SUFFOLK INDEPENDENT MIDWIVES

Having a baby should be a wonderful and special experience.

Suffolk Independent Midwives, would like to offer you a personalised, one-to-one, private midwife service, including antenatal care, postnatal care, enhanced breastfeeding support, home birth and hospital 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 would love to experience the 'personal touch' and true individualised care.

We are pleased to still be able to offer face to face appointments and hands on care during this tricky and uncertain time

Call us today, for an informal chat about our packages and the care we provide and find out how we can support and empower you and help you navigate your way through pregnancy and motherhood.

MEET A MIDWIFE : SUFFOLK INDEPENDENT MIDWIVES

Joanna Bird R.M.

I have been a registered Midwife 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 20 years. I feel passionate about empowering women to achieve a positive and rewarding experience. I specialise in natural child birthing techniques and offer complimentary therapies, including aromatherapy, reflexology, homeopathy, Rebozo/optimal fetal positioning, and relaxation/hypnobirth techniques. I am fully committed in supporting you to take an active role in your 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.

Baby holding parent pinky finger

Pregnant woman in nature

Mother and baby in autumn

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 early 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, and I have an excellent enhanced breast feeding support service, for your baby's first week.

Unfortunately, I do feel uncomfortable in providing just home birth services on there own and so I do not offer a 'home birth only' package. A 'Mini' birth package is available, but is more suitable for those women who are already experienced Mum's and also low-risk.

If you feel unsure about which package is best for you, then just give me a call on 07754538701, for an informal chat and advice. Pleased be advised to book for care early - as I provide one-to-one care, I am restricted to the number of clients I have on my case-load at any one time.

I am fully insured with NMC approved insurance and work closely with UK Birth Centres and Private midwives, for governance and mandatory training.

ANTENATAL VISITS

Informative and Compassionate

Beginning our relationship with an informal 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 to one hour. 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 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, aromatherapy and Hypnobirth.

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, hourly 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, also with enhanced breastfeeding support included, during your baby's first week.

* 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

For a list of packages and fee's, please scroll down, or if you dont see the package you require, then contact us to discuss your care requirements.

Contact :

or call 07754538701 to speak with Jo

“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

PRICES

Antenatal Care only: £1,500

Based on care from early pregnancy including monitoring yours and your baby's progress in pregnancy with individualised birth planning, Hypnobirth introduction and the use of complementary therapies for birth, as well as labour, birth and breastfeeding preparation are all inclusive.

Postnatal Care only: £1,500

Based on 4 weeks postnatal care, to monitor your progress after birth, and offer individualised support. Enhanced breastfeeding support for your baby's first week is included, with regular baby weight checks and wellbeing assessments.

Home Birth or Hospital support -Complete Care Package: £5,500

This includes antenatal and postnatal care packages listed above, with care from early pregnancy, through to when your baby is 4 weeks old. Holistic wellbeing assessments in early labour, with support and guidance. The use of a birth pool is complimentary and Entonox (gas and air) is available, should you choode to use it. Midwife birth support and clinical care in your home, when in active labour. Continued care through out your baby's birth, up until he or she is around 3-4 hours old. If you are planning a hospital birth, then your midwife will be available to give you support, advice and guidance through out labour and in the immediate postnatal phase. Post natal care will continue for 4 weeks after your baby's birth.

Please note:

The hospital support package does not usually include clinical care, unless previously agreed by your local hospital or birth unit, However, this does make it possible for your midwife to offer you her full attention, one to one support throughout, to help with advocacy, decision making, and personal care, including mobilsation and positioning, complimentary therapies and natural child bearing techniques. Immediate enhanced breastfeeding support once baby is born.

Mini Care Package: £5000

Antenatal care from 24 weeks of pregnancy. Birth support at home or in hospital. Postnatal care for two weeks.

One-Off Antenatal, Postnatal or Enhanced Breastfeeding Support appointments: £175

A single scheduled 1-2 hour appointment. Apologies, this is not a 24/7 service. Please book appointments during business hours.

Entonox:

Gas and Air (delivery/refill charge is payable, only if used)

If you wish to discuss an instalment plan, to spread the cost of your care, then please contact me at .

Please note that prices are based on travel times up to 45 minutes from my base in Exning, Suffolk. A small 'travel charge' may be added for clients who live 'out of area' to cover the cost of extra fuel and travel time.