annerley midwives

Our maternity programme, based on the UK National Health Service, covers the period from pregnancy to 6 weeks after the birth and includes influences from Australia and Scandinavia, with the two leading midwives being from these areas.  We work in partnership with our clients to ensure that they receive the best possible maternity care available in Hong Kong.  We actively encourage partner participation as much as possible throughout the pregnancy, birth and particularly in the role of parenting.  Our clients are our leaders, with safety and emotional wellbeing featuring as equally important factors in the process of birth and parenthood. 

We offer the following services:

Early antenatal appointment:
A short introduction to Hong Kong's maternity services and options, lasting around 20 - 30 minutes.  This consultation includes information about government hospitals and clinics, private health care, insurance and a short précis of our own services. 

Antenatal clinic:
In co-operation with the services provided by private obstetricians or public hospitals,  each appointment lasts 30 minutes and covers routine check-ups such as urine testing, blood pressure and listening to the heartbeat.  A normal assessment of baby's size and position is made and the emotional and physical wellbeing of the mother is ensured.  IF complications are detected, the mother is referred to an obstetrician.  These check-ups are popular amongst parents that use the government system and who want additional information.  It is also an opportunity to get to know your midwife and to cut down on the waiting time for appointments!

Antenatal Classes:
We are sound believers in natural childbirth methods.  Therefore, we encourage and offer special classes for those wanting natural childbirth, with the sessions being based on deep relaxation methods. HYPNOBIRTHING classes have now proved themselves over and over with an almost 100 percent success record for those wanting a natural childbirth.  However, we realise that this is not everybody's choice of coping methods for the birth, so we also run the more traditional group antenatal sessions, BABIES AND BEYOND. These popular classes offer more generalized information about birth, medical interventions and parenting.  For those with busy schedules and work commitments, we also offer private or semi-private courses to better suit your availability.  The Semi-Private FAST FORWARD Classes (limited to 4 couples only) are held on Saturdays and cover the same traditional topics of the larger group classes, but compact the 5-week timescale of the larger classes into two 4-hour weekend sessions. The Private Classes, whilst broadly similar to the Group Classes, are tailored to focus on an individual client's needs.  Finally, for those expecting more than one arrival, we hold special classes for twin parents, according to demand.

Second time refresher courses:
These courses are tailored for second-time parents who want to brush up on their knowledge, share their experiences and learn from others with the aim of enjoying an even better second-time experience.  These smaller, informal group sessions, are extremely helpful and straight to the point.  Please call the office for more information and dates for next class.
 

In labour care - Doula service:
Our Doula programme ensures that you receive the maximum support from a known carer, both at home and in the hospital.  Traditionally, Doulas are used by people who have their baby in the hospital, but who desire as natural a childbirth as possible and with minimal use of medical technology. They are for those who recognize the value of staying at home during the first part of labour, but who may not feel confident in being completely alone once labour gets going.

Postnatal home visits and lactation consultancy:
When discharged from hospital, many parents feel that they still need a little bit of extra support.  Our programme starts the day after the mother and the baby are discharged from hospital and, continues regularly for a period of 1 - 12 weeks.  It enables the family to properly adjust to the new situation, ensures that breastfeeding is well established and that an emotional well-being is secured.  

Each visit is tailored according to the individual family´s needs, with the emphasis being to focus on the most urgent issues present.  In the early days this is quite often the breastfeeding; therefore, we would focus on the prevention of sore breasts and mastitis, show you different feeding positions, discuss how often and how long you need to feed your baby and how to know if your infant is getting enough milk.  As other issues then follow, you will be given the required support and advice to ensure that you are able to both fulfil, and enjoy, your role as a new parent.  This typically includes:

• Performing a complete physical check on the baby

• Assistance in the care and maintenance of the belly button and cord

• A Demonstration of baby massage

• Weighing the baby

• Administering a PKU blood test (if required)

• Checking that the uterus is contracting well

• Checking that the perineum/wound is healing well

• Giving support through the 'baby blues'

• Discussing different aspects of parenting and baby care.

Although all of our midwives and health visitors are trained and experienced in breastfeeding assistance, we also have specially trained lactation consultants.  Although their special expertise and knowledge is available to all of our clients, we would generally only refer you to them when individual circumstances so require.

We offer a variety of different packages for the postnatal home visits but either, a combination of ANTENATAL CLASSES and full continuous support from the midwives, or a package of 5 postnatal visits, are the most popular.

After you book
We will guide you through the process of how and when to be in further contact.  Usually, we would expect you to call us as soon as you give birth so that we can then arrange the first house call on either the day of, or the day after, discharge from the hospital. 

Our clients: 
Testimonials from previous clients are available through the following link - See here.

For further details, please contact the Annerley office on 2983 1558 or email info@annerley.com.hk. If you would like to book an appointment, please complete and email the booking form; once received, we will contact you to set up a consultation.