Community Services - County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust

Community Services - County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust 2016-12-25 Person 5 5 0

Regular appointments and checks.

Community Services - County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust 2016-12-25 Person 5 5 0

Community Services - County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust 2016-12-25 Person 5 5 0

Community Services - County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust 2016-12-25 Person 5 5 0

Community Services - County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust 2016-12-25 Person 5 5 0

All great.

Community Services - County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust 2016-12-25 Person 5 5 0

Community Services - County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust 2016-12-19 Person 5 5 0

This was my second home birth. I had my first in America with private midwives, and it was costly, difficult, and my recovery was slow. This birth couldn't have been more different. I appreciated first having the free service of the NHS community midwives. It's fantastic to be able to focus on health care and not worry about how we're going to pay for it. Sonja and Michelle attended my birth and they respected my wishes even more than I did. I had written a detailed birth plan and they followed it to the letter. I specifically wanted to be as undisturbed as possible during my labour and birth, and both of them were very hands-off and quiet, even while they monitored me for hypertension and my baby for arrhythmia. They were both supportive of my confidence that I could have a good birth undisturbed, especially Sonja, who was very committed to allowing me and my husband to make our own informed decisions. Though they were hands-off, as I had asked, they also made excellent suggestions and reminders as we went through labour. They made sure I had drinks and the right temperature environment, reminded me to move around (which I had asked for), and then Sonja suggested I use the bath at just the right moment. I had given up the notion of having a water birth because our house could not support a pool, and water hadn't helped during my first birth. But Sonja's knowledge of the labour process helped her know when to suggest I get in the bath, and I wound up delivering in the bath, unassisted, to my great surprise and delight. The presence of the midwives throughout the labour and during the birth was like the presence of strong guardian angels. They didn't interfere, either with unnecessary words or actions, but they protected us by offering sufficient monitoring and being there to help out immediately after the birth. They were able to watch carefully without being at all intrusive, and I was able to let go all my inhibitions and go through my labour naturally, feeling both private and safe. They were also very kind and affirming and made me feel valued, cared for, and satisfied with my experience. They made sure that my son and I had as much skin-to-skin contact as we could immediately after birth and then again when I had finished the third stage of labour and got cleaned up. They took good care of him, too, and interacted well with my husband, mother-in-law, and daughter during the time they were with us. Sonja's postnatal care was superb. I had to have both internal and external sutures and she did such a careful job stitching that I didn't feel the stitches until they started coming out a week and a half later as I healed. I had no pain at all from my tears at any time, though I wound up on my feet in hospital (my son presented with RDS around 4 hours after birth, and then developed RSV and had to be ventilated, so we were in hospital for his first 3.5 weeks!) and being far more active and getting far less rest than I had expected. Being able to let go all inhibitions meant a fast labour and an exceptionally fast birth, which also helped my recovery. I had minimal bleeding at every stage and was able to attend my son in hospital immediately, whereas with my first birth I could barely stand or sit upright for days. Sonja continued to check up on us beyond her NHS duties, visiting us in hospital and phoning, even after we were discharged a month later. Her evident personal investment and concern were part of a richly rewarding experience, despite the trauma of having a very ill baby for so long. I wish more women would take advantage of the excellent NHS home birth care. I feel there is no more natural, safe, and enjoyable way to give birth than in the comfort and privacy of your own home, exclusively attended by expertly trained and experienced midwives who treat you with dignity, respect, and compassion. I personally couldn't have imagined a more perfect birth. Unfortunately, my son developed unforeseeable difficulties early in life, but having had such a peaceful, easy, and emotionally positive experience helped to energise me for the weeks of pain and anxiety ahead. I think if I had given birth in a hospital setting it would have been a completely different story. I want to thank the NHS, the County Durham NHS Trust, the Community Midwives, and especially Sonja for providing such excellent care to me and my son during his birth.

Community Services - County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust 2016-12-18 Person 5 5 0

Community Services - County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust 2016-12-18 Person 5 5 0

Community Services - County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust 2016-12-18 Person 5 5 0