How did you thank your midwives?

[morningpaper]

I had such great care when delivering my second daughter this week. I am just composing a letter for the midwife unit.

Did you thank you midwives for good care? What did you say/do?

Gosh this is a varied thread!

I think I will send a letter to the head midwife praising the two who cared for me and personal notes to each of them, with pics of me in the birthing pool with the baby just born.

They were both excellent although they were hardcore hippies and even though I had the kind of intervention-free-dolphin birth they thought was great I was at the same time saying that I really don't believe in all that stuff and would have pain relief if any of it had been any good the first time.

I sent cards and a basket of cakes to the midwives and gave the midwife who was with me throughout her own present. I think if you have a good midwife you will always remember them.

I didn't thank them though - too angry and traumatised by my treatment by the cow midwives.

First time round I didn't thank anyone, as I didn't actually get to have a relationship with anyone, or think that any of them went particularly out of their way to help me.
2nd time round I got all my antenatal care froma wonderful woman at RLH. I got into a habit of taking Maxwell and Kennedy champagne truffles in for both of us to scoff during my weekly appointments and wait for blood results back, and then on my last appointemnt with her before transferring hospitals i took her a bagful of Jo Malone goodies which she tried to refuse and a very soppy card - buti do still believe the sentiments - if it hadn't been for her (and mumsnet of course) i don't think I would have come through my second pregnacy with my sanity intact

I didn't! Actually, come to think of it - a doctor delivered each of my babies and I never saw them after the delivery and I was to emotional to even think of a 'thank you'

I didn't, too overwhelmed. wish I had though. the lady who delivered ds2 was superb.

Didnt even think to with my first but i contemplated writing a thank you card to the mw who delivered DS as i had the same midwife throughout active labour on the delivery ward. But she did give me the hump initially by moaning about being "lumbered" with me instead of having ward duty the minute she walked in the door. She didnt want to have a late night apparently. I never got round to writing a letter anyway, but i might still yet.

I went through 4 shifts of midwives and left chocs, chocs, pickled onions (she was addicted!) and a bottle of gin for the one who finally delivered DS

I left a card for my midwife. She was fantastic and stayed until after her shift had ended because they were short staffed. She worked a 12 hour day which I think is amazing but I guess it's standard for her. And she had a 9 month old baby to go home to

I made dp buy a card for the midwife who delivered ds and also to the midwife who was there from the beginning, they were both fantastic and i was very pleased.

TC - we had docs trying to push us for genetic counselling ( day 3 after dd was born) They also pushed really hard to get us to sign up to the study that was being done regarding babies with ds and use of vitamins and minerals.

Some really are tactless in terms of 'bedside' manner.

As I had two sections - I did not have midwives to thank. My antenatal care was pretty scatty due to congenital condition found in dd1. Dd2 most care was done by GP and I still see her......

Did thank both surgeons and lots of theatre staff as I was being wheeled out.

In a similar vein - when dd1 was in Royal Brompton having cardiac surgery - when she left PICU - I gave the staff a huge tub of chocs and some flowers to the main nurse who cared for her the most. We also gave them a card.

Ditto for when she was moved from the ward at Royal Brompton to our local hospital.

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i just sent cards.

I sent a basket of fruit to the midwives and the nurses on the ward. My parents are in the medical profession and get more chocolates than they know what to do with so fruit ia a healthier alternative. They were very grateful.

card and chocs to midwife group who looked after me antenatally

card and selfridges voucher to lovely mw who delivered DD2 at home

I was on a high after long and horrible labour with DD1 and just soooo thrilled to not be on a postnatal ward

she told me afterwards she bought some new jeans with it and was dead chuffed

I didn't do anything the first time - I had 24hours'-worth of shifts: one awful midwife, followed by a succession of decent ones, then the awful one again, but fortunately accompanied by the most brilliant God's-gift-to-womankind senior midwifery sister, who actually delivered ds. Unfortunately I couldn't rmember either of their names. But I learned their names as the same two were on duty when I wnet in for dd's birth (I made d*mn sure I didn't get the awful one), and this time rembered their names. I sent a handmade card - very basic - with a picutre of newborn dd yelling her head off, and a heartfelt hormonal thankyou for their care with both my children.

We sent the Foetal Medicine Unit a substantial cheque for their scanner appeal, because they had given us such superb care with both babies.

I gave my midwife a set of lavender smellies from M&S. She looked after me from booking to sign off. She was lovely, I wish I could have had her this time around.

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My midwives were shite but i did say thankyou about a thousand times in between sobs and tears of joy to the obseatrician (sp?) who finally got DD out by ventouse after 28 hours!

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A card, but I also put a thank you on the bottom of the birth announcement in the paper mentioning their names... I thought it would be just another to them, but she went all weepy and said it was the first time they got a name! They deserved it, they were fab (the ones I had for ds 2 and 3)

We wrote letters of thanks and appreciation to the ward, and to the hospital and different departments.

Also took in a number of boxes of chocolates for the all the staff, as I was in about 3 different wards in the hospital and had different staff. We wanted to make sure all the staff were thanked.

DP surprised us all by producing wine and chocolates for the midwives and he asked them to pose for a picture holding baby before we left the hospital - I love this picture as memories flood back when I look at it - they were lovely girls

I bought a huge bouquet of flowers for the community midwife who looked after me during my pregnancy. I didn't spend much time with the one who delivered my dd, and I've had a blackout about the actual delivery, so I didn't get her anything I'm afraid.

I also got flowers for my consultant and for the counsellor who helped me through the pregnancy, and got chocolates for their secretaries. I'm intending to write to the chief exec too.

Overkill?

It was a really difficult pregnancy!

Back when I was a nurse 9admittedly yonks ago, never got beyond student stage) we liked to be bought fruit baskets... half the staff were always on a diet, not everyone drank- easier for everyone to share.