We made the choice of hiring an independent midwife after I had my heart set on a home birth. With it being my first child I found that the general attitude towards my decision was to discourage me and persuade me towards going into hospital. I believe that birth is a natural process and I knew I would be more relaxed and comfortable at home. I didn't want any unnecessary medical intervention and I found that Jane was very supportive of this. We were so glad we made the decision to hire Jane, I had the birth I had wanted and my son was born at home. Jane was completely invaluable supporting us before, during and after the birth. It was lovely having someone present at the birth that my husband and I had got to know and I knew had my best interests at heart.

Ben, Alex and Bogey the Lab
first labour in water

 Alex, homebirth, used a pool • December 2005

It is very hard to put into words how wonderful it has been to have Jane as our midwife. She is calm, caring and non-judgmental and gave me the confidence to deliver at home without worry. I felt safe in Jane's hands-I knew that she had listened during our antenatal chats and would be there at the birth. I knew I wouldn't have to write a birth plan, explain myself to strangers or need my husband to defend me (as happened in hospital).

The birth of Lois
Christy & John's third home birth

I felt so secure that I never for one minute had to consider anything other than the experience itself. I knew that Jane would deal with anything unexpected in a way which would be true to our wishes and with our best interests in mind. We feel very lucky to have had the benefit of her skill, professionalism and dedication.

 Christy - third and fourth baby born at home
with Jane as midwife • October 2005

Late during the pregnancy of our third child we took the decision to have a home birth. Jane seemed experienced, caring and most of all very calm which following a stressful move to a new area was important to us. The two previous births were long and difficult and so Jane’s calming and confidence building support before the birth was just the right preparation.
The birth itself went perfectly and our baby was born in the pool after only a few hours of active labour.

Molly & Charlie meet their brother Anton moments after birth

Jane’s coaching on natural pain relief and keeping calm and in control worked so well that I needed very little pain relief other than the TENS machine. She allowed the birth to follow its natural course and while we knew she was there if we needed her it remained a very intimate and wonderful experience. Molly and Charlie were able to welcome their little brother Anton into the world only minutes after he was born. The whole birth was so relaxed and special at home with Jane that we wouldn’t consider anything else (should we have another little one)

 Rikke and Chris Goddard • October 2006

Jane neatly summarises what she offers in the name of her midwifery practice - 'sense and sensitivity'. Both are of equal importance during the various stages of a pregnancy and birth. Jane is able to combine an honest, frank and calm approach with much needed sensitivity when required. But in addition she is a strong, positive woman with a great sense of humour.

Kate and new baby Theo, with Tony, Kia
and grandmother Lynn

Her total belief in my ability to have the birth I wanted enabled me to entirely trust my body and birth at home in a relaxed and quiet environment. The birth of my second child was a wonderful experience and I put this down, both to the confidence Jane gave me, and to her presence before, during and afterwards. Trust me - she's fantastic. Thank you from us all.

 Kate and Tony Hopewell-Smith • 2007

I had Jack by c-section after a failed induction, and after a lengthy and traumatic hospital stay, I truly understood why women choose to birth at home and vowed to do the same next time. Jane was called in as our "back-up midwife" as our midwife was attending another birth when I went into active labour. None of us expected it to happen so quickly; I'd been in pre-labour for three days and I was certain I had a long road ahead of me. Never having laboured before, I had no idea what to expect and was anxious about having a midwife I'd never met at the birth.

Lisa and Mia within
the first hour of their home water-VBAC 2007

When Jane arrived, I instantly felt comfortable with her. I barely noticed when she did some essential checks (like my blood pressure), which I really appreciated at the time - I hate being fussed over, and particularly didn't want that during labour. My contractions were very painful and I started to panic, but Jane's calm voice reassured me and encouraged me to regain control of my breathing. My labour was so quick and intense, Jane was exactly the type of midwife I needed for my birth. Her calm demeanour helped enormously during the birth, and contributed to the peaceful atmosphere after Mia was born.

