I first had a midwife experience with April while I was pregnant with my son, my 2nd baby, in 2010. She wasn’t my named midwife, but I had a growth scare, my son was very low down and it was assumed he wasn’t growing properly, and I asked April, being not only a friend and cousin in law, but a midwife too, for advice. She took time out of her personal life to speak with me and reassure me, which I don’t think many would do. She made me feel much calmer and assured me that I could contact her at anytime.

 

When I was pregnant with my 3rd baby, I knew that April was working out in the community as a midwife and requested that my care was transferred to her. I was granted my transfer and started to see April on a schedule. I was always treated amazingly when at appointments, anything I didn’t understand was explained straight away, and any problems I had were talked about immediately. I was given plenty of encouragement when I said I would love to have a home birth and helped to prepare for it. When April did the required home check before birth, me and my partner had a laugh with April when we told her, as per a checkpoint on the list, that although we didn’t have running water, we had a fully functional pump in the kitchen!! Took a minute for April to click on to the joke, and be assured that we did have running water, and to this day me and my partner still chuckle about it! Said home birth was then booked in!

 

Once I went into labour, I was sad that it wasn’t April that was the midwife on call, but I had previously met the one that was and had found her really nice. My waters had broken at 4:45pm, and contractions began in earnest about 10 minutes later so the midwife was sent out to me as we prepared the living room to become a delivery room. After being examined, the midwife called for a 2nd midwife, and April, although not on duty, heard the call when she was at the hospital for other reasons and asked if I would like her to come. I remember thinking why wouldn’t we want her?!?!?! She arrived shortly after being told yes please (although I have no time recollection of that point). I clearly remember however, when April got here, I was on all fours facing the wall, bum in the air, and my first thought was ‘oooo this is a position she hasn’t see me in before!!’ I moved after that as wasn’t comfortable and positioned myself in the corner of the 2 sofas on the floor. After moving that I was ready to push, and couldn’t stop myself crying out a couple of times. When I did it a 3rd time April said to me, ‘come on Karys, you’re not on one born, no noise and push!’ I realised she was right and pushed baby’s head out with the next push. We were all amazed when baby started crying before the body was delivered. Another push and our baby girl, Vada, was born weighing 7lb 13oz, at 6:55pm. 

 

I was stitched up on the sofa, and once settled, April went to collect our other children from her parents and we were left to our own devices after arranging post-natal checkups at around 10:30pm. We saw April for our checks for the next few days and was lovely we had a midwife that we were familiar with and the bonus of being a family member was that, in April’s words, ‘she could give the baby a kiss!’

 

With my fourth baby, I couldn’t have April as my midwife as she wasn’t out in the community. It was handy having her at the end of the phone though, because when I went into labour the day before my due date, on Christmas Eve, April suggested I was probably in early labour, she gave me some tips and before long, I was in good labour. The midwives were called, and not long after they arrived, I lost my full waters and had my 3rd baby girl, Selida, 7lb 6oz at 9:56pm on Christmas Eve rather than Christmas Day!

 

Baby number 5 was a bit of a surprise, but I was again happy to discover that April was back out in the community and I  requested my care to be transferred to her again. This baby however, proved to be a little monkey and was breech from around 19 weeks. We speculated after numerous scans if baby would change position, but it never happened. I had my final consultant’s appointment and after all the information, we came to the decision that I wouldn't be having another homebirth and Dan and I opted for a Caesarean section. Once I was given my date, I saw April at clinic a couple of days later and she offered to come to the hospital on that date, her day off, which we were really happy to accept.

 

Day of delivery, 07.07.2017, saw April (remember....also being family), collecting me and my partner at just after half 7 in the morning, and taking us to the hospital. I was given a bed, gowned up and given a quick scan. April explained the need for the scan, which was to check in her words 'if the little monkey had moved since Tuesday' (it was Friday by this point). Sadly, the baby hadn’t turned, and my planned caesarean section took place. I was walked down to theatre and given a spinal block, and while it was taking hold, April inserted my catheter. I was checked for numbness, several times, and it was eventually decided that I needed an epidural as well. While it was being done, my partner and April were teasing each other about something, I cant remember what and one of the theatre staff commented that they were very comfortable together, which led to the whole ‘well, he’s my cousin and this is his fiancé.......’ conversation, to which everyone in there thought was lovely and certainly keeping it in the family!

 

Once I was eventually numb, the anaesthetist joked that he spent a good half an hour spraying me with the coldest spray I have ever felt! April during his time was not only reassuring me, but my partner too, although I did get a comment of me being as awkward as the baby! Baby number 5, and our fourth girl, was finally delivered at 10:24am, weighing 5lb 12oz and named Thandie. April received her from the surgeon and took my partner with her to clean her up a bit, trim her cord and wrap her up. Before leaving the theatre, April unwrapped Thandie and put her on my chest under my gown so we could have skin on skin contact. April then accompanied us to the recovery ward and brought me my much needed cup of coffee! She stayed with us all day and left once I was ready to be transferred to the ward. She also made a point of stopping in the next morning while at the hospital on other business. We saw April regularly for the next couple of weeks for post natal checks, and we did one cheeky check via WhatsApp so she could check my scar, (I still have that picture...........!)

 

I have so much respect and admiration for April, she is a fantastic midwife and friend to have in your corner. She is the utmost professional at all times while working, and has such energy with anything to do with midwifery. She is a truly dedicated midwife and person that I would have no hesitation in referring someone to her for professional care. I’ve finished having children now, but if I was ever to have more, I would love to have April providing my pregnancy care again.