Read about Shelly’s fight with the NHS to be supported in her choice to birth her 2nd baby at home after her local trust had suspended their home birth service. The trust agreed to commission the services of Independent Midwives to support Shelly.

I believe it is important that women are educated on the physiology and mechanisms of labour and birth, to understand the many complex processes that occur, in order for you to know what is happening to your body before, during and after birth.

From the start of your journey you will be faced with lots of decisions to make; antenatal care, screening tests, your diet, where and how to give birth, what to buy, how to feed your baby and the postnatal period…to name but a few. It can be mind boggling and daunting knowing what to do and where to find this information. You will have information thrown at you from every angle and from all well meaning friends and family. A lot of the information can be conflicting and confusing but there are also lots of reputable sources of information for you to access.

Postnatal care has for many years been termed the Cinderella service of maternity services. It is a time of immense physical & emotional changes where intense support is often needed and not received. Many women find this time very difficult, transitioning to motherhood whilst often feeling exhausted, in pain, overwhelmed and worried while meeting all of our new little humans needs 24/7.

That’s what an independent midwife can give you- putting you, your baby and your family at the centre of things. To listen and trust you. To treat you as an intelligent individual and have confidence in your ability to just do it. For the price of a fancy holiday or an ok second hand car you can have hours and hours of personalised maternity care and the trust and expertise to have exactly the right birth for you. That’s fully worth it. 

Deciding to leave the security of a permanent job as a community midwife in the NHS wasn’t a quick or an easy decision to make but with the encouragement and support from my family and friends I knew it was the right step to make. Since making that decision in 2021 I haven’t looked back. It was without doubt the right decision for me and my family.

When a pregnancy journey ends without a baby, the loss can cause a huge tidal wave of grief and negative emotions ranging from shock, sadness, devastation and even guilt. Grieving for what would've been and the future they will no longer have with that much longed for baby.

Amazing care and peace of mind is worth the investment. There are so many care options available to suit everyone’s needs and circumstances too, from individual appointments to antenatal only care, birth preparation and planning sessions, postnatal only care, intensive breastfeeding support to the full package of care including birth support.