"Fantastic, personable and exemplary experience"

Having only moved into the Mid Argyll area at 36 weeks pregnant, having previously had maternity care in Edinburgh, the care we have received from the midwives in Lochgilphead from our first appointment at 36 weeks, to when we went overdue, to during labour and finally now post birth to be an absolutely fantastic, personable and exemplary experience.

The midwives were just fantastic at taking the time to get to know us as people from week 36, including listening and constructively discussing our natural pain-relief-free birth preferences. When we went overdue they never pressured us into unnecessary intervention and were so accommodating to our timings for regular appointments.

When we finally started early labour on 41 weeks the team (Karen at this point) were so brilliant at supporting us through the early stages, helping us to understand we were best to go back home the first night (we live 40 mins away from the unit), keeping in touch with us that night and when we returned the next day still not in established labour suggesting a forest walk to get things going and then finally to their incredibly care throughout a long established labour and natural water birth.

Without Karen and Jan giving us such great support and guidance throughout the birth, we truly would not have managed a pain-relief free labour of total 42 hours (early+established).

Since then we have been so grateful for the regular visits from the whole midwife team and all the constructive advice, general support and the manner in which they have done the various checks on our newborn.

Having experienced early maternity care in Edinburgh and having understood the care support we would have received there we have to say that there is just no comparison between the two and we are so unbelievably pleased to have moved in time to have the birth of our first child with this fantastic team! : )