"Home birth and midwifery"

I moved to Ceres in Fife from Edinburgh in November last year (2020). I fell pregnant at the beginning of this year and at my booking appointment with the community midwife (at the Adamson Hospital) we discussed different things about birth and facilities in my new local area. I was told about the home birthing team and was asked if this was something I would be interested in at which I jumped out of my seat and said YES! So the community midwife put a referral in my notes to the home birthing team in Fife to take place after my 12 week scan. 

After my 12 week scan I received a call from one of the wonderful Fife home birthing team midwives, Katrina. She talked to me about the service and booked an appointment to come see me and from then on, all my appointments were done with Katrina and my care was officially under the home birthing team.

Initially I had chosen Ninewells hospital in Dundee as the place to have my scans done and that is where my 12 week and 20 week scans took place. After these were done when I was about 26 weeks I wasn't sure if I had felt a change in baby's movements and called Katrina who asked me to call triage at Ninewells who said they were too busy to see me so she asked if I minded coming to the Victoria in Kirkcaldy instead as they weren't as busy and would be happy to assess me. I said I didn't mind and went to the Victoria. My experience there was so wonderful and the midwives and staff so welcoming, friendly and amazing that I asked to transfer my care to the Victoria should I need to go into hospital for any reason.  

I had my baby last Thursday, at home as planned, and luckily Katrina was on call and attended the birth of my son with a community midwife Emma who was on call for the first time ever and it was her first home birth also. The experience has been life changing, the level of care, professionalism, respect and guidance I received from Katrina and the support and reassurance from Emma was wonderful. My partner and I will be eternally grateful to how they allowed me to deal with active labour and guided us to work together but being an integral support throughout the entire process.

What a stark difference to the birth of my first son six and a half years ago at the Royal Infirmary Edinburgh where I ended up on a labour ward with unnecessary interventions and an attempted instrumental delivery that wasn't required as I was able to deliver my son in two swift pushes but had already been given an episiotomy.

I wish more people would have such a positive experience. The service we have received from the moment I went for my first booking appointment has been 10/10. I felt listened to, I received information and scientific data to help me make informed choices throughout the entire process. Katrina has made such an impact on my family's life that I will be eternally grateful to her wisdom, dedication and humanism.

I just want to say THANK YOU from the bottom of our hearts, for walking alongside us, educating us and facilitating an experience we could have only dreamed of having. My partner says, having had the home birth experience, he wouldn't do it any other way.

I think this sums up all the hard work, dedication and passion the home birthing team in Fife bring to their profession and to women and families in their care.