"Homebirth with the Ayrshire & Arran homebirth team"

Being pregnant during the pandemic became a really anxious time for me with the (understandable) changes to how care was being given. I was really keen to get to know my midwife & build a relationship but sadly this couldn't happen & I started to consider if a homebirth would be the right decision for me & my baby.

I emailed the team back in May & the even the email I got in return was compassionate & caring. I then (safely) met Mags when she came to my home to give me all/any information I needed & by the time she left I had signed myself into the care of the homebirth team. The support from Mags/the team began instantly & I began to relax about birthing during a pandemic. Mags treated me on a personal level & we built a relationship which was so important to me. I felt like I could reach out whenever I needed to & if Mags wasn't available another team member would step in & again I always felt I was speaking to a friend.

The journey I have been on during Mags' care healed my previous birth trauma & I will always be incredibly thankful to her! I was then referred to a 4 week zoom class for Hypnobirthing with Diane & this proved to be invaluable! Diane really opened my eyes to how powerful hypnobirthing is & always took the time to answer any questions any of us had fully, nothing was out of bounds. Again, even over a zoom call Diane made me feel comfortable & supported.

I really believe this type of birth education is vital. I lucked out on the night my son decided he was ready to enter the world as Diane was on call for me & she took the time to call me to say she was on her way. I was excited to have a midwife who had taken the hypnobirthing classes & who I was familiar with!

Gill was my second midwife on call & again when she arrived I felt instantly comfortable & familiar towards her. Diane & Gill were AMAZING. They supported me through the magical & empowering birth I had dreamed of having in the comfort of my living room. I led the way & felt in control knowing I had a dream team with me. All my wishes were respected & both Diane & Gill guided me where they knew I needed it. My partner also felt comfortable & supported which helped him relax & be a greater aid to me.

My son was born around midnight one day towards the end of Sept & both Diane & Gill checked in on us via text/call later in the day time which meant so much. My son then had most of his checks with Diane & having consistency was another extremely important factor for me. It was so nice to have her back & we chatted the whole time she visited. Gill also made sure she got to come to see us all for one check & again we chatted the whole time. I will FOREVER be grateful to these 3 women who have made a huge impact on my birth story which I treasure & I hope they get the recognition they truly deserve. The homebirth service needs to be shouted about from the NHS.

My recovery has been a breeze, my son is a calm & happy baby which I believe is down to how I experienced birth & how he experienced entering the world. I cannot express my thanks enough!

THANK YOU!