Your Midwife SE16

Are you expecting a baby and have booked your care with the NHS, but finding the appointments too short, infrequent and inconsistent? Would you like to be seen by the same professional every time? Your Midwife is here to help!

Who is Your Midwife?

I am Katia Ciccarella, a midwife for over 16 years, with an extensive experience in antenatal, intrapartum and postnatal care, both for low and high-risk pregnancies. I graduated in Midwifery at the “University of Rome La Sapienza” in 2004 and I have worked within the NSH and private hospitals in Italy and the UK. I have always believed that pregnancy is a very delicate stage in a woman’s life and it is fundamental to ensure continuity and consistency in order to empower and involve them more in the care. I like to look at the bigger picture, improve overall health and offer a holistic approach: this is why I became a pre- and post-natal fitness and aquanatal instructor first in 2006 and then I re-qualified in the UK in 2014. In 2019 I became also an International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant as my passion for breastfeeding support pushed me into gaining more knowledge and help new families even more, beyond the first 28 days of their baby’s life.

In the UK I have worked as a midwife at Whipps Cross and St Thomas’ Hospital, mainly on labour ward, postnatal, private units and high-risk teams and I have experience in working with women who have gestational and pre-existing diabetes. I currently work as a lactation consultant in the tongue tie clinic at King’s College Hospital and I offer support to mums who would like to improve their breastfeeding journey.

Why Your Midwife?

In 2020 I founded Your Midwife, because I saw a gap between the care provided by the NHS and the actual expectations and needs of parents-to-be. They mostly felt they could not discuss their concerns fully due to the limited time slots, not being able to see the same midwife throughout the pregnancy and they reported often an inconsistency with the information given to them.
I like to think I can fill that gap and I can supplement the services offered by the NHS with my “hybrid” care packages.
I provide family centred care and I make sure that parents are always involved when discussing a plan, so for them to make a truly informed choice. However, I still believe in the NHS and the amazing services they offer, so I strive to provide the best evidence-based care, in line with national guidelines and protocols, because keeping mums and babies safe and manage their expectations is my top priority.

What services does Your Midwife offer?

The midwifery training completed in Italy, gave me a wider view in terms of women’s health and in fact, I consider myself a women’s specialist: in Italy midwives deal with women’s health from birth till after their menopause and I gained experience working on gynae wards and outpatients (I worked also in a very busy cervical screening unit for two years, where I performed smear tests and supported, physically and emotionally, women who needed further investigations to be carried out). My care is family centred, but it is mainly about the woman, ensuring that she feels well looked after, confident and empowered in making the best choice for her and her baby, knowing that I will be with her every step of the way.

I also love educating parents to be and new parents outside of the routine visits, share my knowledge, reinforce they are not alone in this journey. My antenatal classes are very interactive and I make sure parents obtain the tools to learn the ropes, be prepared for the arrival of their baby, go through the first few weeks with less anxiety, knowing how a newborn baby should behave and avoid surprises or the unfortunately frequent “nobody told us that”.

During the antenatal visits, I will check mum’s blood pressure, urine, weight gain and discuss blood results or scan reports. I will then check baby’s wellbeing by measuring mum’s belly, checking for baby’s position in the womb and listening to the baby’s heart rate from 12 weeks of pregnancy.

Postnatal visits will be focused on physiological recovery following the birth of your baby and I will check uterine involution, vaginal bleeding, wound/suture healing, blood circulation (blood pressure and legs check) and breast anatomical changes. I will discuss normal neonatal behaviour and health conditions that may need clinical attention (e.g. dermatitis vs normal neonatal rash) and I won’t hesitate to involve your GP or encourage you to seek medical help if needed. I will also assess breastfeeding and support you in ensuring you will find a comfortable position to improve baby’s latch and milk transfer and explore strategies to protect, increase or decrease milk supply as well as supporting you in feeding your baby with formula.

I offer different services according to your needs: from one off visits, to antenatal and postnatal packages, breastfeeding and introduction to solid foods workshops, birth and baby preparation classes, pre and postnatal fitness classes, infant feeding care packages, all tailored to you and to respond to your needs.

When to contact Your Midwife?

You can contact me if you are looking for:

• Family centred tailored antenatal and postnatal care
• More frequent antenatal appointments, to supplement your NHS care
• Continuity of care and a closer rapport with your health care professional
• Clarifications about pregnancy, delivery and baby care
• Professional, evidence based and hands-on birth and baby preparation classes
• Support for birthing choices
• Highly professional support with breastfeeding and/or bottle feeding
  A more relaxed approach in introducing solid foods to your baby

A better awareness of your body in pregnancy and in the first few weeks after your baby is born, so to go back to your normal physical activity
I am based in Canada Water and I am happy to see you at the BodyTonic Clinic or in the comfort of your home. I cover the following areas: Canada Water SE16, Surrey Quays, New Cross SE14, Canary Wharf E14, Isle of Dogs, Canning Town, Bermondsey, London Bridge SE1, Southwark, Waterloo, Wapping E1W.

If you are out of area, you can contact me to see if it’s possible to reach you.