I now offer four types of care.
- I can provide your complete midwifery care throughout your pregnancy, labour, birth and postnatal period.
- I provide hypnosis on its own as preparation for labour and birth
- Postnatal care, on its own, is available
- I am also available for one off antenatal visits to your home or work place
Full care for pregnancy, labour, birth and the postnatal period
Free consultation I offer a free consultation in your home. This is an opportunity to meet, ask questions and find out more about the care provided. Should you choose to book, I will return to take a detailed medical history and, with you, make a plan for your individual needs and those of your family.
During your pregnancy all your appointments will be in the privacy and comfort of your home and last up to an hour. In this unhurried and relaxed atmosphere, regular checks are done to ensure the well being of your pregnancy as it progresses. While the focus is on you and your changing body, dads are also welcome to be part of these visits. Time is spent helping both of you prepare for labour, birth, breastfeeding, and the transition to parenthood. Visits are generally monthly up to 28 weeks, fortnightly up to 36 weeks and then weekly until your labour starts.
Hypnosis, as preparation for labour and birth, is done as part of this schedule of appointments in your home. Allow additional time for these appointments.
During your labour, I will come when you need a midwife and be there to support you and provide midwifery care throughout your labour and birth, staying until you and your baby are comfortably settled in bed. Should there be a need, a second midwife will be there for the birth. If you are planning a hospital birth or you need help in labour that requires transfer to hospital, one of us will accompany you there and support you throughout.
After your baby is born, I place great emphasis on the importance of good aftercare, individualised to suit you, your baby and your family. The initial daily visits become less frequent as you recover from the birth, gain confidence and your baby's feeding becomes established. Ninety eight percent of the women booked with Birth Rites are fully breast feeding by the time of discharge in the fourth week.
A backup midwife is always available and you would meet her at least twice later in the pregnancy. I work with a number of experienced midwives throughout London.
Cost. The total cost of your care is £3,200. The care includes full antenatal care in your home, hypnosis as preparation for labour and birth, the loan of an inflatable birth pool, a midwife on call who comes out to you in labour and stays until you and your baby are tucked up in bed, and postnatal care into the fourth week after your baby is born.
Single Antenatal Visits
I am happy to offer single antenatal visits to your home or work place, within a 7 mile radius of Stockwell. This may be suitable if you just want an extra antenatal appointment at a convenient time. I can also give you that extra time you may need to discuss an important issue in a relaxed, unhurried environment.
Cost. The cost of a single antenatal visit is £70.
Postnatal Care Only
I offer this for women planning hospital births who have discovered how little care is given in some Health Authorities following their return home. Good postnatal midwifery care improves rates of successful breastfeeding, ensures a full recovery and raises a mother's confidence in caring for her baby.
Before the birth, there are two visits to find out your needs, and to prepare you for breastfeeding and the postnatal period.
Breastfeeding preparation - this will prepare you for successful breastfeeding and covers the physiology of breastfeeding, attachment to the breast, positions for mum and baby, signs that a baby is successfully feeding, nutrition and breastfeeding, advices on books, and much more.
Recovery and postnatal care - this session will help you to prepare for the physiological process of recovery after birth, emphasising the importance of rest to your recovery, and covering the normal patterns of emotional changes, perineal hygiene, postnatal exercises and contraception .
After your baby is born I will come for seven postnatal visits. The first one will be soon after your return from hospital. The other visits will be most frequently in the first week and then less frequent over the next 3-4 weeks. Between visits and up to 6 weeks, I provide support over the phone.
Cost of postnatal care alone is £700.
