Midwifes - West Auckland

It is very early days for me but I was wondering how to go about finding a midwife. We live in West Auckland and this is our first pregnancy.
I just did a google search and to be honest am surprised how few came up! There is a website called "midwives out west" which lists only three!

As I understand there is a shortage of midwifes but I really feel like I want to have say in who I choose - is this an option or do you just take who is available?

I am all new to this so am wondering what other options I have? Is a LMC there for the birth as well? How do I go about finding them?

Your LMC (Lead Maternity Carer) can be a midwife, GP or Ostetritian (sp??), although I believe that all obs and GPs work with a mw as well. As MrsEmma mentioned your LMC will generally be with you from the time you first meet them through to about 6wks after birth as well as the birth itself.

I would highly recommend The Midwives in Godley Rd, Green Bay ph 825 0333. I would ring them now, especially if you want to do a little looking around. Glenda Southey was my mw for Ben and I would see her again if we have #3, I cannot say enough how ansolutely brilliant she was. Friends and family have also been there and have been very happy with Terri, Kirsten, Carly and Abby

Congrats and good luck

We live in Swanson and I travelled to Green Bay for my appointments. Some of them live this way and they all birth at Waitakere. You could also look at Helensville Birthing Centre for either the birth ("The Midwives" can't deliever there though) or for your post natal care which is what I did with Ben.

I don't think any mw's do elective cs unless it becomes necessary closer to you DD, altho someone correct me if I am wrong. Just explain that you aren't sure and they should let you know how they tend to work. I think you will get a gut feel as to whether you click with them or not.

I love my midwife whose name is Gail Kiss - I have a lot of faith in her having had 7 babies herself. Her clinics are run from James Laurie Street in Glendene. If you want her details let me know.

My MW is Kerry Martin at The Midwives on godley Road in green bay, shes awesome, could not recommend her enough :) they birth at waitak and birthcare.

I would also recommend The Midwives in Greenbay. They are fabulous.

Abbe is my midwife. her. She missed out on Harper's birth so we had Kerry Martin who was her backup at the time and Glenda Southey. They were fantastic. We had a surprise homebirth which I was thrilled about but DH has a tendancy to freak out. Kerry had it all under control and made DH feel really at ease. Glenda is absolutely lovely, one of the nicest, warm and caring ladies I have ever met. A few of the girls from our group had her and they absolutely adore her. Kirsten is also really really lovely.

They run their own antenatal classes if you want to go which are superb. They are funny and cover a lot of things, normal natural births, what if scenarios, breast feeding, coping afterwards. They also take the men seperately and teach them how to bath and change a nappy. Made the men feel a bit special that they had something that they could give us women 'tips' on. They are also really good because everyone came from the same area so our 'wine group' has become a very good group of friends.

They can deliver at Waitakere, Auckland and Birthcare and Abbe booked us in to all 3 just in case. They go with the flow when it comes to birth plans which I really liked coz it suited me well.

There, have I rambled on enough?? I think so.

Edited by Aprilfools

That website you are talking about is just one practice, rather than a website that lists the midwives in West Auckland. They used to be Maternity Matters but 3 out if 4 of them left to form a new practice. We used Linda Norman from there and she would fit in with the things you're after. She let me have all the drugs I wanted (which was all of them) and DH would go off when I got injections etc and she didn't expect him to be there. I didn't go through the pushing part but I assume she'd have been fine with him staying away from the business end which was what he wanted - in the end he sat in the waiting room while I had the c-section instead

Flissty - can I ask why you would not go back to MM (Maternity Matters I assume)?

Which midwife did you see and what was your experience?

And all the midwives at West Auckland Midwives are lovely as I work along side them in the same premises. I did ask Debbie Ross to be my midwife, but she was going to be away around the time I was due.

Why don't you arrange to meet with a couple before you decide?

Thats about right Susyl, they work as a pair or team incase your mw is having her day off when you go into labour. You will meet the back up along the way (particularily if your mw is on leave or at a birth LOL when your appt is).

Most dont like to take on too many per month so they dont get too busy to give good care... incidently my mw had all her april and 4 of her may give birth by the time Jake was born.. April 6 Thats why they dont take on too many.... in case alot go into labour at the same time (5 in 48 hours for my mw and her partner the weekend Jake was born).