[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":471},["ShallowReactive",2],{"sanity-yIwGiLAzSQ":3,"sanity-oyI308Qft3":39},{"mainNav":4},[5,10,14,19,23,27,31,35],{"slug":6,"title":9},{"current":7,"_type":8},"about-us","slug","About Us",{"slug":11,"title":13},{"current":12,"_type":8},"book-an-intro-chat","Book an Intro Chat",{"title":15,"category":16,"slug":17},"Care Packages","Services",{"current":18,"_type":8},"care-packages",{"title":20,"category":16,"slug":21},"One-off Appointments",{"current":22,"_type":8},"one-off-appointments",{"slug":24,"title":26},{"current":25,"_type":8},"birth-stories","Birth Stories",{"title":28,"slug":29},"Frequently Asked Questions",{"current":30,"_type":8},"faqs",{"slug":32,"title":34},{"current":33,"_type":8},"contact-us","Contact Us",{"slug":36,"title":38},{"current":37,"_type":8},"blog","Blog",{"_id":40,"_rev":41,"content":42,"_system":465,"_updatedAt":468,"_type":281,"title":28,"slug":469,"_createdAt":470},"8d1f4c8c-699d-4bcd-8b60-43310e56e5b4","IIFMD3ga18avgsbqfhnVJz",[43,72,95,126,160,179,205,217,240,277,290,302,314],{"title":44,"centered":45,"_type":46,"_key":47,"body":48},"What is an independent midwife?",false,"faq","48feae707033",[49],{"children":50,"_type":65,"style":66,"_key":67,"markDefs":68},[51,56,61],{"_type":52,"marks":53,"text":54,"_key":55},"span",[],"An independent midwife provides midwifery care outside and alongside the NHS system. Independent midwives, like NHS midwives, are registered with the NMC, have undertaken a 3 year university degree and must have indemnity insurance in order to provide care. They have the same referral rights as an NHS midwife, which means if needed they can refer you directly to other healthcare professionals (with your consent) in the hospital team ie. an obstetric doctor. Check out our care packages ","0b8b7dfb36b2",{"marks":57,"text":59,"_key":60,"_type":52},[58],"18314876aee7","here","5b8d6ae846ec",{"_type":52,"marks":62,"text":63,"_key":64},[],".","9917035243d7","block","normal","7fe538c2f96c",[69],{"_type":70,"href":71,"_key":58},"link","/care-packages",{"title":73,"centered":45,"_type":46,"_key":74,"body":75},"What qualifications do you have?","ef1d9bee6db0",[76],{"_key":77,"markDefs":78,"children":82,"_type":65,"style":66},"cf81832c47e1",[79],{"href":80,"_key":81,"_type":70},"https://www.nmc.org.uk/registration/search-the-register/","d389a4bff9de",[83,87,91],{"marks":84,"text":85,"_key":86,"_type":52},[],"We are both qualified midwives, registered with the ","79b2c4612ef9",{"_type":52,"marks":88,"text":89,"_key":90},[81],"Nursing and Midwifery Council","5ba32917f4a2",{"_key":92,"_type":52,"marks":93,"text":94},"d5c2aa1282ed",[]," (NMC). We both trained at Kingston University for 3 years to gain this qualification. Sophie is trained to undertake the Newborn and Infant Physical Examination (NIPE), an additional qualification gained from City, University of London. We both hold masters’ degrees – Sophie in Advanced Practice (Midwifery) and Natasha in Global Health and Development, obtained from City, University of London and University College London, respectively.",{"_type":96,"_key":97,"body":98},"blockContent","ae7f3c7cf098",[99,108,117],{"children":100,"_type":65,"style":105,"_key":106,"markDefs":107},[101],{"text":102,"_key":103,"_type":52,"marks":104},"Upon meeting Sophie and Natasha we knew we'd made the right decision - I had the most amazing birth, and I felt cared for throughout the process.","3c42b5bfb83d",[],"blockquote","9fb40377f236",[],{"children":109,"_type":65,"style":114,"_key":115,"markDefs":116},[110],{"_key":111,"_type":52,"marks":112,"text":113},"dbdd1d652b36",[],"","center","1b5723a8b1e8",[],{"_key":118,"markDefs":119,"children":120,"_type":65,"style":114},"cedd6b07439e",[],[121],{"_key":122,"_type":52,"marks":123,"text":125},"f6d68765f6d4",[124],"em","Brooke, first time Mum, 2024",{"_key":127,"body":128,"title":159,"centered":45,"_type":46},"7afdb383e92b",[129],{"_type":65,"style":66,"_key":130,"markDefs":131,"children":138},"81f549e2e135",[132,135],{"_type":70,"href":133,"_key":134},"https://zest-midwives.co.uk/","d7ad9c4e4119",{"_type":70,"href":136,"_key":137},"https://www.rcn.org.uk","015927cc0de8",[139,143,147,151,155],{"_key":140,"_type":52,"marks":141,"text":142},"46e24e1e3dca",[],"We are insured to provide both antenatal and postnatal care through the",{"_type":52,"marks":144,"text":145,"_key":146},[137]," Royal College of Nursing (RCN)","a3afc29caa66",{"marks":148,"text":149,"_key":150,"_type":52},[],". For labour care, our insurance is provided through SK Underwriting Ltd. via our ","f0f48479ba23",{"_key":152,"_type":52,"marks":153,"text":154},"33d7345e8507",[134],"ZEST",{"marks":156,"text":157,"_key":158,"_type":52},[]," registration. We are legally required to have this to both provide labour & birth care at home and attend births in hospital in a non-clinical capacity.","6b1750e34c81","Do you have insurance?",{"centered":45,"_type":46,"_key":161,"body":162,"title":178},"43d3ab553c4d",[163],{"_type":65,"style":66,"_key":164,"markDefs":165,"children":169},"8acc6d62670c",[166],{"_key":167,"_type":70,"href":168},"1ed5a7dee561","https://junomidwives.co.uk/book-an-intro-chat",[170,174],{"_type":52,"marks":171,"text":172,"_key":173},[],"You