Independent Antenatal Care ♥️
So, what can you expect from me during antenatal care??
Again, many people are not sure why and how an independent midwife can be of value antenatally, and many MANY folk have never experienced excellent unrushed antenatal care. So after my post on postnatal care I thought I’d tackle antenatal care too.
My antenatal care is thorough, just like my postnatal care. I still see people by a really ‘old fashioned’ schedule…..having said that, it’s very flexible, and some people want/need more, some people want less. That’s ok.
I see people from as early as they wish, no limitations. I’m happy to see people at 4 weeks pregnant if they feel they would benefit. This means I have supported many people though miscarriages, and that can be valuable too
I’m also happy to take over antenatal care as late as desired, perhaps due to a lack of support or difficult interactions from HCPs within the NHS system.
I usually see people monthly for the first 28 weeks, then 2 weekly until 36 weeks and then weekly until the new human has arrived skinside. This is flexible and not set in stone. Sometimes I see people more often than once a week, particularly if pregnancy is complex or perhaps it is a very long pregnancy.
What are visits like? Well, they usually take 2+ hours (more or less) and I offer to do all the normal clinical stuff like BP, palpation of abdomen, assess baby’s growth (either by feel or measuring, whatever is desired including discussion of growth charts, mind you, quite a few people opt out of them), urinalysis, blood tests if wanted etc etc.
And then there is all the non clinical stuff that actually takes most of the time. Getting to know each other, getting to know the baby’s siblings and the partner, pets often Talking about previous pregnancy/birth/postnatal time and how that might impact on THIS pregnancy. Chats about practical matters, maybe liasing with the NHS. Talking about consultant appointments, how they went, strategies for communication in appointments. Discussing research about clinical issues. Answering questions, all questions are important.
Assessing support needs is often big. It’s only possibly to know what someone might need by actually getting to know THEM as a person.
You can get to know me too, with all my (many) quirks, so it feels less like a clinical assessment and more like an enjoyable visit from someone you can rely on for support
TIME. I’m not rushed. I have time to address anything you need to talk about or ask about.
One thing people often don’t appreciate they get when they book with me is my availability. I am always available via text etc and respond very quickly, this means that little queries can be addressed asap, and minds can be put to rest (or action can be taken if needs be) without delay. This is so helpful for people, usually in retrospect !
Plus, no wait times at your local GP surgery either
Have I forgotten anything
Pictures shared with permission.