Research has shown that having a home birth can be as safe as having a hospital birth and it can be a much more empowering and positive experience. However, with the current staff shortages in the NHS, a home birth is not guaranteed. I can speak from personal experience! What is more, women often are faced with negativity from their hospital when they want a home birth against their care provider’s recommendations. This is usually because guidelines fail to adapt to individual circumstances and they are not always updated with the latest evidence.
By hiring an independent midwife you can take control of your birth by carefully planning your environment, having access to the latest evidence and knowing that I will be there for you no matter what.
I offer my clients four different packages for a home birth. These are designed to cater to your own needs and budgets. However, as everyone is unique, please be aware that all my packages can be adapted to your exact circumstances. This packages can also be taken for support at a hospital birth.
Care from 8 weeks pregnant until 6 weeks postnatal. Includes: Luxury goody bag (sling, cloth nappies, potty), TENS hire, Entonox and baby massage course. Mileage included 1h or 50 miles.
£7,500
Care from 20 weeks pregnant until 4 weeks postnatal. Includes: Luxury goody bag (sling, cloth nappies, potty), TENS hire, Entonox and baby massage course. Mileage included 1h or 50 miles.
£7000
Care from 28 weeks pregnant until 2 weeks postnatal. Includes: Goody bag, TENS hire, Entonox . Mileage included 1h or 50 miles.
£6,500
Care from 34 weeks pregnant until 10 days postnatal. For experienced homebirthers, second time mums and last minute clients. Includes TENS and Entonox. Mileage included
£6000
2h Appointments
On call from 37 weeks
Records, equipment and drugs used in labour
Birth plans
Birth insurance
NIPE and other baby checks
All packages can be booked for home birth or hospital birth.
2 Midwives at your birth
Unlimited text and calls during working hours
Breastfeeding support and co/sleeping guidance
Booking with the NHS for scans and blood test recommended.
Birthing pool hire NOT included in packages.
If you’ve selected the package you feel is right for you the next step is simply to get in touch. Simply fill out the form below with your details, including the package you are interested in, and I’ll be in touch shortly to schedule an introductory call with you.
Hello! My name is Irene Vine and I am an independent midwife covering Suffolk, Essex, Cambridge and East London. I provide full antenatal, postnatal and birth care including homebirths and outside of guidelines care. I am passionate about supporting women achieve a birth experience where they feel empowered, heard and understood. If you would like to experience the best possible care with unrushed appointments and a midwife who is always at the other end of the phone, give me a call! I cover most cities and villages in East Anglia, such as Chelmsford, Colchester, Ipswich, Cambridge, Harlow, London or Southend.
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
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
