Antenatal and Postnatal

The comprehensive care package is the most complete package available. You will receive care from booking your pregnancy at around 8 weeks until your baby is 6 weeks old.

ANTENATAL CARE

If you are just interested in having a midwife support you on the antenatal or postnatal journey only, these packages are for you. You may want an independent midwife for your antenatal and postnatal care if you are having an elective CS or hospital birth, for instance, but wish for a more personalized care. Please note that due to insurance restrictions I cannot offer visits or advice when you are in early labour. An antenatal/postnatal care package can be turned into a birth package subject to availability.
  • 15 antenatal appointments (8,12,16,20,24, 28, 31, 34, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42 weeks)
  • 2 hours long appointments
  • Weekend home appointments available
  • Support during scans or consultant appointments
  • Partner and children welcomed during appointments
  • Care past 42 weeks if needed
  • 10 hours of birth preparation tailored to your needs includes a 121 BIOMECHANICS workshop.
  • Mileage up to 1 hour or 50 miles

*Each appointment value is  £160 rather than the standard £200

POSTNATAL CARE

A postnatal package on its own is a good idea if you need extra support with breastfeeding and the transition to motherhood. For instance, co-sleeping advice, caring for your newborn, cloth nappies, early potty learning/ elimination communication, etc. When you book a package you get a midwife available during working hours to answer all your questions.  
  • 12 Postnatal appointments up to 6 weeks: day 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 10,14, 18, 21, 28, 35, 42
  • 2 hour appointments
  • NIPE check included
  • Unlimited breastfeeding support
  • A complete baby massage course (worth £150 )
  • For a detailed account of the appointments see (comprehensive package)
  • Mileage up to 1 hour or 50 miles

*Each appointment value is £166  rather than the standard £200

COMBINED ANTENATAL AND POSTNATAL CARE

*Each appointment value is £150

Not sure if these packages are for you?

Do you want to tweak these packages?

Any questions?

Resources For Fetal Heart Monitoring

1.When did we start monitoring babies in labour?

For more high quality evidence around fetal monitoring please visit Kirsten website here, an obstetrician with a PHD in CTGs. https://birthsmalltalk.com/

In this post she discusses intermittent auscultation: https://birthsmalltalk.com/2023/08/23/what-is-intermittent-auscultation/

Hear her talk about the lack of evidence behind CTGs in this podcast: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1eXZY973Oxbs1ducavpSAk?si=872f8c4077be4ba5

Post on the history of fetal heart monitoring: https://birthsmalltalk.com/2023/08/09/listening-to-the-fetus-the-history-of-fetal-heart-rate-monitoring/

Cochrane review comparing CTG to intermittent ausculation (CTG increases interventions
): https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD006066.pub3/full

Does CTG use improve outcomes for high risk women? https://birthsmalltalk.com/2024/10/16/the-story-behind-our-paper/

2. How should we use intermittent auscultation in labour?

These are the NICE guidelines for fetal monitoring in labour: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng229/chapter/Recommendations

Midwife researcher and lecturer Rachel Reed has a brilliant article and podcast about this where she unpicks the evidence around the recommendations for intermittent auscultation protocols here https://www.rachelreed.website/blog/listening-to-baby-during-labour

and podcast here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3sJeIR3xUOr20EBRGilHxl?si=818537594dd04457

The WHO recommendations for intrapartum care: https://iris.who.int/bitstream/handle/10665/260178/9789241550215-eng.pdf?sequence=1

3. How does intermittent auscultation detect fetal distress?

For more on normal and abnormal heart rate monitoring watch this explanatory video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ni48bbtiZgs

4. What happens if there are concerns with the fetal heart rate at a homebirth?

NICE guidelines for fetal monitoring in labour: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng229/chapter/Recommendations

5.What is better for fetal monitoring in labour: a Doppler or a Pinard/fetoscope?

To read about the research and the experiences of midwives using a fetoscope/pinard antenatally and in labour check these links out.

Short facebook comments compiled in this magazine here: https://www.midwiferytoday.com/mt-articles/wisdom-of-the-midwives-issue-131/

Midwives perceptions of fetoscope vrs Doppler Tanzania https://bmcpregnancychildbirth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12884-018-1736-y

Midwives experiences of Pinard use Norway https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0266613822000407

Defense of fetoscope article by American midwives

https://hearthandhomemidwifery.com/blog/fetoscope-a-tool-of-the-midwifery-trade#:~:text=Fetoscope%20uses%20go%20beyond%20just,birthing%20person%20and%20the%20baby.

A Cochrane review that compares Doppler and Pinard use in low income countries: https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD008680.pub2/full

For a compilation of research that compares the use of Doppler to Pinard check this link: https://www.cochranelibrary.com/content?templateType=related&urlTitle=%2Fcentral%2Fdoi%2F10.1002%2Fcentral%2FCN-01110791&doi=10.1002%2Fcentral%2FCN-01110791&p_p_id=scolariscontentdisplay_WAR_scolariscontentdisplay&_scolariscontentdisplay_WAR_scolariscontentdisplay_action=related-content&p_p_lifecycle=0&p_p_mode=view&type=central&contentLanguage=

6. What if you decline some or all fetal auscultations?

Is fetal monitoring essential?: https://birthsmalltalk.com/2024/11/06/myth-busting-3-fetal-monitoring-is-essential/

7. What to bear in mind about intermittent auscultation in labour?

Examples of womens experiences of fetal auscultation in labour: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1871519224002658#bib14