LANGUAGE
There has been a lot of rhetoric triggered by Ed Miliband’s promise to provide every woman with a midwife! Most women want to build a relationship with a known and trusted midwife, (1) instinctively knowing that it will help them to cope with the challenges of pregnancy, labour and the transition to parenthood. Unfortunately, despite evidence to support individualised care as the safest and most economical, it is well documented that midwifery services in the NHS have an ever-increasing workload yet a decreasing workforce, and therefore this continuity of care is often not available in the NHS.(2)
Here at Private Midwives we give the Gold Standard care of case loading midwifery and commit to being there at the birth for all our clients. We can organise our own diaries and only work when necessary, thus leading to a highly motivated work force! We adapt a woman’s care to her individual needs and visit her at home at a time that suits.
We transfer our previous experience in the NHS and we use our clinical experience to work with our clients to formulate the perfect care plan for birth.
The popularity and development of social media such as Facebook and Twitter has helped to inform women about their choices including private midwifery, however there are still women who are unaware that the choice exists.
Women are not widely informed about or offered the option of private midwifery as a mainstream choice, yet evidence suggests it is the best care, as highlighted by Ed Milliband pledging to provide every mother her own Midwife!
A widely held misconception is that only affluent women can afford this service. The majority of women who employ a private midwife are on a budget and plan for this care in the same way they do for a wedding, car or holiday.
References
1. Department of Health. Midwifery 2020: Delivering Expectations; 2010 Available from:https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/216029/dh_119470.pdf
2. Royal College of Midwives, The Contribution of Continuity of Midwifery Care to high quality maternity care.
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