I'm still over the moon about my home birth three weeks later. This is our last baby and I've been telling everyone that we've gone out on a high note! I cannot thank Jane enough for being a part of this special moment in our lives.

 Lisa Durbin • 2007

BUT IT WASN’T TO BE THEIR LAST BABY!!!!!!

After such a great experience with Jane as our (back up) midwife for our second child, we were very pleased to have her as our midwife again for our third! She made everything so easy for me, doing things like taking blood samples and taking them to the lab herself and saving me the hassle of going to the surgery, providing me a lot of information  such as books and DVDs, and giving me all the time I needed at my appointments.

During the day of the birth, she was so calm and reassuring - her hand on my back and encouraging words during contractions helped me have a very peaceful labour. It was all the "little things" that made a huge difference like preparing a heat pack for my back and holding it for me, telling me how well I was doing, and gently suggesting changes in position if I needed it.

Paul, Lisa and Isla
second home water-VBAC 2009

 Lisa Durbin • 2009

No matter what the concern during the pregnancy you approached everything with such calmness, it was contagious!
No level of hormones would allow me to experience stress or anxiety with your care. Everything was always so achievable and manageable once we discussed it with you.

It is difficult to describe your presence Jane, you are there and comforting when needed and then silent and invisible when not, you immediately picked up on the type of environment we had some how instinctively created during the labour and you slipped into that seamlessly.

 

Glenn comforting Dawn in labour

Another poignant moment was towards the end of the labour when I lost focus for a while then suddenly hearing your lovely familiar voice from no where giving me prompts and re focusing me, the contrast of hearing your voice so prominent in my own world really enabled me to refocus and continue with the successful birthing.

Your strength of character and positive attitude is complimented by your gentle humour and non judgemental approach. You filled us with such a confidence in our ability to achieve the natural calm birth we had planned and I truly believe this has rubbed off on Honey who is such a calm little girl.

Jane with baby Honey

 Glenn and Dawn • 2008

From the moment I saw Jane’s website, I knew she was my midwife of choice, it was an intuitive thing! Throughout my pregnancy she was completely respectful of all my wishes and I felt very supported and at ease just knowing she was there for me.

When it came to the actual birth, all my trust in her ability to help me birth the way I wanted to was proven, she was awesome! I remember hearing her calm, clear voice on several occasions reassuring me that I was doing well, she seemed to know exactly the right thing to do or say at just the right time so that I was able to completely focus on the birth without fear arising. Women like Jane are rare and precious, and I feel deeply grateful to her.

The result - a beautiful baby girl, perfect in every way, born in the space of about five hours at home without drugs or interventions and no need for stitches. I should mention that my first baby was born by cesarean section!

 Tara 2008, Home VBAC.
Tara had never experienced labour before

Jane was recommended to me during the early stages of my first pregnancy, from our first meeting she made me feel at ease, I felt listened to and in capable hands, I really enjoyed my antenatal visits and felt I could discuss anything with Jane. I felt so relaxed throughout my pregnancy it was such a positive experience for me, if I did have any concerns, Jane was always available to offer advice. During my labour I found Jane’s presence so reassuring; she was on hand to help when I needed her but otherwise slipped into the background.

Becky with baby Claudia

We eventually had to transfer into hospital; Jane made all the arrangements and spoke to the doctors on our arrival so I could continue to focus on my breathing. Despite not having the home birth I had planned I still found my labour and birth to be a positive experience thanks to Jane. Jane’s postnatal visits were invaluable, she really helped me get to grips with breastfeeding and I felt supported and ready to face the world with my new baby girl by the time her visits came to an end, I cannot thank her enough!

 Becky and Claudia • 2008

Until my husband and I decided that we were going to go with an independent midwife and have a home birth, the system we were in was fine but I found it very confusing and not particularly personal or reassuring, especially as this was our first time. My husband was unsure of the Homebirth idea at first, but after Jane came and talked to us both at length, about her services throughout the rest of my pregnancy and the birth, we were totally reassured and felt confident we had made the right decision.

