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Pregnancy

Private Midwives

4 replies

anxiouswaiting · 14/02/2018 15:49

Has anyone got any experinece of private midwives?

I have found 2 locally plus a site which seems to have midwives nationally and am thinking of looking further into this.

Ive had 2 traumatic births due to lots of intervention in my labour and now I am being told I cant have a mlu or home birth. So it looks like private care may be a more supportive option for me but its a lot of money.

I would welcome peoples experiences please.

OP posts:

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mindutopia · 14/02/2018 20:00

If you are in the UK, you absolutely can have a home birth. It doesn't matter if you're deemed high risk. It's your choice and they have a duty of care to you. You can do whatever you want and they have to support you. My first was a home birth and I'm having my 2nd at home any day now. Though both straightforward low risk pregnancies, even if they hadn't been, I would have been supported all the same, maybe with the offer of extra appts or scans if they felt it necessarily. There would be rare exceptions when they truly wouldn't support you (only examples I could think of would be babies who can not be born vaginally, like a true tranverse baby or complete placenta previa).

Personally, I've not hired an independent midwife. I thought about it for my 2nd, but our home birth team here is fantastic so there was no need. But most independent midwives are lovely and my friends who have used them have all had wonderful experiences. I would at the very least speak to a couple and ask to meet them for an initial interview to get a sense of what it is you'd get from them and if you connect. You may particularly want to look for one who can support you both at home and in hospital so you have a range of options and they can be with you no matter where you end up birthing. If it ends up being cost prohibitive, you may also look into using a doula with NHS midwives. A doula in particular would be really helpful in helping you to advocate for a home birth if that's what you want, as may be a local home birth group if you have one.

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Loosemoose28 · 14/02/2018 23:43

You need to research further OP currently independent midwives cannot attend your birth due to legal and insurance reasons.

You will be paying for antenatal and postnatal care with an independant.

However there are supportive networks out there have you looked into Birth Rights on the net x

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Loosemoose28 · 14/02/2018 23:49

Also look here

www.aims.org.uk/

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anxiouswaiting · 15/02/2018 18:18

@mindutopia I know technically they have to support me but if they really don't want to I worry about the care I would be offered. The team leader was in on on booking appointment and she wasn't even interested in discussing my wishes, she just tole me I would have to see what the consultant says!

@Loosemoose28 Thankfully things seem to have changed with the independent midwives. At least 2 in my area now have different indemnity insurance and satisfy the NMC requirements just this week - hurrah!!