Antenatal Care
We believe that pregnant women should have access to high quality personalised care and receive it in an unhurried manner with plenty of opportunity to discuss hopes and fears right from early pregnancy.
We provide all your private antenatal midwifery care in conjunction with the care you may wish to have from your Consultant Obstetrician.
We have excellent links with local Obstetricians and can liaise with them to arrange shared care if need be.
From early pregnancy (or as soon as you book with us) we will visit you at home on days and times that suit you. Evening and weekend appointments are also available so that your partner has the opportunity to meet us or this may be more suitable if you are working.
Each appointment lasts up to one hour, giving plenty of time to check on you and your baby’s wellbeing as well as discuss your needs and plans and answer any questions you may have.
We arrange all scans and blood tests and will discuss the screening tests that are offered, enabling you to make fully informed choices about your care.
Should any problems arise in pregnancy we will arrange an appointment for you to see an Obstetrician or arrange an immediate hospital assessment by an Obstetrician if the problem is more urgent.
Later in pregnancy we will help you make written plans for your birth and give lots of advice about when to go into hospital and what to take with you.
Private Antenatal Care Package:
- Antenatal appointments at home from early pregnancy
- Antenatal checks on baby’s growth and well being
- Antenatal checks on your wellbeing including blood pressure and urine testing
- Advice on minor ailments of pregnancy
- Advice on diet and healthy lifestyle
- All scans, blood tests and Consultant appointments arranged
- Up to one hour per appointment
- Up to 12 antenatal appointments Times to suit you/your partner including evenings/weekendsAntenatal Education/Birth Preparation
First-time pregnancy (12 visits): £ 950*
Subsequent pregnancy (10 visits): £ 850*
Q: Do I still see my NHS midwife if I employ you as a midwife?
A: No. We will take over all antenatal midwife care and write to your NHS midwife to let her/him know, if you have already booked with her. We will also write to your GP to inform them that we are providing midwifery care for you.
Q: Will I be excluded from NHS care if I employ you as a midwife?
A: No. You are still entitled to any additional NHS care for pregnancy, birth and postnatally, should the need arise (provided you are a UK resident). However, the fact that we provide you with dedicated, familiar, professional midwife care, visits in early pregnancy, flexibility with appointment days/times and up to one hour per appointment means that we are able satisfy all our clients’ needs.
Q: Are you insured?
A: Yes. We have Indemnity Insurance through the Royal College of Nursing for all the antenatal and postnatal care we provide.
Q: Do I still have my baby in the hospital as I planned?
A: Yes. You are still entitled to have your birth in hospital under the care of the NHS midwives. When you leave hospital, we provide midwifery care at home.
* +Mileage. Charged @ 50p per mile on visits exceeding 20 miles
Comparison Table
Antenatal Care |
|
Poole Bay Maternity Services |
NHS Services |
| Your own midwife for every appointment | Could be a different midwife every time |
| Unhurried & relaxed appointments last up to one hour | Appointments usually 10 to 20 minutes |
| Flexible appointment times and care at home at times to suit you. Evening/weekend appointments available | Appointments usually at GP surgery or in a Children’s Centre. Usually less flexibility in choosing appointment times |
| Phone contact with own midwife between appointments | Own midwife not always available on phone |
| Time to discuss worries and fears and your thoughts about the birth | Less time available |
| Time and expert advice to build confidence in yourself and your ability to give birth | Less time and possible lack of continuity of midwife may undermine confidence |
"Regular visits by the same midwife, set at mutually convenient times" - Hayley
"Unbiased discussion of options & reassurance were part of every conversation" - Zoe
"You were talking to someone who knew your name, didn’t have to read the notes of the last team member to know what was happening & was working with your plans. That was reassuring" - Tina
"It was reassuring to see the same person through all the antenatal appointments" - Claire
The ante natal care we received from Poole Bay Maternity was outstanding. Firstly, it was very relaxing for us to do everything from home, having as much time as we needed. Secondly, the knowledge and wisdom dispensed gently dissolved many myths and fears around the birth process and what actually happens. When you really start to think about it and marvel about it, you start to realise what an amazingly intelligent process it is…and the fears just melt away. We particularly enjoyed being able to do all the test, both blood and urine, from our home. Moreover, in one instance when we needed a very quick test we were able to get the results within 24 hours. Marvelous. Finally nothing was too much to ask, and we were never put under any undue stress or pressure. This allowed us to make all of our own decisions having been best informed.- Krishan and Daniella Ramyead, Sept 2010
