"I had a positive experience of pregnancy"

I was 12 weeks pregnant and attended my first antenatal appointment at the Mater hospital to unexpectedly find out I had a named midwife from the Continuity of Care team. My partner and I met our midwife Alice that day and felt reassured from that moment onwards. As it was our first pregnancy, this was a whole new world for us and of course we had so many questions. Alice was amazing from the beginning and cared for us throughout the remainder of our pregnancy.

Having a named midwife ensured I had a positive experience of pregnancy and access to informal & intimate care- especially having a direct contact number for Alice if I felt I needed advice instead of having to wait on a hospital phone line. Knowing our appointments were at the same location and at a time which suited myself and my partner best around other commitments made our first pregnancy experience so straight forward and stress-free! Alice also invited me to coffee mornings for women receiving care from the CoC team which allowed me to meet other midwives from the team as well as other expecting women who I could relate to. These coffee mornings provided a supportive environment and were invaluable to me during my pregnancy.

As my pregnancy progressed, Alice supported my decision to breastfeed and demonstrated how to harvest colostrum as well as provided syringes for me to harvest at home. Nothing was ever too much for Alice- she was always on the ball whether it was ensuring I had my Mat B1 form for work or providing a fit to fly letter for travel. Alice also arranged a visit at our local birthing centre for myself and my partner two weeks before our baby was born and this experience allowed us to feel and see where I had hoped to birth our baby.

Alice respected my decision/choice to refuse any intervention during labour/birth and this made me feel so at east at a time whenever I needed calm most. My waters released at home and I wanted to remain at home for as long as possible. Alice visited us at home during my time in labour and checked myself and the baby as well as provided advice/guidance. This allowed me to remain calm and comfortable in my own space to allow labour to progress naturally.

I arrived at the local birthing centre in the Royal maternity hospital where we would soon meet our baby. During my time in the birthing pool, there was a handover of staff and this is when Sarah from the CoC team arrived at our birth. My partner and I will never forget Sarah and the care she provided for myself, my partner and our baby. I felt so safe and supported in Sarah’s care. From washing me in the pool after birth, wrapping me in a towel and placing me into the bed with tea & toast to being by my side as I done my first pee post-birth, I will never forget how she made me feel during the most v*lnerable time of my life. I felt strong and empowered as a result of Sarah’s encouragement and praise. Sarah celebrated the birth of our baby boy as if it was her own and dressed him for the first time- he could not have been dressed in his first ever outfit by a better person. Sarah made sure to visit us before her shift at the birthing centre ended and thanked us for being present at our birth- Sarah is an angel on earth and deserves all of the recognition as possible. I know any pregnant woman after me will receive amazing care if they are lucky enough to have Sarah as their midwife.

Whilst our named midwife Alice was not on shift at the time of our birth, she made sure to send a lovely and supportive text message as Sarah had updated her following the birth of our baby boy. These small gestures really do make a difference.

Our positive experience and care from the CoC did not end at birth, we were so thankful to have the team visit us at home postnatally. Our midwife Alice was off on leave during our first week post natal, however, she made sure to arrange a home-visit with us upon her return and it was so lovely for us all to sit together in the same room as our baby boy.

My partner and I had an amazing experience of pregnancy & birth and we believe the care and support from the CoC midwives contributed to our experience. We will forever remember them and tell everybody how amazing they are. Every woman deserves to have a midwife from the CoC team during their pregnancy and I hope this invaluable service is available for all one day soon.