midwife thoughts?

[JayJay5]

hi everyone

i'm really intrigued by the fact there are hardly any - actually no - threads about midwives on this forum. I'm a midwife and I find this really curious. i thought women would be asking loads of questions about the best place to birth, different options in pregnancy, can anyone recommend a private midwife, etc?

any ideas why?!

[bluesuperted]

There are absolutely loads on here, including your recent posts advertising 'neighbourhood midwives'...

Search: midwife, midwives, lanes midwife, Brierley, oakwood etc.

Not sure what you searched for when checking...

[sillywoman]

Hi Jayjay5, I think that the threads and posts about Midwives and the services available locally tend to have different titles such as "where should I have my baby?" or something like that. So, you may need to dig a little deeper, but bluesuperted is right - it is a popular topic/theme on this forum.

[Saffron]

Agreed, midwifery discussions on this forum are often bound up with other discussion topics.

I think we're fortunate in ED to have many great community midwifery services that support a variety of birth choices. Plus we have large diverse hospital units like Kings Denmark Hill and Lewisham.

Perhaps check out the Positive Birth thread? Sillywoman is hosting a 'birth talk' group based on this thread. Everyone is welcome. The discussions have been really interesting so far! xx

Edited to say, just saw your post on the PB thread! xx

[Saffron]

Personally I couldn't have afforded a private midwife. But I wouldn't have wanted one anyway because the NHS care I got from the Oakwood Midwives was brilliant.

[simonethebeaver]

I know I'd read about the case loading teams on here long before getting pregnant. I rang Oakwood as soon as I got a positive test and breathlessly asked if they might be able to take me. They laughed a bit and said I was a FHR patient so of course they would! But I know other patients there that didn't get on their list at busy times, so I should thank the EDF for the tip off.

[jennyh]

I was fortunate with my last pregnancy to be with the lanes but my midwife actually mentioned it might be an idea to keep quiet because the demand is so high and this forum can stir up emotions in people that aren't always positive!! She felt that talking about positive experience with community midwives could upset those who had missed out. So that is why I haven't really discussed it. I've had experience of community and kings midwives, mixed reviews of both bit two beautiful and healthy children and two fortunately positive labours so happy all round!!

[Saffron]

Well if people feel stirred up by it, perhaps that's the energy the system needs to get more community midwives!

[sillywoman]

We are so very lucky to have the case loading midwifery teams that we have in this area, but if you can't get into one it seems that the 'neighbourhood Midwives' offer the same kind of care. It is at a very reasonable price, but my understanding is that they are hoping to prove that the caseload team model works well and then, when they have the background stats to prove it, persuade Hospital trusts to buy in their services. I think in a similar way to the deal that Kings and the much missed Albany group had? SOme of the Midwives came to the last ED Birthtalk and were telling me about their model - it sounds great.

Anyway, they sound like they're definitely worth knowing about & maybe chatting to if you want a named Midwife, but can't get into The lanes, Oakwood or Brierly teams.

SWx

[Kes]

It does feel a bit like there is an NHS premium service available if you happen to live in just the right place, want/can have a home birth AND are sufficiently in the know to ask for it immediately.

My NCT teacher (not in ED) recommended that the whole class pretended to want home births, as that was the only way to get a caseload midwife in our bit of southwark. We would then have to pretend to chicken out at the last minute if we actually planned to go to hospital! Information we only obtained thanks to being able to afford the ?200+ NCT fee!

Having experienced both the brierly midwives and the standard, whoever's-on-duty model, I'd say the former is far better and it makes me uneasy that it's a model mostly accessed by the more fortunate members of our society I include myself in that, although I couldn't afford private midwives). I hope it can be extended to more women.

[Saffron]

Did anyone see 'Call the Midwife' on Sunday? They were dealing with this exact topic, ei named community caseload care vs shift care in hospital!

[juliemidwife]

Hi all,

i totally agree that this part of London is incredibly lucky having the Kings caseload teams (though I don't understand why they have some teams that aren't organised that way. Any insights?). They seem to provide absolutely fantastic care, and as a midwife it is *so* refreshing to hear women have such positive stories to tell of their experiences.

JennyH - that's fascinating what your midwife said about keeping shtum. It brings up lots of really important points, including the general reluctance of women who've had really positive experiences to tell others in case of upsetting them. I'm convinced that this helps reinforce the overall societal expectation that birth is a negative experience.

SillyWoman has kinda got the jist about Neighbourhood Midwives (who I work for) - we were set up with the clear aim of providing free care to women. This will take some time to come through, as we need to get a contract with local NHS trusts, but when it does it will be brill for the vast majority of women who currently don't have access to caseload services.

sorry i couldn't get to the Positive Birth group last week - duty called