new problems - both physical, mental and social - which we see in today's children and teenagers may well be the effects of increased mechanization during birth." Chilton Pearce
I have chosen to work as an independent midwife, because I believe that this is the best way I can support women throughout their child-bearing years. This is the aim of most midwives in the NHS but because of staffing shortages and time constraints it is hard to achieve.
The NHS maternity service provides valuable assistance for women in high-risk situations, those needing acute or emergency care and its doors are open to all women who desire to use their services. It is my belief, however, that given the right support most women are able to birth safely in their own home. Ideally the government should pay for women to birth how they want, with midwives of their choice, but in the present situation of severe financial constraint it is becoming increasingly difficult to find. For the cost of a holiday, however, you can hire your own midwife and get the level of support and nuturing you deserve during this most important time in your life.
You can decide where you want to birth your baby from any time up until the birth. If you plan a home birth then you are giving yourselves the best chance of having your baby in the environment of your choosing, where you feel most relaxed, and medical intervention is minimized. If you need or decide to go to hospital transfer can easily be arranged. If however, you plan a hospital birth and all is going really well, it is difficult to transfer home for the birth if you are unprepared.
Another reason that I chose to work independently is so I can work holistically and fully employ my skills as a homoeopath and acupuncturist as desired by the families I care for.
I am registered to practice with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) who govern the standard of care and code of professional practice for midwives in the UK. I am, however, an autonomous practitioner, able to provide individualised midwifery care according to your needs.
I am supervised by the local supervising authority and a local supervisor of midwives. I am trained and regularly updated in resuscitation and handling emergencies.
I am experienced in home birth, waterbirth, VBAC (Vaginal birth after Caesarean), and breast-feeding support, and am happy to care for you at home or in hospital.
