How to Choose the Right Midwife for Your Pregnancy

Choosing a midwife isn't always as straightforward as people expect. Every pregnancy is different, and what one family needs looks nothing like what another family needs. All midwives are different too. We're all different people, and we each bring something different in the way we offer support and in our approach to pregnancy and birth. I wanted to write this to help you think through what you're actually looking for, because that's really the first step in how to choose the right midwife for you.

You might not need everything, and that's fine

One thing I see often is people assuming independent midwifery care means signing up for the whole journey, pregnancy, birth, and beyond. It doesn't have to. Some of the families I work with want antenatal care only, extra time, continuity, and support through pregnancy, without needing me present for the birth itself. Others come to me after the birth, wanting postnatal care only, help with recovery, feeding, and adjusting to life with a new baby, whether that birth was a vaginal birth, an emergency caesarean, or a planned caesarean.

Plenty of families want a mix of both, antenatal and postnatal support, but choose to have their birth cared for by their NHS team rather than by me. That's a completely valid choice, and it's worth knowing it's on the table. Independent midwifery isn't all or nothing, so the right fit depends on what stage of the journey you feel you need the most support in.

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If birth support is what you're after

For families who do want birth support as part of their care, there are two main routes. Home birth care means I'm with you throughout labour in your own environment, alongside continuity of care through your pregnancy so we already know each other well by the time labour starts. Hospital birth support means I come with you into hospital, working alongside the hospital team to advocate for you and support your choices in a setting that isn't always designed around one-to-one care.

Neither is inherently better than the other. It comes down to what feels right for you, your medical history, and what kind of birth environment helps you feel safest and most supported.

What continuity of care actually gives you

Whatever combination of care you choose, continuity of care is what ties it together. Rather than meeting a different midwife at every appointment, you build a relationship with one person who knows your history, your preferences, and your worries, and who can apply that knowledge consistently throughout your care. This is often the single biggest reason families choose independent midwifery in the first place.

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A little about me, and why I do this the way I do

I've been a midwife for twelve years, starting out in NHS community roles before moving into independent practice through Guided By You Midwifery. I'm also a mother of four and a grandmother myself, so I understand the pregnancy, birth, and postnatal period from both sides of the experience, professionally and personally. In 2022 I was awarded Excellence in Professionalism and Care at the South of England NHS Regional Awards, which remains one of the proudest moments of my career.

I run this practice as a sole practitioner by choice. It means the person you meet at your first appointment is the person who stays with you, whether that's for antenatal care, postnatal care, birth support, or all of it. I cover London, Essex, and Hertfordshire, and I shape each package of care around what the individual family actually needs, not a fixed template. It means a great deal to me that this comes through in the reviews families leave on Google after their care with me, and it's something I never take for granted.

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How to actually choose the right midwife

Once you know roughly what kind of care you're looking for, the next step is finding the right person to give it. A few things make a real difference here.

Start by reading through the frequently asked questions and looking closely at the services on offer, along with the areas covered and the pricing. This gives you a solid sense of whether a midwife's approach matches what you're looking for before you take things any further.

From there, a conversation matters more than anything written on a website. I always recommend a video call as a first step, and follow-up calls are absolutely fine too if you have more questions once you've had time to think. But where possible, meeting in person before you book is something I offer and would genuinely encourage. It gives you a proper feel for the person who might be looking after you through pregnancy, birth, or postnatally, not just their qualifications on paper.

It's worth using that time to ask what your care would actually look like with them, how they'll support you through it, what their approach or philosophy to pregnancy and birth is, whether their care follows current evidence and guidelines, and how they support mothers who choose to birth outside of guidelines. It's also worth asking whether they can provide their NMC PIN number so you can verify their registration.

Ultimately, a lot of it comes down to whether you click. This is someone you may be trusting with some of the most vulnerable moments of your life, so it's worth paying attention to the vibe you get from them, not just the services they list.

Where to start

If you're not sure yet what combination of care is right for you, that's a completely normal place to be. Have a look through what's involved in antenatal care, postnatal care, home birth support, and hospital birth support, or get in touch and we can talk through what would suit your pregnancy best.