Midwives are specialists in providing maternity care where they are no complications and are the only health workers who do only this. As they are specially trained to look after women having babies, women only have to see a doctor if a problem arises. Since most women have problem-free pregnancies and labours, most women can have all their maternity care with midwives. Midwives are not nurses - midwifery is a completely separate profession, although many midwives have also trained as nurses.
In the National Health Service (NHS) there are both hospital midwives and community midwives providing maternity care. How this care is organised is a bit complicated but it is worth trying to understand it so you can choose the best sort of maternity care for yourself.
Hospital midwives work within a hospital. They run antenatal clinics, help women giving birth in the hospital, and look after women staying in the antenatal and postnatal wards of the hospital. Their work usually gives them experience of interventions such as induction, continuous monitoring and use of epidurals for pain relief. They often work closely with doctors.
Community midwives tend to give maternity care outside the hospital, although they will usually be attached to a hospital (or a GP surgery). They may give antenatal care in local clinics or visit women in their homes. They can attend women in labour or giving birth at home, or may accompany women to hospital to give birth. They also visit women and their new babies in their homes for up to 28 days following the birth. As they often work away from the hospital environment, many community midwives are experienced in helping women give birth without interventions.
If you book a home birth through the NHS then you will probably be looked after by a small team of community midwives and receive continuity of care. You will be assigned a named midwife from the team who you will get to know during your pregnancy, and you will be introduced to the other team members. Your antenatal appointments will usually take place in your own home or in a local clinic. Once you are in labour you can contact your midwife and she (or another midwife from your team) will visit you and care for you until your baby is born. Your midwife, or other team members will visit you regularly at home for between 10 and 28 days after your baby has been born.
If you book a hospital birth, then you may be looked after either by hospital midwives or by community midwives. This will depend on the way the hospital plans its care, and may also depend on where you live. If you are thinking of booking with a particular hospital, it is worth asking them who will be looking after you.
The Domino scheme provides the same continuity of care as a homebirth, but provides the opportunity for a woman to give birth in hospital, if she feels that is where she will feel most comfortable. It is only available to women who are likely to have a straightforward birth, as if complications arise during labour (such as the need for an epidural, or labour needs speeding up) the community midwives will have to pass the women over to the care of the hospital staff.
If you book to have your baby in an NHS Birth Centre, then you will also have care with community midwives, whom you will be able to get to know and who will provide continuity of care. If problems arise during labour, then you may need to be transferred to the care of hospital midwives and doctors at the nearest hospital.
If you are interested in booking to have your baby with Independent Midwives then click to visit the Independent Midwives page.
Click the "back" button on your browser to return to the previous page.