Tina Perridge, B.Sc.(Hons.), DipHE, RM, DMS
Tel:
Mob:
Mob:
020 8771 0634
07956 418 586
07956 418 586
The Independent Postnatal
Midwifery Service (South London)
Midwifery Service (South London)
The Independent Postnatal
Midwifery Service (South London)
Midwifery Service (South London)
Home | About Me | Fees | Press Article | Contact
www.postnatalcareathome.co.uk
Press Article
This article by Helen Smith first appeared in the Autumn 2008 issue of the magazine Special Delivery from the National Childbirth Trust (NCT) Clapham and District branch .
A Helping Hand At Home
Postnatal care may be the furthest thing from your mind running up to the birth as you focus on the labour itself, but knowing you have help on hand at home once you have left the hospital with your newborn provides much needed peace of mind. Helen Smith tells us how hiring a midwife smoothed her transition to parenthood.
Like all expectant mums, I spent my pregnancy worrying about eating the right foods, avoiding the wrong ones and fanatically washing anything that came near my dinner plate! I wanted to ensure my baby got the best food too. I was keen to breastfeed, as we are told this is best for the baby, but I also knew many women had problems getting it right and that less than half are still breastfeeding after six weeks. I wanted to get useful advice and, having heard that the community midwives are over-stretched and often unable to provide the necessary support, decided to find my own.
I came upon South London Independent Midwives through my local antenatal yoga class and got in touch with Tina Perridge. As a highly qualified midwife she is trained in the safe delivery of babies, but specialises in postnatal care. She agreed to look after us once the baby had arrived. She explained that she would help me not only with the breastfeeding, but with all aspects of postnatal care for both the baby and me.
The day arrived and our son Harry was born on the 8 may at 10.11 after a quick six-hour labour. We rang Tina and she came to see us once we got home from the hospital with orders for me to spend a week in bed and a week on the sofa. My husband Tom was to cook three meals a day and not to ask me to make any decisions about anything other than the baby. Bliss! This didn't seem a bad start at all to parenthood.!
Tina came to see us every day for the first week, gradually reducing her visits over the course of a month until she 'discharged' us. During her visits she advised us on what Harry would need; checking his umbilical cord, his health and development, explaining about growth spurts and ensuring I had the right technique when feeding him. She also weighed him regularly and performed his heel prick test.
Tina made sure I was well, so I could look after Harry, telling me to get lots of rest and to eat sensibly. She prepared me for the rollercoaster of emotions I'd experience during the first week, which meant I knew what was happening when I felt weepy. She bought herbs for me to bath in to help heal my stitches and also gave me some exercises to do to ensure my tummy muscles started to recover. When I wanted to start expressing, Tina showed me how to do it and explained how to store milk.
Knowing I had Tina looking after us and making sure we were both doing well really took the stress out of those early weeks, just when you are trying to figure out how it all works. If I had any questions, I could just ask (or call her no matter what time of day or night), she was never in a hurry to leave, always spending lots of time talking to us through any problems and providing much-needed reassurance.
The amount of information out there in books, and on the internet, not to mention the helpful advice everyone wants to give you, means you end up with often conflicting accounts of how to care for your baby. Tina's expertise and experience enabled us to rely on just one source of information, rather than wading through books or ringing our mothers searching for the right answer.
The most important thing for me that stood out about Tina was how much she loves her job and adores babies and that feeling was certainly reciprocated by Harry!'
Like all expectant mums, I spent my pregnancy worrying about eating the right foods, avoiding the wrong ones and fanatically washing anything that came near my dinner plate! I wanted to ensure my baby got the best food too. I was keen to breastfeed, as we are told this is best for the baby, but I also knew many women had problems getting it right and that less than half are still breastfeeding after six weeks. I wanted to get useful advice and, having heard that the community midwives are over-stretched and often unable to provide the necessary support, decided to find my own.
I came upon South London Independent Midwives through my local antenatal yoga class and got in touch with Tina Perridge. As a highly qualified midwife she is trained in the safe delivery of babies, but specialises in postnatal care. She agreed to look after us once the baby had arrived. She explained that she would help me not only with the breastfeeding, but with all aspects of postnatal care for both the baby and me.
The day arrived and our son Harry was born on the 8 may at 10.11 after a quick six-hour labour. We rang Tina and she came to see us once we got home from the hospital with orders for me to spend a week in bed and a week on the sofa. My husband Tom was to cook three meals a day and not to ask me to make any decisions about anything other than the baby. Bliss! This didn't seem a bad start at all to parenthood.!
Tina came to see us every day for the first week, gradually reducing her visits over the course of a month until she 'discharged' us. During her visits she advised us on what Harry would need; checking his umbilical cord, his health and development, explaining about growth spurts and ensuring I had the right technique when feeding him. She also weighed him regularly and performed his heel prick test.
Tina made sure I was well, so I could look after Harry, telling me to get lots of rest and to eat sensibly. She prepared me for the rollercoaster of emotions I'd experience during the first week, which meant I knew what was happening when I felt weepy. She bought herbs for me to bath in to help heal my stitches and also gave me some exercises to do to ensure my tummy muscles started to recover. When I wanted to start expressing, Tina showed me how to do it and explained how to store milk.
Knowing I had Tina looking after us and making sure we were both doing well really took the stress out of those early weeks, just when you are trying to figure out how it all works. If I had any questions, I could just ask (or call her no matter what time of day or night), she was never in a hurry to leave, always spending lots of time talking to us through any problems and providing much-needed reassurance.
The amount of information out there in books, and on the internet, not to mention the helpful advice everyone wants to give you, means you end up with often conflicting accounts of how to care for your baby. Tina's expertise and experience enabled us to rely on just one source of information, rather than wading through books or ringing our mothers searching for the right answer.
The most important thing for me that stood out about Tina was how much she loves her job and adores babies and that feeling was certainly reciprocated by Harry!'
© The Independent Postnatal Midwifery Service