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Additional professional support for those important moments around your baby's birth
Your Second Midwife at a Home Birth
Around the time your baby is born at home, there will usually be two experienced midwives caring for you and your baby.
While I remain your lead midwife, my second midwife works alongside me to provide additional professional support around the birth and during those important first moments afterwards.
Their presence is part of the planning that takes place before your home birth. It means that, around the time your baby arrives, we are able to divide our attention if needed, particularly if you and your baby both require care at the same time.
Most of the time, my second midwife will simply be another calm pair of experienced hands in the room, working alongside me while allowing you and your birth partner to remain focused on welcoming your baby.
Having a second midwife present isn't an indication that something is wrong. It is part of how I plan and prepare for your care at home.
What Does My Second Midwife Do at a Home Birth?
My second midwife is there to work alongside me and provide additional professional support around the birth of your baby.
Although I remain your lead midwife, having another experienced midwife present means there are two professionals available to observe, assess and respond to the needs of both you and your baby.
As your birth progresses, my second midwife can also take over much of the documentation and record keeping. This allows me to focus my attention on you, stay alongside you and provide the support you need as you get closer to meeting your baby, rather than having to continually step away to complete documentation.
My second midwife may also assist me during the birth, help prepare or pass equipment when needed and provide additional support immediately after your baby is born.
If everything is progressing normally, their presence can be very quiet and unobtrusive. They are not there to take over your birth or make your home feel clinical. They are there to work alongside me so that I can remain focused on you.
Two Midwives Caring For You Both
One of the most important reasons for having two midwives around the time of birth is very simple: after your baby is born, I am caring for two people, you and your baby.
Most of the time, you can remain together and enjoy uninterrupted skin-to-skin while we quietly carry out the care and observations that are needed.
However, if either of you needs additional attention, having two midwives means we can divide our roles
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One midwife can concentrate on you while the other concentrates on your baby.
This is particularly important if you both require care at the same time.
What Happens Immediately After My Baby Is Born?
If you and your baby are both well, we aim to keep the period immediately after birth as calm and undisturbed as possible.
Your baby can usually remain with you for skin-to-skin contact while we carry out the appropriate observations and care.
Having my second midwife there means this can happen quietly around you. One of us can concentrate on your wellbeing while the other can observe your baby without unnecessarily interrupting those first moments together.
We can also support you with the first feed, help you get comfortable and make sure both you and your baby are settling well after birth.
What If My Baby Needs Additional Support?
I bring appropriate newborn resuscitation equipment to every planned home birth.
If your baby needs additional support immediately after birth, having two midwives present means one of us can focus on your baby while the other continues to care for you.
We are able to work together, communicate clearly and use the equipment brought to your home birth if it is required.
If your baby requires care beyond what can appropriately be provided at home, we can then make arrangements for further assessment or transfer to hospital.
What If I Need Additional Care After Birth?
Your wellbeing is equally important.
For example, if you experience significant bleeding following birth, I carry the appropriate drugs and equipment needed to provide immediate care.
Having my second midwife present means that if you require treatment while your baby also needs observation or support, we do not have to choose where our attention goes.
There is a midwife available for you and a midwife available for your baby.
If additional hospital care becomes appropriate, we can then support you through the next steps.
What Does My Second Midwife Do With the Equipment?
There is quite a lot of professional equipment involved in providing a planned home birth, even though much of it may never need to be used.
My second midwife can assist with preparing, checking and passing equipment as needed, allowing us to work efficiently together without creating unnecessary disruption around you.
This is one of the reasons I bring professional home birth equipment with me rather than relying on families to provide clinical items themselves.
Does Having a Second Midwife Make My Home Birth More Clinical?
No. Having two midwives in your home does not mean we want to turn your birth environment into a hospital room.
We are guests in your home.
Where your labour and birth are progressing normally, our aim is to work quietly around you and protect the environment you have created.
You can move around, use your birth pool, listen to music, dim the lights or simply enjoy being in your own familiar space.
My second midwife is there to provide professional support when it is needed, not to take over the room.
For a higher risk home birth such as a home birth after caesarean (HBAC), having two midwives present is particularly important, ensuring the professional support is present to care safely for you and your baby.
What About My Birth Partner?
My second midwife does not replace your birth partner.
Your partner knows you in a way that we don't. They know how you like to be comforted, what helps you feel safe and what you may need emotionally.
Your midwives take responsibility for the professional and clinical aspects of your care, which allows your partner to concentrate on being your partner.
They don't need to feel responsible for monitoring your labour or wondering whether something is normal. They can focus on supporting you, knowing that two experienced midwives are looking after the clinical side of your birth.
What If Something Changes During My Home Birth?
If circumstances change during labour or after your baby is born, having my second midwife there provides additional professional support while we assess what is happening and discuss the next steps with you.
If hospital assessment or care becomes appropriate, we can work together while arrangements are made.
Sometimes plans need to adapt as labour unfolds. You can read more about what happens when home birth plans change and how I continue to support you if your care needs to move into hospital.
When Will I Meet My Second Midwife?
You will have the opportunity to meet my second midwife before your baby is born.
Rather than repeat all of that information here, I have written a separate guide explaining when you will meet my second midwife, who I work with and how the second-midwife arrangements work for both home and hospital births.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are two midwives present around a home birth?
Having two qualified midwives means there are two experienced professionals available to care for you and your baby around the time of birth, particularly if you both require attention at the same time.
Does having a second midwife mean you are worried about my birth?
No. My second midwife's involvement is planned as part of your home birth care. Their presence does not mean that something has gone wrong.
Who is the lead midwife?
I remain your lead midwife. My second midwife works alongside me to provide additional professional support around the birth and afterwards
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What happens if my baby needs help after birth?
If your baby requires additional support, one midwife can focus on your baby while the other continues to care for you. I bring appropriate newborn resuscitation equipment to planned home births.
What happens if I have heavy bleeding after birth?
I carry appropriate drugs and equipment to manage significant bleeding following birth. Having two midwives means one can focus on providing care for you while the other remains available to care for your baby.
Will two midwives make my home feel like a hospital?
No. Where everything is progressing normally, we aim to work quietly around you and respect the home birth environment you have created.
Does my partner still have a role when two midwives are there?
Absolutely. Your partner's role is different from ours. We take responsibility for the professional clinical care so that your partner can concentrate on supporting you emotionally and practically.
Can I meet the second midwife beforehand?
Yes. You can read my separate guide about when you will meet my second midwife and how this part of your care is arranged.
An Extra Pair of Experienced Hands
The role of my second midwife is not to take over your birth.
They are there to work alongside me and provide an additional pair of experienced hands around the time your baby is born.
Most of the time, that simply means two midwives quietly supporting you while you welcome your baby in your own home.
But if either you or your baby needs additional care, having two midwives means we are prepared to respond to both of you.
It is a planned part of the professional care surrounding your home birth, while still allowing your birth to feel like your own.
If you would like to discuss having a home birth with Guided By You Midwifery, or have questions about how your care would work, please get in touch. I would love to discuss what is important to you and how I can support you throughout your pregnancy and birth.