Can anyone reccomend a private midwife?

[christinaH]

I have just transferred from St Thomas' to Kings hospital and am having a really bad experience trying to access any antenatal care. I am hoping to have a home birth but I am told because there are changes to the system and no specific home birthing team I need to continue accessing different midwives at Midwives house. I was feeling really relaxed and excited previously but am now just feeling anxious about the whole thing! I feel that I am caught in the hospitals processes and not really getting any care. I am 26 weeks and have had 2 appointments that were soley for booking in and doing the same blood tests. I am not needy and do not want a lot of support just to know someone is there when i need them.

I feel I have no option other than to go private, could anyone recommend anyone? or suggest a GP surgery in West Norwood where they have good community midwives? It really is a postcode lottery. When i lived in St Thomas'catchment area I met my midwife first visit, there was a pool of home birthing midwives so you met those that would be supporting you in labour. I am having a very different experience now.

Many thanks, Christina

[snowboarder]

Rene at Neighbourhood Midwives is just amazing - http://www.neighbourhoodmidwives.org.uk/our-midwives

She helped us with our second baby and she is great.

[lorraineliyanage]

Verona Hall is brilliant and based locally

http://www.veronahall.co.uk/

[kristymac1]

Another recommendation for Verona - she delivered my daughter at home 8 years ago and we're still friends today.

[Redmeghan]

I suspect you're just getting stuck in the beurocracy - I had an amazing experience with the community midwives team at Kings and am due tomorrow for another home birth. Try and find out if you're East or West team and if you call Midwife House by 9:15 in the morning you can talk directly to a member of the team which should help. You've still got lots of time - there is no actual home visit until 36 weeks(or at least there wasn't for me). You won't know which midwife will attend the birth because they're a big team but they are dedicated to home births so are on the same page...

Good luck!

[BikeChick]

I would advise you to persevere as there are definitely home birth teams at Kings. I had mine with Brierley Midwives. You could try and call them directly, or write to them. Keep asking until you get to speak to the right person. You could even call in as the community midwives centre is based right behind midwives house. There are a LOT of other issues involved with using a private midwife...insurance, etc etc. I don't know the details but I would honestly recommend trying to speak to someone in the community midwives team at Kings before you go down the private route. Kings has an INCREDIBLE homebirth team.

[simonethebeaver]

The system is changing this autumn so things will be different. However if you want a home birth there's no reason you shouldn't be able to have one. If you call the Oakwood team on 020 8299 5696, who will be covering SE22 on an ongoing basis, albeit with a different name, they should be able to help you untangle things. Sorry you're having this stress.

Neighbourhood Midwives are also excellent and, because they operate as a social enterprise and employ their midwives, are able to get round insurance issues. I've also had support from Verona as a lactation consultant and she was superb.

[Fidgetsmum]

Oakwood or Brierely - I had mine with Brierely - amazing. But I just rang them directly and kept hounding. I had a tricky first birth (with no special midwife care) so I used this to push hard for their support for number 2. Good luck. Ignore beurocracy rules and just get on the phone and speak to everyone and anyone and don't take the first answer as wrote.

[simonethebeaver]

Brierley will not be working in this area from September. Unfortunately for you the system is changing, so lots of advice on here won't be relevant. But do ring Oakwood.

[Fuschia]

snowboarder Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Rene at Neighbourhood Midwives is just amazing -

> http://www.neighbourhoodmidwives.org.uk/our-midwiv

> es

>

> She helped us with our second baby and she is

> great.

Yes, or Sally Harley https://uk.linkedin.com/pub/sally-harley/31/5a3/2a0

[kateT123]

I had a baby 10 weeks ago and used sally Harley. She is warm, knowledgeable and made the whole experience so much better for us. Cannot recommend enough. Her mobile is

07952 653482. Kate

[Melihoople]

Hi,

Your other option is to phone and speak to Maxine Spencer who is the current the director of midwifery for kings. She will be able to make sure you get to the right team - for the post sept changes.

[Nunheadfamily]

Christina, do send me a PM if you want to ask some more questions but you have every right to have a home birth as long as you're not high risk (that's how it was explained to us). Kings currently has an East and West team plus some case loading midwives who see the same women. We had our baby girl with the East team last year, didn't make the decision until about 32/33weeks, it was an excellent experience, our midwife on the day was brilliant, professional, caring and supportive whilst the second midwife who joined us was the wonderful Ariadna Sole who we had done private antenatal classes with but who works as a community midwife also. I'm sure if you picked up the phone and asked Ariadna for a consultation she would be able to give you advice and confidence that you don't need to go private, obviously if you want a small midwife team to look after you private can be the only way unless you can get on one of the caseloading teams which is very tricky unless you live in the right area or have mental health needs, thankfully there are plans to make the system more fair in the future so that across the Kings community area women can have access to caseloading midwives.

http://www.ariadnasole.com

[christinaH]

Hi,

Thanks for all of your advice it was very helpful I have persevered and am now fortunately being seen by a midwife at Brierly soon to be Beech Trees! Feeling much happier about the situation and actually looking forward to the birth. There are so many changes atm at Kings and its been tricky. Anyone who finds themselves in a similar situation give me a PM :-)