"A great cheerleader"

My midwife was Jordan at the Causeway hospital from the lotus team. In our sessions we went through birth preparation and relaxing techniques which I found helpful. Even though I have had two babies prior to going through the lotus programme I appreciated the wisdom she gave me like harvesting colostrum to keep for baby when she’s sick.

Jordan is very friendly and approachable. She was able to tell by my demeanour and symptoms that I was very low on iron when I hadn’t picked up on it myself. She also let me bring my toddler along which made hospital arrangements much easier.

Having a dedicated midwife throughout your pregnancy also means they can gauge your emotions and help you mentally throughout the highs and lows of pregnancy within a safe space. When I was overdue Jordan was a great cheerleader reassuring me and encouraging me to be calm.

Jordan came to see me the day after having the baby and truly empathised with my difficult time at Antrim Hospital. She listened and understood how I must have felt. It felt like a friend coming to visit, which meant a lot.

This is my third baby, and I can easily confirm that the care I received before and after birth has definitely been the best.

The lotus team is an invaluable source that many more women around Northern Ireland deserve. I would advise that more funding should be given to them to allow more mothers such a wonderful service and more prevalence within Antrim hospital.