Newly pregnant - Advice on midwives / The Lanes please!

[elve]

I've just been to my GP (Herne Hill Group Practice) this week who said I will get 'shared care' with my GP and Kings midwives. I saw a GP who really had no answers to my questions and said I'll just have some appointments at a midwife clinic on Coldharbour Lane (affiliated with Kings) and some at the GP and some at Kings. I've since received a letter about my booking appointment and first scan. I'd prefer to be a part of a community-based midwife group, and I've read about The Lanes midwives on the forum, but can find nothing online about how to contact them / get on their waiting list. Do I need to try and switch my GP to DMC in order to get on the waiting list for The Lanes? Have recently moved to the area so don't have any local friends to ask! Any advice would be so appreciated, it's strange as I am trying not to get too excited as so early on, but also reading various forums seems like I need to sort this out ASAP!

[ClareC]

Congratulations!

Yes you will need to change to DMC. Spaces are limited to moving ASAP will maximise your chances. Not everyone at DMC necessarily get a place, hence the need to register ASAP.

[Bellenden Belle]

Congratulations on your pregnancy - you're in a great area for new mums!

You don't need to change GPs - you just need to ring the midwives and go on their waiting list. But priority will be given to DMC patients first. If they are similar to Oakwood midwives, they will take on a limited number of pregnant women due each month

I know this because despite my GP being in Peckham, I went on the waiting list. Lanes never came through for me but Oakwood did - so it's worth trying.

Also in East Dulwich are the Brierley midwives - though they prioritise home births and patients with a history of mental health issues.

[ClareC]

Although you technically don't need to change to DMC, realistically you are highly unlikely to get a place unless you do. I discovered this the hard way.

[hellosailor]

Yes, there are lots of pregnant women who are with dmc who don't get a place with the lanes so think it is very unlikely you would get one, even if technically possible, without being a patient there, so prob you should change to dmc to be in with the best chance...

[Sunlover00]

I moved to DMC as soon as I found out I was pregnant to increase my chances to get onto the Lanes waiting list but wasn't successful. I did manage to get on with Oakwood midwives though who are brilliant so maybe just give them a call and register rather than move surgeries. Remember that you'll still need to easily get to your GP surgery so maybe bear that in mind if you decide to change.

[Fidgetsmum]

Speak to the Brierley too - excellent midwifery care but they tend to specialise in home births.

[lilygogan]

Im with the Lanes practice. there are six woman and i have had the best care i could of asked for!!!! if you can get in with them they are amazing!!!!!

[sharls]

I agree - had the Lanes and were so amazing!

[Bellenden Belle]

When I was researching this a few months ago I stumbled on this document on the internet - I don't know how up to date the information is but it's useful for an overview and for useful telephone numbers.

[sillywoman]

Hmm, interesting document BB. It looks like it originates at The Gardens GP Surgery becasue of the reference at the beginning to your antenatal community midwife being "usually Stella" - she's good but not superwoman so she can't be seeing everyone in ED surely? Also a reference to being seen postnatally by Kings community midwives because we in ED are (mostly) out of area for Tommies.So it sound to me like an information sheet of the various ED options for Gardens Surgery patients, but useful for those from other surgeries & health clinics none the less.

[mooncake]

hello - I'm with the Gardens Surgery and can confirm this is def their document! :)

[arsmith]

does anyone have any experience of Stella at the Gardens

Just tried the Lanes and they already have 18 people on the waiting list and you do need to change surgery!

[jollybaby]

Arsmith - I was with the gardens - I've sent you a pm .