Anyone stayed in touch with midwife that delivered baby??

[theresaplaceforus]

Is it appropriate? My girl was born 10 days ago and we had the most wonderful midwife who just happened to be in labour, then on the postnatal ward, then looked after us with a readmission the most lovely continuity of care from just the luck of her shifts really. Would love to stay in touch with her but I don’t know if this is ever done or appropriate?

Could you send her a card or letter and tell her what a great job she did and what a difference she made and maybe copy to her boss (senior midwife? Hospital chief exec etc). I think that would mean a huge deal to be recognized.

Yes I did.

I had many losses and then went on to have Dd. The lady who scanned me weekly is now one of my best friends, she does live quite nearby.

The midwife who delivered her gave me her number and I see her a fair bit at mainly dog type things as we both have same breed.

Agree with @Jilljams especially the bit about copying in her boss

I had an incredible midwife & nurse who looked after me in the HDU, I really wish I’d done the same. Sadly it was 3 years ago and the details are lost now. So yes, go for it :)

I'm a nurse and keeping in touch with former patients isn't really a done thing.

Agree with pp send a card to her and her superiors, she can use it as evidence in her revalidation and it feels nice to get them.

And, I say this in the nicest possible way, she probably means more to you than you do to her. I adored my midwife and sent her chocolates and a card but I was under no illusion that I was just another patient to her. Yes our patients stick with us and some become nice memories but ultimately they're all just patients.

Oh yes re letter. We have local NHS awards and I nominated the team. They didn't win but got a night out, pre covid. They did appreciate the letter of nomination greatly.

@Umbridge34 I understand what you’re saying and when you work in a ‘caring’ profession you are just doing your job - as a teacher I could say the same thing about some of the students I’ve had, all are important at the time but only a few leave a lasting effect yet I have - although not the done thing stayed and maintained a relationship with one or two of them through their parents.
I’m going to write a card to her individually and then one for the whole team and drop it in today as I have a BP at the hospital. It’s strange as it’s such a life changing moment but like you’ve implied - to the staff it’s just another day at work I presume.

The midwife that cared for me through my first (quite scary) pregnancy is now a good friend of mine. I've had two more babies since and she put herself on call permanently for the week that I was due my last as she really wanted to deliver my baby (planned homebirth) but my waters broke with meconium so had to go straight to hospital.

Unfortunately it may be that it's not appropriate for her to stay in touch on a personal level (it wouldn't be okay for me to do so, but I'm a different type of nhs clinician). I would say she would definitely appreciate a lovely card and a letter than copies in her bosses too. If sending gifts be mindful that NHS staff are not allowed to accept anything expensive or anything alcoholic (although some areas are definitely stricter than others).

Regarding the "just a job" - on one hand shes a professional who carried out her job role really well, on the other hand I have ex patients I still think about all the time, so it can be both!