Lucy and Clive with baby Oliver
(and Jane!)

How right we were! Having Jane coming to the house to do the normal antenatal checks etc was brilliant, we felt we were in such safe hands and our confidence grew as we built a friendship with Jane and were totally looked after. Jane was always at the end of the phone for questions or worries; at 32 weeks I had a few contractions and needed to get checked out at the hospital, even though it was 10.00 at night Jane met us at the hospital to reassure and calm us down, that meant so much!! On the day I actually went into labour, which was two weeks early, it was all so calm and nothing like I had imagined, my husband got on with erecting the birthing pool and got that ready for me as things progressed rather quickly, between contractions we chatted and laughed, Jane kept Clive as calm as possible and I was able to do whatever I wished to make myself comfortable and also be in what room of the house I wanted. Leading up to the birth I had obviously spoke to Jane about pain relief, what woman wouldn’t!! Jane always gave the impression that I wouldn’t need any…. I said to my husband make sure when I go into labour Jane gives me pain relief if I ask for it, that was the deal, OK he said. I think it was just as Oliver was about to enter the world when I mentioned gas and air, at this point it wouldn’t have helped, and before I knew it he was born. I still can’t believe I didn’t have conventional pain relief, although I did use Homeopathic medicine, but I know this is because I was calm, in control and felt secure in the privacy of my own home; I was able to remember my breathing techniques because of this and was not disturbed by anyone, which made the whole experience really natural and such an achievement. I can remember Jane during the birth, giving me gentle encouragement when needed, in such a calm and peaceful way it was amazing, but yet the endless notes of every minute documented. In fact we were all so calm after Oliver was born it took at least five minutes before anybody mentioned what the sex was of our beautiful pink bundle! After the birth and for about a month afterwards Jane was truly a god send, her support, advice and vast experience was invaluable, all we worried about was not having Jane around anymore!! Jane’s time with us came sadly to an end once we and Jane felt confident we were settled. We hold Jane in such a high regard for everything she did to make our experience truly amazing and for her kindness and understanding, and thank her for making it by far the nicer choice of pregnancy care and childbirth.

 Lucy, Clive & Oliver • 2008

Having had our first baby (Jake), delivered by Jane at our home, there was no question that we wouldn't want our second child (Albie) delivered by her as well.

Apart from making both births such intimate, amazing, relaxed (to a point!), natural, and drug free experiences for Alex and myself, a close bond was formed between the 3 of

Jane with Albie Lockett

us which was strengthened further by the support and advice Jane very kindly gave us after the first birth.

Jane now seems like part of the family and is one of the first people Alex turns to for advice.

Whilst our first baby got a bit stuck, Albie appeared with the cord around his neck - once again Jane was so calm and collected that I never doubted that he would be fine in her hands - this is indicative of the level of trust we have in Jane now.

It felt great to have the team back together!!! I can't thank you enough Jane, and I can't wait till we need you again!

Alex and Ben Lockett • January 2009 

After getting pregnant with my second child I was determined not to have the same experience as I did with my first son. With him I had an induced labour, hospital based with all the drugs available and finally a forceps delivery. I had a lengthy recovery and it took months before I felt myself again!

This time around I thought an independent midwife would be the perfect choice for us. I had my first son abroad and even though the NHS provides the basic care, I thought I would like one to one care,that only an independent midwife can provide.

Julia with baby Gabriel

After contacting Jane, and having a chat, I knew she was perfect for us. From then on, pregnancy was a breeze. She always made me feel confident in my choices and provided me with all the information and advice possible.

When the time came, there she was to reassure me and give me all the support. So I had my beautiful baby boy at home, in the pool, with no drugs whatsoever and no intervention, with Jane gently coaching me and giving precious advice!

To be honest, never in my wildest dreams did I think that would be possible! But she always made me believe it was!

After the birth I had problems with breast feeding, and without Jane's help I wouldn't have had the will to carry on... The after birth visits are invaluable!

