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Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

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Original poster

How do I get one-to-one care at Queen Charlotte's London?

20 replies

wideberth · 10/03/2009 14:26

Hi. New to mumsnet, 7 weeks pregnant with second child and already nervous about childbirth.
Overheard mums in local cafe discussing brilliant midwife at Queen Charlotte's who does one-to-one on NHS but you have to know her somehow or be in her "network".
Wish I had asked them more as I am now really desperate to get her as although first birth ok did not enjoy NHS experience with many midwives.
Any ideas appreciated!

OP posts:

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angrypixie · 10/03/2009 14:34

I took an independent midwife into hospital with me, but it's costly.

Original poster

wideberth · 10/03/2009 15:20

Thanks for that. Thing is this mother was heavily pregnant but definitely said the midwife was NHS.
Am sure this kind of care is like gold-dust but I would love to try and get it!

OP posts:

iwantitnow · 10/03/2009 16:09

You do get on assigned midwife at Queen Charlottes if uncomplicated pregnany on the NHS - up if you have a fab one its great, if not you are stuck with her.

artichokes · 10/03/2009 16:15

If you are booked into the birth centre at QC you get really good continuity of care from two or three midwives.

Carrie06 · 10/03/2009 16:43

I think you have to pay for it if you want one to one care at QC. I am under consultant care at QC so don't really have anything to do with the midwives but I have picked up leaflets while there and I'm pretty certain, it's an optional extra that you pay for (steeply). Cx

Carrie06 · 10/03/2009 16:46

Some more info:

this article

and this one

Carrie06 · 10/03/2009 16:46

Some more info:

this article

and this one

Original poster

wideberth · 10/03/2009 16:48

Oh dear! Can't really afford to pay. This mother gave impression it was all free but you had to be "in the network" of mums who had had this midwife before.

You then get one-to-one care with her and she does home visits etc for your antenatal care.

It all sounds so amazing.

The birth centre does sound good but I was hoping for an epidural....

OP posts:

artichokes · 10/03/2009 18:20

Are you sure she wasn't talking about a homebirth midwife? I have had two babies at Q C and know loads of other mums who went there and the only ones who got home visits were those under the care of the homebirth team.

It would make no sense, and bevery unfair, if one midwife gave different care from the other regular midwives and gave a better service. I am sure it can't be so. The trust wouldn't allow it.

helenlouisey · 10/03/2009 19:16

It does say in this article artichokes that the price includes homevisits www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-377130/4-000-NHS-midwife.html

screaminghabdabs · 10/03/2009 19:23

I had a one-to-one NHS midwife at queen Charlotte's who was fantastic. No network, didn't know her before but DD2 was breech and I wanted a vaginal birth with an experienced MW.

I had all my ante-natals with her (at the hosp, although had I lived closer she would have come out). She told me that one-to-ones are for "higher" risk mums i.e breech as mine was, teenagers or who had a history of substance misuse.

The birth unit is fantastic with good continuity of care and if you feel you need an epidural, you can be moved along the corridoor to the delivery suite in a matter of minutes.

screaminghabdabs · 10/03/2009 19:35

Also, I'd imagine home-births would come under her remit too. Although not "higher risk" as we all know...

Original poster

wideberth · 10/03/2009 20:25

the birth unit does sound fantastic and maybe I should be looking at that to get the kind of care I'm after.

But - and I know it makes me sound like the biggest eavesdropper! - this mum was really pleased to be getting this particular midwife. She made it sound like a total dream: such a caring midwife on tap and on the NHS.

She made a point of saying she had already had a normal birth and everything was going well with this pregnancy. Certainly didn't look like a drug user !

Don't think she mentioned home birth, but I was craning my neck to hear at that point.
Totally agree it would not be fair to other mums if one midwife was providing this kind of service, but would the trust really always know what was going on?
QC is a big hospital.

Can midwives cherry pick their mums - maybe if they have delivered them before?

OP posts:

screaminghabdabs · 10/03/2009 20:40

It sounds as though she may have been intending to have the baby at the birth centre as I know they work in teams of 3 MW. One will always be on call for out of hours so between the shared ante-natals, you will know the MW for delivery.

I would imagine it would be a different story if you were booked in to the consultant-led unit where it would be pot-luck who was on shift at that time, maybe the MW you've seen before at check-ups, maybe not?

Original poster

wideberth · 10/03/2009 21:16

Yes I did that at another hospital and it was not the best experience, hence the desire to get that one-to-one...

I wonder if anyone out there knows who this mystery midwife is!!

OP posts:

tesslovesangel · 11/03/2009 09:06

I know who your talking about i know lots of mothers who have had her and the other midwife she works with. she is supposed to be brilliant and yes she offers one to one care all the way and apparently does see mums at home.

She does see women who are with the private obstetricians so there probably is a unofficial network of sorts but nothing dodgy. shes definately in with all those posh mums!!!!!!

I dont know her name but will find out.

Original poster

wideberth · 11/03/2009 11:12

Oh my God that would be amazing!!

Thank you so much. I just KNEW it from the way this woman was talking in the cafe that she had found something special.

I just wonder how she got her now, and like the other person on this thread said - it is not exactly fair to everyone.

The experience I had last time with so many midwives was almost enough to put me off having another baby.

Why can't the NHS offer this kind of service to everyone after all this time?????

What does everyone else think? Is it wrong to try and get this for myself? Feeling a bit guilty now......

OP posts:

mintpurple · 15/03/2009 23:45

Just to clarify as I have done shifts as a midwife at Charlottes previously -

1 to 1 care in QCCH is not charged for, however it does target groups of women with special needs such as teen pregnancies, refugees, history of depression etc. Also, if you request homebirth you will be referred to the 1-2-1s.

Carries info is partly correct in that if you want midwifery involvement as a private patient, you will be charged extra - not so for public patients.

The info in the articles is outdated now and the Jentle midwifery scheme has gone, although the midwife you heard the woman in the cafe talking about would be the same one mentioned in the articles - just google the scheme and you'll come up with her name.

hth

mrshippy · 15/03/2009 23:49

You will get two on one care if you have a homebirth. Around here, you have a midwive for the whole labour and two for the delivery when you have a homebirth! Not every bodies cup of tea, but statistically safer and you get the best posible chance of feeling relaxed and safe enough to give your body the best possible chance of giving birth - that's only if you like the idea though!!!

mrshippy · 15/03/2009 23:50

Also, doulas can give one on one care and are much cheaper that hiring a private midwife. My doula was AMAZING and worth every penny.

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