Many people ask me to explain about private midwives, independent midwives and insurance. There is a lot of confusion so I will aim to explain the situation, as it stands today, and as I understand it. There is currently a story doing the rounds on social media that midwifery outside the NHS will have to stop at the end of…
Midwifery in the UK is very different to midwifery in Malawi, and to midwifery in many other countries. For those who have grown up in the UK with the NHS, there is a general acceptance that healthcare is freely available, and an acceptance that the system is under a great deal of pressure and there are often significant delays. For…
If you are thinking about where your baby will be born, have you thought about a homebirth with a private midwife? The NHS midwifery teams in Sussex (University Hospitals Sussex, Surrey and Sussex Healthcare, Maidstone & Tunbridge Wells and East Sussex Healthcare all aim to support homebirths, but all are facing significant staffing issues. They will aim to support anyone…
In the UK, most people access pregnancy, birth and postnatal care through the NHS. However, an increasing number of people are now choosing to look outside the NHS and to employ someone directly. Once you start exploring options it can get very confusing. What exactly are midwives, doulas and birthkeepers? In this blog post I aim to explain a little…
Planning pregnancy makes sense. Give your baby the best start. Make sure that you are well and check if any issues in your personal or family history mean that extra care or tests may be needed.