Expert Series - Independent Midwife

We’re starting a new series sharing real, supportive insight from experts who support women through pregnancy and postpartum 🤍

First up, an independent midwife from East Anglian Midwives…

🤍 What does your role involve?

I have been a midwife for over 10 years, and an independent midwife since 2023. I have recently set up a joint practice alongside my colleague Kirsti called East Anglian Midwives and we provide care for families throughout East Anglia!

We offer care throughout pregnancy, birth and the postnatal period. Working independently means that we get to know our clients and families very well, building close relationships and understanding what is truly important to them in their care. We offer true individualised care and support so that women can make informed decisions about their pregnancy and birth choices.

We see clients at least every month and then more frequently towards the end of pregnancy. During the postpartum period - we see families almost daily for the first week, and then continue care up to four weeks, meaning you get really enhanced support from us. Because of this support we rarely see issues with things like breastfeeding, jaundice or weight loss in babies!

We also set up a WhatsApp group so that there’s always space and time to ask questions in-between appointments, never leaving you worried about anything.

We support births both at home and in the hospital. Having two private midwives when you book with East Anglian Midwives means you get double the support, double the knowledge and the reassurance that you will always have someone around to support you.

 

🤍 What’s something you wish more women knew about the postpartum period?

That planning for your postpartum period during your pregnancy is super important! The days and nights will feel long, but will also pass by in a blur very quickly!

Plan for your support - who will be around you, who will be supportive (and not a hindrance!!) and who can you call upon if you need help? It’s also OK to say no to visitors, especially in the early days!

Stock your freezer with quick lunches, snacks etc during your pregnancy.

Lower your expectations of what you think you should be doing - as long as you are attentive to your baby’s needs, eating and drinking yourself and sleeping/resting where possible, this is enough.

Also have a research of what support is about for you and baby during pregnancy. Whether this is NHS infant feeding teams, private midwives or lactation consultants, postnatal doulas etc. Have a list of contacts ready for people you can reach out to for support if needed.

 

🤍 What do you see women finding most challenging in those early weeks?

We actually have blog post about 5 things new parents should know about in the first few days after birth - see our website link for details below!

Breastfeeding can sometimes be a challenge, especially if there have been any birth complications. If you’ve birthed in hospital, get as much feeding support as you can whilst in hospital, and don’t go home until you’re confident with it. Make sure you have details of local infant feeding teams/lactation consultants if needed.

But in the meantime, lots of skin to skin and closeness with your baby will help in the early days.

Juggling your emotions with the demands of a newborn can also be difficult to navigate. Suddenly your world is turned upside down (whether it’s baby number 1 or 5!!) and everything changes.

Carve out time for yourselves - whether that’s 10 minutes sitting alone in the garden and getting some fresh air, or listening to a meditation to calm your nervous system.

It’s also OK to say no to visitors when you are feeling overwhelmed and shattered - the last thing you need to be doing is entertaining guests, and your baby will still be a “tiny newborn” to everyone else in a couple of weeks.

🤍 Do you have any advice for managing night feeds?

Look up how to safely co-sleep in pregnancy, as some research has indicated 9 out of 10 parents have co-slept at some point! It’s best to know how to do this safely in advance rather than end up falling asleep unsafely with your baby.

If baby doesn’t settle, as they’ll likely want to be on you/your partner, try and share the evenings/nights where possible - for example you can feed baby and then your partner can change/settle baby after.

You’ll quickly find your rhythm and what works best for you as a family, but take each day as it comes in the first few weeks!

Having an easy to listen to audio book or some music in your headphones, with some snacks and plenty of water will help you get through the long nights of feeding!

 

🤍 What really helps support recovery after birth?

Having a good support network around you where possible is really important. Work out who is in your “village” and will be of help.

Ensuring you have time and space to rest, and what this looks like for you. Consider the 5-5-5 routine… 5 days in bed, 5 days on the bed, 5 days around the bed.

Don’t push yourself physically too quickly after birth, your body has just grown and birthed a baby and this is a huge undertaking. You don’t need to keep up with the “bounce back” culture!

 

Nourish yourself with good food and lots of hydration, especially when breastfeeding!

 

🤍 Thank you to Beth from East Anglia Midwives for this invaluable information. 

 

You can find out more about East Anglian Midwives and how they support women and families via their website:

www.eastanglianmidwives.co.uk

Instagram: @east.anglianmidwives