Care Packages
The fee for my professional services reflects the professional care you receive. Flexible payment options are available on request.
My care packages are as follows.
Consultation : Informal discussion to discuss your specific needs and aspirations. You may wish to inform me of your pregnancy, plans for birth at home, at hospital or both as you wish. You may also wish to share with me your wishes about loving and caring for your baby in the early weeks of life. This shared time and information will allow me to offer a specific service tailored to your needs. There is no obligation for you to book my services at this visit.
Booking appointment : This will take over 1 hour and takes place within your home environment. I provide you with Essex Independent Midwives handheld notes in which I will record your full medical and obstetric history as well as forming a plan of care and information sharing. Within the notes there are sections for you to record your feelings and hopes for your pregnancy, birth and beyond.
All antenatal visits are unhurried, in your own home often lasting over 1 hour.
From 28 weeks of pregnancy onwards I provide 4 individualised antenatal workshops on issues including labour and breast feeding.
Weekly reflexology treatments with aromatherapy foot massage from 37 weeks of pregnancy.
Midwifery telephone support 24/7.
On call from 37 weeks for the birth.
Being your midwife as you birth your baby at home or as your midwife advocate in hospital.
Postnatal care is flexible to your individual need for up to 6 weeks following your birth.
It Excludes:
Investigations like blood tests, ultra sound scans, and consultations with a private Obstetrician or stay in a private maternity hospital. If you are eligible for NHS care your GP can arrange scans and blood tests for you. Or you can opt to have these performed at a private fetal medicine centre or a private laboratory. I will happily arrange this for you.
Pool hire charges. I can give you details of pool hire companies if you wish to use water in labour as a form of pain relief or indeed to birth your baby.
I will be on call for you from the 37th week of pregnancy until labour begins. When this happens I will visit with you at home and when ready I will accompany you into your chosen hospital.
Within the hospital setting your care will be undertaken by the hospital midwives. I will remain with you throughout as your midwife advocate. My role will include supporting yourself and your birth partner, giving you evidenced based information together with my midwifery clinical experience to enable you to informed choices.
Immediately following the birth in hospital I will be able to help and support you to breast feed your baby if desired. This care package then completes.
If you wish further postnatal visits to support with breastfeeding or any other issues these can be arranged for an additional fee per visit or as a set fee for a set number of visits as desired.
Home birth/Hospital birth/Water birth preparation [2 hours] to discuss all issues around birth and immediate aftercare of your baby.
Management of pain in labour [1 hour]. Natural methods of pain management including use of hypnobirthing, massage, aromatherapy will be discussed. Medical management of pain will also be explored.
Breastfeeding [1 hour]: We discuss in detail and discover about breastfeeding prior to the arrival of your baby
Baby and parent interaction and bonding [1 hour] discusses issues around how baby interacts and responds to you and how you can support and manage baby both physically and emotionally in early weeks with his/her development. Included in this session is information on what to expect in the early weeks and how your world is likely to change once your little one arrives. This session always promotes discussion. During each session mothers’ comment that their baby is moving a lot. I think he/she is listening too!! Moreover I am always told that parents find the information so interesting as it helps to increase their understanding of the world from the perspective of a small baby
I offer the expert advice and support you desire from a health visitor and more. Being a parent is the most rewarding of human experiences, but stresses and problems can also arise, for example in balancing parenting and a career, in meeting the needs of the rest of the family or in sustaining a healthy lifestyle. I know that doing the best for your baby means also doing the best for you.
A care package can include:
A neonatal visit from 14 days after the birth. Included in this will be discussion on baby parent interaction and supportive and management methods to support yourself and baby in early life.
An infant check, advice and support visit and maternal/parent assessment at around 6-8 weeks, comprising a holistic assessment of physical and psychological wellbeing
A nutritional visit at around 4-6 months (depending on parent wishes with regard to weaning). Breast feeding is the recommended feeding method for first six months of life and breast feeding support is provided at any time as and if desired
A developmental assessment at 8 and at 12 months, including discussion on NHS Immunisation Programme.
I offer a no commitment ‘Consultation’ visit with you in your home to discuss your personal wishes and requirements. This lasts for approximately one hour and affords you the time and opportunity to ask any questions you may have. Morever this visit enables us to ascertain our suitability to work together. The consultation incurs a non refundable fee which will be deducted from the cost of your care package should we agree to work together.