Private midwife London

[Olinm]

Hi,
Just wondering if anyone is able to advise a good company for private midwives in London? We are due 1st May and are having the baby at St. Mary's, Paddington (first baby). We decided it was more affordable to have a private midwife for the birth, rather than going fully private, and it would be nice to have someone available throughout the birth who is completely dedicated to us. If anyone has had a recent experience, especially with a private midwife at St Mary's hospital, I'd be so grateful to hear about the experience and any recommendations on who we could contact.
Many thanks!

privatemidwives.com should be able to help you. I believe they’re the only ones currently who could offer you clinical care in hospital as private midwives?

Are you hoping to take the private midwife into the NHS hospital? They will not be allowed a clinical role and will be able to work only as a doula-type role.

This. Hospital (whether NHS or private) don't let random people, who are not their staff, rock up and start carrying out clinical care.

Actually just looked at the Private Midwives site again in detail and it seems this is now true.

When I was pregnant with my now 2.5 year-old, I met with one of their midwives who had a contract with a particular hospital so that she could provide one-to-one clinical care to private clients there (I didn’t end up hiring up her ultimately). However I can’t see any mention of this service now.

You could look at Queen Charlotte’s if you haven’t already. I believe they have a midwife-led package which is quite a bit cheaper than going private at St. Mary’s which only offers consultant-led care.

Have a homebirth and then you’ll have two dedicated midwives

You do realise that, once you're in labour, you would have a 'completely dedicated to you' midwife on the NHS?

That is not true (speaking as an NHS HCP). Of course, she will have a dedicated midwife at the delivery itself, but not for the whole of her labour.

There is nothing wrong with wanting a dedicated midwife throughout, as the OP does. It's just a bit naive to think that hospitals will allow someone not on their staff to provide clinical care.

Many thanks for all comments so far. I do not expect any external midwife would be able to deliver clinical care in hospital, but it is more to have someone there with me for the duration and also for additional antenatal and postnatal care.
I am not comfortable with a home birth, as it is my first pregnancy but I will look at Queen Charlotte's, thanks for suggestion @AnnieApple123 !

Just get a Doula.

Private Midwives could be fine for you in that case. Although it’s quite a lot to spend given that they can’t provide clinical care. I haven’t checked lately but I don’t think a straightforward midwife-led birth at Queen Charlotte’s would be so very much more.

Thank you everyone. Very helpful and I will certainly check out Queen Charlotte's!