Community Services - The Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust 2017-05-10 Person 5 5 0

We were extremely happy with the support from the Leeds Home Birth team at the birth of our son on 27th April. They could not have been more supportive and respectful of the kind of birth we hoped for, namely with minimal intervention. All they needed to do was measure my blood pressure and the baby's heart rate a few times during labour - I think it must take a great deal of skill and sensitivity to know when it is ok not to 'interfere' so I was very impressed. Their 'in the background' approach made the birth an empowering and fulfilling experience, and I am extremely grateful to them for that. My feedback would be that the midwives were fantastic and not to change anything about the process of them attending the birth. If anything, to encourage more women to give birth at home, where appropriate. I think one improvement to the home birth care would be that the home birth team be responsible for the antenatal and postnatal care as well, as much as possible. I only met a member of the home birth team at my 37 week appointment and have had no contact with them since the birth. It would be much better to have had more contact with them during pregnancy and following birth, for consistency and to build up relationships and to be able to discuss the birth in advance.