For helping me put my past ghosts at rest, and for making this amazing experience possible I will be forever grateful!

Julia • September 2009 

We chose to go with an independent midwife in order to have one on one care with a trusted provider of our choosing in a comfortable environment.  At first we looked to the NHS, but soon realized that this would still not give us that one on one care we were looking for and I'd still be in a hospital where I'd be poked and prodded and out of my comfort zone.

Mary's labour beginning to establish

After having a disappointing, intervention-filled birth with my first daughter in America, where it is rare to find a provider who trusts in a woman's ability to give birth naturally and without interventions, I knew I wanted something different for my second.  We were excited about the approach to pregnancy and birth in the UK in general and even more so after meeting Jane.  It was about halfway through my pregnancy when we decided that we wanted to have our natural birth at home and wanted to find a provider who trusted in a woman's ability to achieve that natural birth that so many others had told me was impossible.  Jane was that person.  She was amazing from the start and increased our confidence in what we were doing in spite of the fact our friends and family questioned what we were doing.  Throughout the birth she was right there, but never interfered.  She was always encouraging and confident!  I knew I was in the best possible hands with Jane!  We had the most amazing birth thanks to Jane!  Now I just need to worry about finding a midwife like Jane back in the States if we have another baby!

Mary • 2010 

I decided to contact Jane firstly because she was recommended to me by a relative who was fortunate to have had Jane deliver her son 10 years ago, and secondly because I needed an experienced midwife who would be supportive of my decisions, allow me to choose based on both my own beliefs, needs and also based on the current research, and also give me confidence in my actions throughout the pregnancy, labour and beyond. I was not disappointed.

In fact my experience far exceeded my expectations; from the antenatal appointments in my home over a cup of tea and biscuits (that I managed to get through mostly), where I was provided with options, backed up with up to date research, to the support I felt in my decision to 'wait it out' when my waters broke on my due date but with no sign of labour.

Stacy engaging with Harrison
moments after birth

It took another 3 days of waiting before I went into labour and we both appreciate that with Jane's help I felt empowered to believe in my body and trusted that I was in safe hands. Our son was born naturally and gently into the warm water of our birthing pool at home without any pain relief or intervention, just an overwhelming feeling of joy and calm. We were truly blessed to have Jane as our Midwife and her importance in our three lives over the last few months has been immeasurable.

Stacy • 2010 

I first met Jane late in my first pregnancy, when I attended her NCT antenatal class.  Within an hour she had dissolved my anxieties about labour and demonstrated that natural birth is not to be feared.  I immediately set about convincing my husband that a home birth would be the best option (no mean feat!).

Unfortunately we didn't quite get a home birth first time around due to our son's posterior position.  Despite having to transfer into hospital, the whole experience was calm and positive due to Jane's fantastic support. Her presence throughout my twenty hour labour was incredibly reassuring and ensured that despite my son's position I delivered him naturally.   Our initial nerves of taking our new baby boy home hours later were greatly lessened by the first of Jane's postnatal visits. Our son had tongue tie which meant that he was unable to breastfeed, and he also suffered with acid reflux.  Jane was a constant support both practically and emotionally which meant that both problems were treated and I was able to breastfeed him for 6months.

It was therefore an easy decision to hire Jane very early on in my second pregnancy.  Again she was an incredible support throughout my pregnancy, ensuring I was relaxed and felt confident in my ability to give birth naturally.  In fact I became so relaxed that our daughter was born within one and a half hours of labour at home.  I felt such relief when I heard Jane's caring and reassuring voice as she arrived after a very speedy journey to our house.  It was wonderful to have someone present whom we completely trust and I immediately felt that I could let go.  Our daughter was born minutes later into a calm, warm and intimate environment with our son happily sleeping in his bed upstairs.

We very much feel that Jane's presence throughout the birth and post-natal process greatly alleviated the anxiety inherent in such a potentially stressful situation and shall greatly miss her pertinent advice and warm personality

Amy & Matt • Finley: May 2008 & Imogen: June 2010