Reviews & Testimonials

From Families I Have Cared For

Choosing a midwife is a very personal decision.

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You can read about my experience, qualifications and philosophy of care, but sometimes the most helpful thing is hearing from women and families who have actually experienced my midwifery care for themselves.

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The feedback on this page spans different chapters of my career, from my years working within the NHS, to my time as a private midwife, and now as an independent midwife through Guided By You Midwifery.

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Although the settings have changed over the years, it means an enormous amount to me to read the words families have shared about their experiences.

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The reviews I've shared here are just a small selection of the feedback I've been fortunate to receive over the years. I couldn't possibly include every lovely message, card, review and piece of feedback, but I wanted to share some of the words families have taken the time to send me about their experience of my care.

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These are just a few of their words.

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Feedback From My NHS Midwifery Career

My NHS career gave me an enormous amount of experience, including working within continuity of care and supporting women through pregnancy, birth and the postnatal period.

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These comments were shared by families I personally looked after during that chapter of my career.

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“I Immediately Felt Comfortable”

One family described how, when I took over their postnatal care, they immediately felt comfortable with me, describing the relationship as feeling almost like having another member of the family there.

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That feedback has always stayed with me, because those early days after having a baby can feel incredibly vulnerable.

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“Much Better Care and Communication”

Another client reflected on the difference continuity made to her experience, particularly being able to contact her midwife when she needed to and knowing she would receive an answer.

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That ability to know your midwife and have an established relationship is one of the things I came to value enormously during my NHS career.

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A Calmer First Pregnancy and Birth

One family's feedback described me as professional, knowledgeable, friendly and caring, and said that the care they received was tailored to their individual needs and wishes.

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They felt their first experience of pregnancy and birth had been calmer and more enjoyable as a result.

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A Completely Different Second Pregnancy

Another woman compared her experience with her previous pregnancy and described her second pregnancy as being completely different, in a good way.

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Having consistency throughout her care made a noticeable difference to her experience.

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Being There Before and After Birth

Another family wrote about having me there during pregnancy and afterwards, describing how I went above and beyond, was there when they needed me and helped them feel more relaxed during pregnancy.

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Having Choices Respected

One of the shorter pieces of NHS feedback has always meant a great deal to me because of its simplicity.

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The woman said that I respected every choice she made.

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For me, that is such an important part of midwifery. My knowledge and experience are there to inform your decisions, not to take those decisions away from you.

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Reviews From My Time as a Private Midwife

When the NHS continuity model I had been working within came to an end, I realised how strongly I felt about continuing to provide that kind of care.

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That led me into private midwifery.

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It allowed me to continue getting to know women, spending longer together and building the kind of relationship I had fallen in love with through continuity.

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“What a Woman – Emma Lawless”

One particularly memorable review began with:

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“What a woman – Emma Lawless.”

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She wrote about knowing from our very first telephone conversation that she was in safe hands.

She described me being there when she felt strong, determined and ready, but also during the moments when she was struggling or apprehensive.

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Her words included:

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“You were my strength, my calm, my reassurance.”

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She also wrote about trusting me and feeling that I understood and protected the vision she had for her birth.

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That is a review that has always meant a great deal to me.

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“One of the Best Decisions I Have Ever Made”

Simone wrote:

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“Having Emma with us throughout my pregnancy was one of the best decisions I have ever made.”

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She described me as knowledgeable, supportive, caring and honest, and said I was responsive whenever she had questions or worries.

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What particularly means a lot to me is that she spoke about receiving information while still having her wishes and choices respected, and feeling that I had taken the time to understand what was important to her.

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“Emma Made Our Dream Homebirth a Reality”

Fanny wrote:

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“Emma made our dream homebirth a reality!”

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She described being thankful for the care she received during the birth of her son and spoke about the care, trust and support both she and her partner experienced.

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“I Knew I Was in Safe Hands”

Lindsay described her homebirth experience as:

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“The most marvellous home birth experience.”

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She described me as kind, encouraging and personable while also bringing a high level of professionalism.

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And she added:

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“I knew I was in safe hands.”

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Support During Those Early Postnatal Weeks

Claire's review focused on a completely different part of maternity care.

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She wrote about the emotional support she received during those first weeks of parenthood, describing me as calm and knowledgeable.

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And perhaps one of my favourite details was her mentioning that I was there for their questions, including some late-night panics.

