Suffolk Independent Midwives
Having a baby should be a wonderful and special experience.
Midwife, Joanna Bird, from Suffolk Independent Midwives, would like to offer you a personalised, one-to-one, private midwifery service, including antenatal, postnatal and home birth care packages. Your care will be family focused and tailor made for your own individual needs, and all in the comfort of your own home.
Specifically designed for those families who are considering birthing their babies at home, but also for those who wish to deliver at a local NHS Hospital or Midwife-led Birth Unit, but still wish to experience the 'personal touch' and true individualised care.
Contact me to learn more about my services, and how I can support and empower you through your pregnancy and beyond.
Meet Suffolk Independent Midwives
Joanna Bird R.M.
I have been practising Midwifery since 2003, and have been an Independent Midwife since 2005.
I have been lucky enough to have had the privilege of helping and supporting women and their families through-out their pregnancies and into their transition to parenthood for over 15 years. I feel passionate about empowering women to achieve a positive and rewarding experience. I specialise in natural child birthing techniques and feel it is very important for you to take an active role in your own pregnancy and birth.
On a more personal note, I am married to Justin and a mother of 4 beautiful children, 3 of whom are now fully grown and my youngest son, who is school age. We live close to Newmarket, suffolk, with our 2 dogs, 2 horses, a very naughty cat and some chickens.
My Services
How I Assist
As a midwife, I pride myself in providing you and your partner with safe and effective, one-to-one care and support, using the best available research-based evidence and guidance, so that you are able to make fully informed decisions. Care can begin pre-pregnancy, until your baby is 4 weeks old.
If you require just pregnancy care, or postnatal care only, then I am very flexible and able to facilitate this for you. However, I do feel uncomfortable in providing just home birth services on their own and so I do not offer a 'home birth only' package. A 'hospital birth only' package is available to those wishing extra support during their labour and birth, but do not require antenatal or postnatal care.
I am fully insured with NMC approved insurance.
Antenatal Visits
Informative and Compassionate
After beginning our relationship with a meet and greet, as your Midwife I am committed to your health and the well-being of your growing family, available whenever needed throughout your entire pregnancy as well as after giving birth. I will be there to provide you with continuous emotional and physical support, and answer any and all questions you may have.
* 24/7 telephone advice and support, direct to my own personal mobile telephone number for 'booked' clients. (This service is only available to patients of Suffolk Independent Midwives, not a general public information service)
* One-to-one antenatal visits are conducted in the comfort of your own home and are family friendly.
*Antenatal care to include all routine antenatal checks and any emergency call-outs.
* Checks are friendly and caring, but professional and planned to last around 45 minutes. However these may run longer, if you have lots of questions or concerns. I never want you to feel rushed or that you don't have the time to ask all the questions you want.
* Organising your required diagnostic screening, blood test's and ultrasound with your chosen hospital.
* Parent Education is specifically designed around your own personal needs and all one-to-one.
* An informative and detailed 'labour and birth' discussion at around 34-36 weeks gestation for you and your husband/partner.
* Support and advice in writing your birth plan.
* Optimal fetal positioning using 'Spinning Babies' techniques and Rebozo.
* Complimentary therapies for pregnancy, including massage, reflexology and aromatherapy.
Labour
Supportive and empowering
I specialise in home water birth and have had many years of experience and knowledge in supporting and empowering women to trust their bodies. I encourage you to utilise your own instincts during childbirth, so that with my care and guidance, you are able to achieve a positive, rewarding and safe birth experience.
Your birth is very special, and you should be treated with care and respect - always! So, with this in mind, it is very important to me that your labour is based on your own personal needs and I strive to offer you flexibility and control. My aim is for you to take an active role in birthing your baby and to fully experience that most precious of moments.
This philosophy is not just for home birth, but can also be incorporated into any hospital or birth unit environment, to support you in achieving the best outcome possible.
Postnatal Support
Your midwife/client relationship continues
Following your baby's birth, once you are home, visits continue on a daily basis to begin with. This is to establish that you and your baby are physically and emotionally recovering after your delivery. Depending on your well-being, previous experience and personal wishes, these visits gradually become less over the next 4 weeks - usually to every other day, then every third or fourth day, as you become more and more confident, until you are coping independently with your new baby.
* One to one postnatal care for you and your baby for the first 4 weeks - all in the comfort of your own home.
* 24/7 telephone consultancy continues, as before, for reassurance and advise.
* Physical well-being checks for you and baby, to make sure you are healing and recovering, following your baby's birth.
* Hands on guidance,advise and support with breastfeeding your baby.
* Regular baby weight checks, using specially designed mobile electronic scales.
* Help with baby care - everything from changing his nappy or bathing, to soothing a 'gassy' baby.
* Information and help in acquiring birth certificates and registering your baby.
Prices
Antenatal Care only: £1,000
Based on a maximum of up to 10, one hour antenatal visits.
Postnatal Care only: £1,000
Based on a maximum of up to 10, one hour postnatal visits.
Home Birth Complete Care Package: £4,000
Includes antenatal and postnatal care and use of birth pool.
Hospital/Birth Unit Care package: £3,500
Includes antenatal and postnatal care and labour support.
Hospital/Birth Unit labour support only: £1,500
Includes a meet and greet appointment, and personalised birth plan appointment, followed with a post birth reflection appointment.
Single Antenatal, Postnatal or breastfeeding support appointments: £150
If you wish to discuss an installment plan, to spread the cost of your care, then please contact me at joannajden@aol.com.
Please note that prices are based on travel times up to 30 minutes from my base in Exning, Suffolk. An small travel charge may be added for clients who live 'out of area' to cover the cost of extra fuel.
“Having Jo as my midwife, had a profound and lasting impact on my confidence in birth and motherhood. Jo's demeanour, knowledge and support, gave both my Husband and I confidence and she was essential to my positive experience and physical and emotional recovery. Jo had a special ability to make me feel like my baby was the most special baby she had ever held.''
Rebecca Bosch Slone
“My pregnancy experience with Jo, goes beyond birth. It began with my care during pregnancy and I formed a friendship with a wonderful woman. If I could keep Jo with me everyday, I would! Her smile and contagious happiness is the perfect asset to have on any day, but especially during this special time.”
Leslie Bridges
“Both my Husband and I met with Jo and immediately felt at ease and confident with her support. Through-out my pregnancy we developed a great relationship, so that when I found I was pregnant with my second baby, Jo was one of the first people we called.”
Joanne Harrison
Contact
Send Jo an email, leaving a brief message and contact phone number, or give her a call, for an informal and friendly chat, to learn more.
Email: