Would you have used a service like this in pregnancy/postnatal period?

[Tiddlerslate1987]

I’m a desperately unhappy healthcare worker. I feel crushed under the stress of litigation and frustration at not being able to provide the quality of care I’d like to. I’m looking at ways to get some job satisfaction but still use my qualifications. I would be qualified to offer the following services, but I was hoping I could get some feedback on whether it’s a service people would find useful and pay for? Friends tell me it’s a great idea, but they’re my friends so I guess they would say that.

I would offer home visits to do any of the following -

1:1 antenatal ‘classes’
Previous birth debriefs
Birth plan/preferences
General discussions of expectations around pregnancy/labour/postnatal period
Hospital bag prep
Coping with baby with colic
Safe co-sleeping advice
Reassurance re: feeding methods and normal newborn feeding behaviours

It’s all a bit vague at the minute but I’d be so appreciative of any feedback on whether it would be a success or if I need to go back to the drawing board.

Taking on board the points about the antenatal side of things. One thing that made me think about birth planning was the amount of times I hear ‘but my community midwife didn’t even talk to me about my birth plan!’. And my heart personally sinks when I see a woman with a detailed birth plan, but I think some women really think it’s an important thing and it gives them a sense of control. If I got to speak to these women antenatally I could maybe manage their expectations a bit. It would be a de-birth planning birth plan

@Frazzledd I’m sorry this has been upsetting for you. If I can figure it out, I’m going to PM you

I paid quite a bit for a trained person who acted as sort of a doula, we did pregnancy yoga, hypnobirthing, had her face to face and over the phone and text sessions re birth and plan and expectations which sort of involved a debrief of my previous pregnancy and birth. She also did some sessions with DH as my second was his first and she talked to him about how to support me in labor, birth and after and how to advocate for me, which he did brilliantly. He'd normally be quite a yes person but this really helped him speak up about what we had discussed and my wants etc

Then after we paid for a lactation consultant and private tounge tie cut. She came to my home to help with positioning and other breastfeeding help.

All really helpful stuff and it meant I felt supported and breastfeeding worked out etc...

I'd had a baby before but I was young and single and I'd not even been offered NHS classes etc I felt very vulnerable and clueless so I wanted to be more prepared and knowledgeable second time.

@Frazzledd I’m so sorry you had a traumatic time too. Not to derail the thread but I ended up having EMDR therapy after my traumatic birth, and found it really helpful - I always recommend it. I was lucky enough to go private

To relate this back to the OP’s question - often when people are looking for private maternity services it’s because they want/need an alternative to the systematised medical model of the NHS, in particular being able to articulate when they have been let down by the NHS. It might be worth thinking if this is something you’ll feel comfortable with.

Sorry, didn’t finish my point about the therapy above - which is I’m not sure how easy/quick it is to access via NHS, but I think it can be available, so worth looking into

I would have loved a service that was available during the night when you are trying to work out why the baby is just screaming at you and struggling to feed them to have someone who you could call up for help.

@PerpetualStudent thank you for your post, I'm sorry you also went through similar. I do think there needs to be a service that helps in this.

(Re the EMDR, I've just had a read, that's something I'm definitely looking in to. It's also made sense that over the past couple of years some close friends have called my eyes 'flittery'...its something that I've just fobbed off but know it happens quite noticeably when I'm feeling a panicky and anxious. I didn't make the connection before! I'm very good at hiding what I'm feeling by being vocal and changing the topic, my head also goes 'black' so it's a feeling I'm not connecting, I am at the moment and have tears rolling but no actual thought?)

I don't want to derail your thread OP, I'm really thankful to you for posting it and whatever you decide to do in the future I wish you all the best, there's definitely a need for all the services your looking at providing.

These are the jobs of doctors/ midwives/ HVs. So no, given the absurd tax bill O get for the NHS I would not be prepared to pay for it twice and have it privately too, unless HMRC will issue me a large rebate. If the NHS can't manage these basic elements if care in peegnancy then they should make it an "opt in" service where people can choose not to bother with it (and keep paying for people who think you should be sooooo grateful that they do their job).

Thank you so much for all this feedback. I’m very happily surprised at how generally positive it is. @Kpo58 I agree that would be a great idea and there’s currently absolutely nothing like that. I’m tempted to approach my Trust to see if they’d entertain trialling a service like that, but I’m quite confident of their answer.

@TurnTowardsTheSun I’m sure many other people would feel the same. It just isn’t the reality that we exist in right now though. Midwives currently work in a environment fuelled by fear, and deviation from the ‘just get the babies out alive and well’ path isn’t catered for by management. This is why I want to leave. If I can’t provide the care I want within the NHS then is it better than nothing to offer it privately? I can’t even begin to fathom how to change the path maternity and early years care is currently on.

Should probably add that this is just my experience right now. I’m sure there are many HCPs who feel very fulfilled, autonomous and secure in their roles.

I wouldn't have done 1:1 antenatal classes as I wanted to meet other pregnant women. But post natal I would have loved (and paid for) additional services. Extra advice and support during the first three months would be fab - home visits, someone to call if needed, someone who would advise on local breast feeding groups, baby groups, maybe have a weekly get together with a couple of other new mums and discuss colic, co sleeping etc etc.

Good luck!

@Tiddlerslate1987

I’m a desperately unhappy healthcare worker. I feel crushed under the stress of litigation and frustration at not being able to provide the quality of care I’d like to. I’m looking at ways to get some job satisfaction but still use my qualifications. I would be qualified to offer the following services, but I was hoping I could get some feedback on whether it’s a service people would find useful and pay for? Friends tell me it’s a great idea, but they’re my friends so I guess they would say that.

I would offer home visits to do any of the following -

1:1 antenatal ‘classes’
Previous birth debriefs
Birth plan/preferences
General discussions of expectations around pregnancy/labour/postnatal period
Hospital bag prep
Coping with baby with colic
Safe co-sleeping advice
Reassurance re: feeding methods and normal newborn feeding behaviours

It’s all a bit vague at the minute but I’d be so appreciative of any feedback on whether it would be a success or if I need to go back to the drawing board.

This is what the NHS should be providing already for the extortionate amount of tax paid. I'm not sure a private service offering what should be standard basic care is the answer.

@Letsallscreamatthesistene

Hi OP. Im a nurse and have also had a traumatic birth. How would you offer a comprehensive debrief if you dont have access to medical notes? You cant just go off what the women tell you.

Id have loved support post natally. Id have paid for that. Just someone to trouble shoot with.

We do pay for that. We just don't receive it. 😡