Also, would you just use them for the actual birth or go in for the whole caboodle... (antenatal care/The birth/postnatal care/breastfeeding support/newborn help etc?

I know some companies that offer this as a complete package or just the actual birth itself. Does anyone know what sort of cost i'd be looking at?

I'm based in Essex/Redbridge and wondered if anyone has gone down this route or was planning to in the future?

Also, what put you off if you did look into this?

Thanks in advance!

bump for you, as there is a doula on mumsnet in your area.

independent midwife can do all your antenatal care and deliver your baby at home. but not in an NHS hospital.. she would act as a birth partner in a hospital. a doula does not do any antenatal care but supports you emotionally before during and after the birth regardless of where it is. Virtually all doulas offer postnatal support, some doing overnight stays and vast majority are excellent at breastfeeding support

hertsnessex is a doula in your area , she posts here !

when i say doulas don;t do antenatal care, they cannot examine you etc, but can do birth planning with you, and debrief previous births etc..

Her mumsnet is hertsnessex. She has an ad in the small business section.

I've seen a couple of people mentioning the cost on here recently. One I know is paying £3k for an independent midwife (antenatal, homebirth, postnatal), and another iirc was looking at £1k for just the birth.

Hiya,

I used an Independant midwife and can't recommend it enough! They did all my antenatal care and was lovely to have such one on one care. I planned on having a home birth but unfortunately ended up in hospital having an emergency c-section but my midwife was with me the whole time giving reassurance. The after care was great too, especially as I had trouble breast feeding, my midwifes came everyday (once they visited twice as I couldn't get my son latched on, leaving a family do to help me!) for the first couple of weeks then every few days until I felt I didn't need them anymore. I am still in regular contact with them now and my son is 9 months and would definately use them again for baby number 2. Hopefully next time I will get my home birth!

I live in Essex, not sure if I am allowed to give the midwifes name or not but if you type essex midwife into google I am sure they would come up!

The package was £3,500 and worth every penny imho.

doula, def. (I am one!!)

carly is lovely. x

slightly tongue in cheek there, am just rushing out to school but wanted tosave thread. Will come back and read. x

I just had a doula but that was because my CMWs are really experienced with and enthusiastic about home births. If they hadn't been, then I'd have hired an IM as well. My doula was absolutely amazing (not in your area though). I know that I was the one who laboured and pushed but she made the conditions possible for me to do it how I wanted it. Very important IMO!

What helips said!
Had IMs for dd's birth (at home) and worth every penny as went very overdue. Post-natal care was brilliant as they were always on the end of the phone.
If I have another one, though, I would probably have a doula, as not sure can afford IMs again!

Hi Everyone, thanks for your responses- are there any independent midwife's on MN?

If so how do they get around the no insurance situation? and does this effect Doulas as well?

my colleague had an independent midwife for a home vbac, she said it was amazing and worth every penny. waltham forest.

if i were to have another baby would get a doula as the community midwives here are really good, just the hospital ones terribly overstretched and some of them were not at all nice either.

I didn't because I had amazing NHS midwife care and support for both my Homebirths

had that not been the case though I would have looked into it.

Jackamolsmum,

I'm a Doula, if I can help please CAT or email me.

Cx

p.s. thanks lulu, liahgen & yogi.

xx

I had an indep midwife for an HBAC. I can't recommend it highly enough - wonderful ante and post natal care and 1 to 1 care all through labour. She was always at the end of a phone through the pregnancy even when a visit wasn't planned and if I was worried about something she would come over. Cost was about £3k (in fact I'm pregnant again now and have the same lovely midwife).

But, and I think others have mentioned this, most hospitals will not give contracts to IMs for hospital births - they can act as advocates/support only if you're in hospital. Much like a doula.

IMO, I would say if you want the whole package, then go for an IM, but if you want support and an advocate in hospital (or for a homebirth with the NHS) then go for a doula. I have no personal experience of one but have heard very good things from a friend who had one (and loads of great things on mumsnet!)

I had IMs, as the CMW was not very supportive of homebirth and DD then turned out to be breech. She was finally born at 41+3, at home, as a breech baby. Having midwives that I knew, and that I knew to be confident and competent in breech birth was wonderful. We didn't wind up signing on till I was about 36 weeks (took me that long to persuade DH to even consider a HB - he's now a complete convert ), and the one thing we'd change would be to go with IMs from the start.

How they get "around" the no insurance situation is by being very upfront about the fact that they are uninsured. The Save Independent Midwifery group is working hard to try and get something inplace before it becomes mandatory for IMs to have PII - last I heard they've got till at least late 2009.

I am on my second time round with an IM and a few friends have used them. I have been on here swooning about how great they are previously, won't go there again.

One thing I think you need to ascertain at the start is whether the IM is really happy to 'just' support you in hospital or is more invested in your trying for a home birth, if that is what you want. Another friend who just had her second, had to use a different IM the second time round after the first was like: You needn't have transferred to hospital, etc for DC1. She actually ended up having a home birth with the second in the end, but felt a bit criticised by IM1, which is not ideal. You need to make sure the person isn't paying lip service to the idea that she'll support you anywhere.

If you want an advocate and support first and foremost I wuold really consider a doula. If I have another, this might be the route I take next time in fact.

I'm in your area and the cost is around £3.2K.

Sorry, cost for the IM, that is, not doula.