Anyone have experience of Jentle Midwifery?

[susie100]

Hello all,
further to my posts on homebirth experiences just wanted to see if anybody had experience of the Jentle Midwifery services at Queen Charlotte's Hospital? it is basically their one to one midwife service (plus I think you get a private room afterwards) but you pay for it (I am out of the area). Seems to be the only way to have an independent midwife style service guaranteed but within a hospital.

Othe IMs I have looked into can only act as an advocate if you have to transfer to hospital so am just wondering if this is a good alternative.

Has anyone had experience of this service good or bad?
Thanks

[susie100]

anyone?

[stepfordwife]

hi susie

congrats on your pregnancy how many weeks are you?

i was on the one-to-one scheme at queen charl;ottes with ds1 and ds2 and it was fab. but, must admit, i was really lucky as a df was my midwife and don't think i shoud have been on the scheme as i'm out of their area,

but, even so, can't imagine it wouldn't be great, even if you're not lucky enough to have your df as your midwife!
it's just that continuity of care, isn't it? seeing somone for all your appointments who actually gets to know you instead of being another faceless patient and what you want from the birth.

recall the government saying a while ago that one-to-one midwifery care should be every woman's right..ho-hum..

when i had dd, now 2, i asked to be on the one-to-one again, but they said no becuase lived outside area (my df had left hosp by then) each time i went for a check-up, i saw a different midwife. tbh, wasn't too bothered, as it was my 3rd pregnancy and i didn't have any real problems. had her at the birth centre at the hospital - which i'd also recommend.
hope that helps and good luck!

[susie100]

Hello and thanks for your reply!
Am quite far along - almost 8 months and is my first. Thought I was going for a homebirth but am now freaking out a bit and saw this as a good alternative. They have told me they can accomodate me even at late stage which is great.
Agree - can't see any downsides at this point in time. Although I won't have had the benefit of getting to know my midwife all through preganancy, I imagine it will be reassuing to know who will be there for labour etc. Just wanted to see if anyone had found it disappointing for the money.
WHich I lived nearby to get the one to one service on the NHS!!

Don't get me started on the one woman one midwife 2009 target and what the government is doing to maternity services and midwifes. Sometimes I wonder if any of them have half a brain?? Why can't they see that sort of service and models like the Albany Practise would save the NHS millions!
Anyway - that is another topic. Thanks for your post and glad you had a good experience!

[edam]

I think Jentle has been stopped as a 'pay extra for better care on the NHS' scheme. At least that's what the head of comms told me...

[susie100]

Thanks that is interesting - I wonder what they meant then when I called? Maybe they thought I was enquiring about NHS one to one? Will give them another call!

[Mintpurple]

Hi Susie,

Jentle was closed down about a year ago and ran somewhat differently to the 1-2-1 scheme at QC.

It was closed due to government pressure as it was seen as 'elitist', basically it was a semi private version of the 1-2-1, with the option of homebirth, care in the labour ward or c/section, under the care of a small team of midwives. It was successful and very popular with its patients with very high rates of normal births, so it was a pity that it was stopped. If you want more info - just Google it.

You may have been accepted onto the normal 1-2-1 which is great news and Im sure you will be really happy with the care - and its free!

Good luck with the next few weeks

[stepfordwife]

just to clarify - susie, it was the NHS one-to-one i was on and it was fab
take care

[susie100]

Right - I have got myself into a complete muddle - I blame the pregnancy brain! What QC can acccomodate me for is private obs lead care which I don't want. Unfortunately and unsuprisingly I am not eligible for NHS one to one care which is fair enough given I am out of area and late in the game!

What a shame they scrapped this especially as from googling it the midwives involved in Jentle were not from the general pool so you were not depriving others from their care and the money went back directly into maternity services.

I wonder why obs lead care (private)in an NHS hospital is not considered elitist but midwife lead care is?
Thanks for your help everybody - back to the drawing board!