Oakwood midwives

[simonethebeaver]

I'm a very satisfied patient of the lovely Oakwood midwives, after a fantastic experience with my first pregnancy and birth. We're now moving and I have fallen in love with a house literally across the road from the Forest Hill Road Practice catchment, or Outer Siberia in Oakwood terms. Does anyone have any idea how often waiting list people get picked up by Oakwood? I really feel I can't say no to the house because of such a relatively tiny issue, but on the other, my heart breaks slightly at the thought of having another baby or two without them.

[Bellenden Belle]

I think it's down to luck - I went on their waiting list, when I was around six weeks pregnant. I was told I was no.2.....about a month later they confirmed I had a place.

[Jacks50]

I went on their waiting list at about 6 months and very soon got confirmed a place.

good luck!! I totally agree - they are wonderful.

[buggie]

Feel your pain - I've moved within their catchment but was initially told by FHR receptionists that we weren't... No.2 is still only an idea on the Bugglet's good days, but the thought of being without the Oakwood team was worrying! Might be worth triple checking on the nhs website that your definitely beyond their catchment.

[simonethebeaver]

Thanks. Nice to feel a bit reassured!

I also know of course on the flip side that there are women registered at Forest Hill that don't get to use them if they're full, and I think my husband might kill me if we turned this house down to stay with them and then I didn't get in if and when the time comes!

Truth is, I am in mourning for the perfect house which I loved to bits AND was in the catchment, but which we lost out on. So I need to put that out of my mind.

[simonethebeaver]

I've checked with the practice manager, buggie. The road is on their catchment map - evens only. I would be an odd... Good luck with your prospective no.2 there!

[minder]

Sounds like you're all talking about school catchment areas!

[buggie]

Oh no - seems daft for the line to be the middle of the road rather than along the back gardens :-(

[Princess]

I was with Oakwood for a second time this year. We sold our house and our onward one (in SW London) fell through. We decided we were going to rent in the interim. We could have rented in the new area so I could build a network before baby, or stayed in ED purely to be with Oakwood. We chose to stay! To make sure I was definitely in the catchment area for the two months we rented, I asked my teams several times where would be the 'cut off' area. They always told me the official zone but were so understanding of our predicament they did advise me they might be able to make an exception. We ended up in a flat in the heart of ED in the end so there wasn't a problem with Oakwood and we finally moved when baby was 3 weeks old and we'd been discharged.

It's definitely worth talking to your team if the new house really is that close.

[Sanne Panne]

Talk to them directly. They made an exception for me too (was in catchment with baby 1 but not with baby 2). Maybe it helped that #1 was a homebirth and they knew that in my new catchment area there was no dedicated homebirth support - but still, it's worth calling them.

[born&brED]

It may be easier to get into the FH group practice as an 'outsider' - we're outside and managed to get in. Then you're in with the OW midwives too (who ARE GREAT!)