"Positive maternity and birth experience"

I’ve had both of my babies under the care of the community midwives at Hunter Health and the maternity team at University Hospital Wishaw, and I can honestly say that continuity of care made such a difference to my experience.

I was so lucky to have the same community midwife, Liz, for both of my pregnancies. The team were so accommodating in making that happen, and it meant so much to me. Having a familiar face who already knew my history helped me feel confident and supported from the very start.

This pregnancy came with some growth concerns, but I always felt well cared for. The sonographers were consistently kind, thorough and thoughtful. The daybed midwives – especially Kelsey, Jackie and Katina – were lovely and remembered me week after week, which made everything feel personal and reassuring. My consultant, Hilary, was also fantastic – she gave me balanced information and really empowered me to make my own decisions. 

The only slight downside was occasionally getting differing opinions from consultants at the hospital who weren’t familiar with my full story. I’d have preferred to see my main consultant throughout, as her approach was balanced and reassuring but understand why midwives thought it was necessary to speak to a doctor after my growth scans. 

Back to the positives, when it came time to deliver, my midwife Robyn was so encouraging, and our student midwife, Olivia, was incredibly caring and thorough. The postnatal midwives were also wonderful and made sure baby and I were both comfortable before going home.

Looking back on my first pregnancy, I had a home birth but spent three nights in Wishaw afterwards. The midwives gave me so much confidence before going home, and I left with such a positive impression that I was genuinely happy to return for this birth. The Infant Feeding Team were also amazing – so supportive, knowledgeable and patient.

I can’t speak highly enough of the community midwives at Hunter Health and the maternity staff at Wishaw. The continuity of care across both pregnancies was outstanding, and every midwife I met showed such compassion and professionalism. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Wishaw to anyone deciding where to have their baby – the whole team made both of my experiences so positive, and I’ll always be grateful for the care we received.