020 7873 2327
Sage Femme have the safety of our clients as a top priority. Unfortunately, that means that we have had to make changes to the way we give care. This is under constant review. Currently hospitals are saying that women can have one non-interchangeable birth partner and therefore we are not able to accompany you into hospital unless we are in place of another birth partner. We can however do early labour home assessments and provide you with telephone support once you are in hospital.
We would request that you let us know if you or anyone in your household has symptoms so that we can avoid visiting at this time. If you have Covid symptoms or test positive it will be recommended that you have a hospital birth and unfortunately you will not be able to have a birth partner with you.
Our midwives will be wearing full protective equipment for appointments in your home. If you would prefer to have the reassurance of video appointments instead we can organise them in place of physical appointments if that will not negatively impact on your pregnancy. In the event that further assessment is necessary, we will liaise with your booked hospital to ensure that you get the required follow up. We will help you to make the right decisions regarding attendance at the hospital. The NHS is understandably under exceptional strain and we would like to reduce further stress on their systems and risk to you from this contagious virus by reducing unnecessary hospital attendance.
Many pregnant women are not getting enough antenatal care at the moment because of the Covid 19 pandemic. The NHS were already overstretched and are now having to restrict face to face appointments in many areas. This is to reduce infection rates and may also be due to lower staffing levels. This may mean that you could be experiencing long gaps without seeing midwives in a time when you may be experiencing increased anxiety and isolation.
During a video appointment with Sage Femme we will be able to chat to you about your pregnancy and birth plans. We will not be able to physically examine you but can give you general pregnancy advice and review any blood results and scan reports that you have. Any information that you have been given regarding your pregnancy we can discuss with you so that you have the opportunity to ask about things you may not have understood from your current care providers. We will not be contradicting their advice but just ensuring that you feel well informed.
We have experience of giving antenatal classes and working within the NHS as well as years of experience at homebirths. We can help you put together birth plans, discuss topics such as when to go to the hospital, when to pack a bag and what should be in it, pain relief options, how to avoid tearing and so much more.
For the first time it means that we can speak to women outside of the London area.