We chose Katherine because of her professionalism, thoughtfulness and calm approach. She had also been recommended to us as an outstandingly skilled midwife by a number of her colleagues. We all warmed to her; me, my husband Jonah and toddler daughter Tamar. Katherine impressed me not only with her competence and expertise in midwifery but with the way in which she was willing to share her experience of being pregnant with and giving birth to seven children.

We chose an independent midwife because we wanted a home birth. My complex medical situation meant that an NHS home birth would have been extremely unlikely, also my recent experience of hospitals had been one of uncertainty, anxiety and the provision of bad news. A great deal of research demonstrates that women who fear childbirth tend to have more difficult labours. I was also concerned that I would find a high-risk hospital birth extremely stressful, and therefore would render the delivery more lengthy, painful and exhausting than it might otherwise have been.
As the pregnancy progressed, I became increasingly tired, to such an extent that at times I was struggling to walk and by the beginning of the third trimester I was barely able to leave the house. Katherine provided a committed and steadying yet unobtrusive presence throughout, sharing my excitement when we discovered that our baby was a much-wanted son, Yossi, and encouraged me to cook and to eat healthily throughout.
Katherine worked calmly, collaboratively and assertively with my GP and hospital consultants both to ensure my safety during the pregnancy and to prepare for the baby by establishing parameters in case a transfer to hospital could become a clinical necessity. Katherine worked thoughtfully to involve Jonah and Tamar throughout this process, taking interest in and responding to the many cultural challenges inherent within this.
I had given birth to Tamar very rapidly at 39 weeks. From a month before my due date, I expected every slight twinge to be the possible onset of contractions, and Katherine dealt with these numerous false alarms with patience, good humour and optimism.
It was around half past 9 on a warm June evening four days after my due date that I began to experience what then appeared to be a more rhythmic succession of small twinges. I ran a bath and rang Jonah to ask him to bring Tamar home and put his cousin on standby in case of hospital transfer, I was amazed by how calm I remained.
At 11 I texted Katherine to let her know of what I thought would probably amount to another false alarm. Katherine texted back immediately, surprising me by suggesting that she came. I set up my birth ball and music playlist in the bedroom and checked the contents of my hospital bag. At 11.45 I rang Katherine to tell her that I probably did seem to be having contractions, but that they felt insufficiently painful to constitute active labour. She again suggested that she came.
Katherine arrived very quietly at half past 12 and sat, almost imperceptibly still, with me and Jonah in the bedroom. Although we had agreed that she would not examine me, I now asked her to do so; everything felt so un-painful and calm that I needed reassurance of being actually in labour. She told me that I was 6cm dilated and that Yossi’s head was fully engaged.
At about half past 1, I began to find the contractions painful. I had been keen not to start using the gas and air too soon in case the supply ran out, but Katherine reassured me that it did not seem too early. She set up the cylinder for me to use whilst sitting on the ball, and we talked.
At about 2, I began to feel very tired. Katherine suggested that I lie on the bed. As I did so, the contractions began to intensify. This had been the point at which I had needed to transfer into hospital during Tamar’s labour, and I suddenly became very frightened. Katherine remained absolutely calm, providing me with constant reassurance that Yossi and I were both fine, and encouraging Jonah to hold my shoulders and to rub my back.
At about quarter past 2, my waters broke and I felt the need to push. Katherine suggested that I reach down to feel Yossi’s emerging head, but I couldn’t; I was shaking. After he had fully emerged Katherine placed Yossi in my arms. She allowed me the time to lie and gaze at his chubby little arms and surprising mop of gingery blond hair whilst she ran the bath, changed the bed, explained how to get the blood out of my dressing gown and asked Jonah to put the kettle on. When everywhere was clean and Yossi was bathed and breastfeeding, Katherine left, as quietly and as gently as she had arrived.
Yossi’s birth was incredible. We are extremely grateful to Katherine for the way she kept the whole experience so calm and so normal, without drama or fuss.
I had expected that Yossi’s arrival would relieve some of my tiredness in the same way that Tamar’s had done. However, it did not. In the days which followed, as Yossi fed ever more enthusiastically and as Tamar became progressively more excited by her new little brother, I reached a level of exhaustion that I had never previously experienced and began abruptly to doubt my ability to cope with both toddler and newborn. Katherine provided a massive amount of support, visiting regularly and allowing me to call and text her as I needed, reassuring me that my feelings and my fears were reasonable and realistic and that having very small children is invariably tiring and stressful. Throughout this time she remained calm and optimistic, and shared Jonah’s unswerving faith in my ability to cope. I very much believe that, had I not had the support of Katherine’s gentle and positive reassurance and advice, I would have been very likely to have developed post-natal depression. By her final visit at 6 weeks, I was only marginally less exhausted, but relaxed and happy with an alert and smiley Yossi, and still breastfeeding both he and Tamar.
6 weeks after this, my tiredness escalated to such a level that I was admitted with Yossi to a medical ward in hospital and remained there for a week. I believe that it is very much due to my experience of having had Katherine as our midwife that I coped with this week. It was during this time that I realised the extent to which Katherine has provided me with a new and refreshing sense of confidence and resilience in facing my fears. This is something for which I will always be grateful.

We would all very much recommend Katherine as a midwife to any woman, and to any family.