"Fantastic maternity care from 9 weeks to post…"

I can't thank the midwives - especially the Olive Team, MAU and the Home from Home Birth Centre staff - enough for their fantastic care throughout and after my pregnancy.

I had a traumatic first delivery at a different hospital. St Thomas took the time to go through my notes from that birth with me, took my mental health extremely seriously and have treated me very much as an individual. Due to hypertension in my previous pregnancy I also had obstetrician appointments and weekly checks in the final few weeks of my pregnancy - although this time my blood pressure was fine.

I had a couple of minor complications and MAU were fantastic - I also had an extreme eczema flare up on my face during one visit and they arranged a dermatologist to see me while I was there.

At Home from Home I was offered judgement free pain relief and gave birth in a birthing pool, complete with mood lighting and built-in Bluetooth speakers. Our room, which we got to stay in overnight, overlooked the Houses of Parliament. We were discharged by lunchtime the next day.

I think the idea of Home from Home might be scary to some, but the midwives are compassionate and keen to make sure you give birth as comfortably as possible - and you're so close to the hospital birth centre that if you need any interventions, you can be transferred quickly and safely.

The whole experience was very cathartic - after my first labour, I had to process a lot of trauma and this positive labour genuinely helped me.