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Because babies don't conveniently save all their parents' questions for office hours!

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Becoming Part of the Family

Another lovely review came from Emanuela, who described how the relationship developed over the course of her care.

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One little sentence says so much:

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“She quickly became part of our family and it was sad to say goodbye!”

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Continuity allows relationships to develop in a way that simply isn't possible when you're meeting somebody for the first time at every appointment.

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Reviews From Guided By You Midwifery

When the private midwifery company I worked for later closed, I knew I still wasn't ready to give up the way of working I had come to believe in so strongly.

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That eventually led me to becoming an independent midwife and creating Guided By You Midwifery.

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These reviews are from families I have looked after within my own independent practice.

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Making Informed Decisions During a High-Risk Pregnancy

One woman wrote:

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“Despite being a high risk pregnancy Emma was able to talk me through my options at every turn, and provide me with the information I needed so I could make an informed decision about my birth and the care I wanted to receive.”

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She also described receiving reassurance and compassion from our very first telephone conversation.

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This review is particularly meaningful to me because informed decision-making is such an important part of my philosophy.

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My role isn't to decide what you should do.

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It's to help you understand what is happening, what your options are and what the evidence means, so that you can make an informed decision about your own care.

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“I Got the Perfect Home Birth”

Katie wrote about having me alongside her during labour with both of her children.

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“I can honestly say that, with Emma’s help, I got the perfect home birth.”

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She spoke about feeling genuinely heard at every stage and how having already built a rapport with her midwife before labour was reassuring.

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She also felt that supporting her through two very different births demonstrated my knowledge, skills and experience.

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“Emma Made Our Postpartum Journey So Much Easier”

Maria wrote:

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“Cannot recommend Emma enough! Emma made our postpartum journey so much easier.”

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She talked about receiving regular text check-ins in addition to her planned face-to-face visits and described how this helped build their confidence as new parents.

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I love that review because postnatal midwifery isn't simply about checking a baby.

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It's also about helping parents begin to believe, “Actually, we can do this.”

Reassurance Throughout Pregnancy and Postpartum

Emma wrote that I:

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“Put all our worries at ease through pregnancy and postpartum, providing guidance and reassurance every step of the way.”

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Pregnancy can generate questions you never imagined you'd have, and having someone familiar to ask can make such a difference.

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“My Only Regret Is Not Getting Emma in My Life Sooner”

Jodie's review contains a line that still makes me smile:

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“My only regret is not getting Emma in my life sooner.”

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She also spoke about knowing I was at the end of the phone when she needed me.

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“An Absolute Angel”

Another family described me as:

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“An absolute angel.”

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They spoke about my kindness, compassion, knowledge and wisdom, as well as knowing they could reach me by phone call or voice note.

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Being Heard and Building a Relationship

Charlotte's feedback talked about being listened to and developing a relationship not only with me, but one that included her family too.

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She reflected on the difference that made across pregnancy, birth and the early postnatal period.

For me, that's one of the loveliest things about continuity.

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You aren't introducing yourself to a stranger at one of the biggest moments of your life.

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We already know each other.

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What Families' Words Mean to Me

When I look back over feedback from completely different stages of my career, I notice something.

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The setting changes.

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The years change.

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The families change.

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The pregnancies and births are all completely different.

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But many of the things women mention remain remarkably similar.

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They talk about knowledge, calmness, reassurance, communication, kindness, availability and being given information to make their own decisions.

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And they talk about the relationship we developed.

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That probably means more to me than anything else.

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Because that relationship is one of the reasons I fell in love with continuity of care in the first place and ultimately why Guided By You Midwifery exists today. I have been lucky enough to be invited back by some families to care for them through another pregnancy and welcome another baby.

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About These Reviews

These testimonials come from families I have cared for throughout my midwifery career, within the NHS, while working as a private midwife, and now as an independent midwife through Guided By You Midwifery.

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They reflect different stages of my career, but all are the words of families I have personally cared for.

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Where I have used an extract rather than a complete review, it has been shortened for readability while preserving the client's original words and meaning.

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Could I Be the Right Midwife for You?

Reading reviews can tell you a lot about somebody, but choosing your own midwife is personal.

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If you'd like to find out whether I might be the right fit for you and your family, you're very welcome to get in touch for an informal chat.

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