Birth stories

Corina and Cheryl were my midwives and I saw them regularly since about week 5 of my pregnancy. We clearly discussed how I wanted the birth to be completely natural, I had wanted to be the first person to touch my child and for the birth to be in water, and I had wanted to have a Lotus birth.

Although labour took 3 days and at times I was desperate to go to hospital, if I had another baby I would do it the same way at home. I’m sure giving birth naturally (apart from gas and air) is why I healed so quickly and why I felt and still feel so empowered by the experience. Jasper is an incredibly calm and content baby and I often wonder if this is because we birthed him so naturally.

I will be forever grateful for the strength, wisdom and love that both my midwives showed me, because of them I got to experience the birth I had wished for even though it took 3 days to get there!.

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After dropping my daughter to nursery at about 830 on Wednesday 15th July I phoned to arrange for a final scan to see the position of the baby. I got one for 11 o’clock that day. On my way to the scan I did feel some very very slight cramping low down at the front of my tummy but I persuaded myself that it was just general discomfort because the last few days of pregnancy had been quite uncomfortable. At the scan they confirmed that he was head down and when I mentioned that it hurt slightly on the right hand side when she prodded me there she did look surprised and said the baby might even be here “this weekend!”

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Going into our first labour was daunting to say the least. Cheryl was absolutely amazing from the moment we met her. I was particularly nervous as I knew that I couldn’t have my baby in the birthing centre and the thought of being in a labour ward with so many people coming in and out of the room and asking lots of personal questions terrified me and I just didn’t know what to expect. Cheryl immediately calmed my fears and really showed that she cared about my experience. We went through a detailed birthing plan together and by the time that was done my confidence shot up and I was ready to go on the day.

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After having my first baby, 3 years ago, I knew what I was ‘in for’ second time around. I was naturally overjoyed and excited to be expecting another baby but I was all too familiar with how antenatal appointments and hospital birth went, and I knew from experience that those bits weren’t anything to get excited about.

In many ways, it was the antenatal appointments I dreaded most. I was always anxious that my blood pressure would be too high, my urine sample would show some dubious result, or that a midwife who I had met for all of 5 minutes would make a flippant remark about measuring too big or too small and it would send me into a spin. Memories of the hot, crowded, windowless corridors, regularly waiting an hour past the appointment time to see a different anonymous midwife for whom I was just another name on a list, were not fond ones.

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John & Kristine: Sharing our story of home birth supported by Neighbourhood midwives (Rae & Ines)

Halfway through pregnancy my husband and I have realised that we won’t be able to build a close relationship with NHS midwives who will be delivering our baby as every time we went for an appointment there was a different person to see us. We have enrolled in a hypnobirthing course and were keen to have a drug free calm natural home birth, however it made us worried that we would have not even met the midwife (nor would she know our birth plans) until the day of the labour. After hours of research and feedback stories we have decided to opt for an Independent midwives services from Neighbourhood Midwives.

Needless to say the journey was amazing! Rae (our primary independent midwife) was supportive the whole way through and each visit was never rushed, we could ask zillion of questions and take our time to build the relationship. It was great to have someone there for you re-assuring and building confidence ahead of the Big day.

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