can hire an independent midwife as soon as you find out you’re pregnant! Some people choose to have all of their care in pregnancy from an independent midwife from as early as 8-9 weeks of pregnancy, and others may hire one later in the pregnancy. The latest we would book someone is 36-37 weeks because we need time to build a relationship with our clients – that’s what results in good outcomes! Book your free, no-obligation intro chat ","9f8958689405",{"text":175,"_key":176,"_type":52,"marks":177},"here. ","e02b17bcbbbc",[167],"When can I book an independent midwife?",{"body":180,"_type":96,"_key":204},[181,189,196],{"_key":182,"markDefs":183,"children":184,"_type":65,"style":105},"432be0c83620",[],[185],{"text":186,"_key":187,"_type":52,"marks":188},"Juno Midwives totally transformed my family's pregnancy and birthing experience.","c5eda0c8dc4b",[],{"_key":190,"markDefs":191,"children":192,"_type":65,"style":66},"24468485b48a",[],[193],{"_type":52,"marks":194,"text":113,"_key":195},[],"2d60e8a842eb",{"children":197,"_type":65,"style":114,"_key":202,"markDefs":203},[198],{"marks":199,"text":200,"_key":201,"_type":52},[124],"Siobhan, first time parent, 2024","77e333445a20","f9e897441c6d",[],"317f8b0cdef7",{"body":206,"title":215,"centered":45,"_type":46,"_key":216},[207],{"children":208,"_type":65,"style":66,"_key":213,"markDefs":214},[209],{"_type":52,"marks":210,"text":211,"_key":212},[],"Absolutely. Independent midwifery services and the NHS are not mutually exclusive. We will refer to and liaise with our NHS colleagues (with your consent) when needed. If you choose to have certain screening tests we recommend that you access these at your local NHS maternity unit ie. ultrasound scans and blood tests. For this reason, we recommend that you book your pregnancy with us and your local maternity unit to make the process of booking these tests easier. You can alternatively choose to have ultrasound scans and blood tests privately.","2b82c3ff0f74","6c24343affc7",[],"Can I still access NHS care if I have an independent midwife?","6c6d3cbd983b",{"title":218,"centered":45,"_type":46,"_key":219,"body":220},"Can I have an independent midwife in an NHS hospital?","40672d9457f0",[221],{"markDefs":222,"children":226,"_type":65,"style":66,"_key":239},[223],{"_type":70,"href":224,"_key":225},"https://junomidwives.co.uk/care-packages","c0ede8015c2b",[227,231,235],{"_key":228,"_type":52,"marks":229,"text":230},"b9e82e6b5fed",[],"Short answer – yes! Your independent midwife can provide your antenatal care at home during pregnancy and attend any hospital appointments you may have. We can provide non-clinical support and advocacy during labour in hospital or for elective caesareans and then we can provide your ongoing postnatal care at home when you have been discharged from hospital. ",{"text":232,"_key":233,"_type":52,"marks":234},"Our care packages","22025b537c81",[225],{"_key":236,"_type":52,"marks":237,"text":238},"d7dbeb78990c",[]," allow for both those who want to plan a home birth and those who want to plan a hospital birth. ","760ea364e7bb",{"_key":241,"body":242,"title":276,"centered":45,"_type":46},"8a07754a915b",[243,251,258],{"children":244,"_type":65,"style":66,"_key":249,"markDefs":250},[245],{"_type":52,"marks":246,"text":247,"_key":248},[],"Only you can decide if it is worth it, but here are some of the reasons we believe hiring an independent midwife is an investment you won't regret. All your midwifery appointments will happen at your home, at a time that suits you and your family (weekdays, weekends, daytime, evenings), our appointments are unhurried (because we don’t have 20 other women to see in an antenatal clinic) – so we can spend as little or as long with you as you need – compared to the standard 20 minute NHS appointment times. We really get to know you because we spend so much time together! This is so useful because we know what you want for your birth, what makes you tick and we learn how best we can support you as the individual you are. ","92146fd8d4e8","df5bcfe3889c",[],{"markDefs":252,"children":253,"_type":65,"style":66,"_key":257},[],[254],{"_type":52,"marks":255,"text":113,"_key":256},[],"18678e41fc14","93cdcb7b24b9",{"children":259,"_type":65,"style":66,"_key":272,"markDefs":273},[260,263,268],{"text":261,"_key":248,"_type":52,"marks":262},"We guarantee you access to home birth – home birth services in Kent are limited due to general maternity staff shortages, but we can guarantee you access to home birth and that there’ll be two midwives present at your birth. We are available via WhatsApp throughout your pregnancy and into the postnatal period for any of those little questions you need answering on the spot. We are on-call 24/7 from when you are 37 weeks pregnant – ready to head to your home when you call us in labour. We have over 20 years combined experience working in busy London teaching hospitals and on ‘low risk’ birth centres and this experience has made us extremely skilled midwives. Having the same midwife throughout your pregnancy and birth journey is also proven by ",[],{"text":264,"_key":265,"_type":52,"marks":266},"research","f72469e57b93",[267],"092d2fa91720",{"_key":269,"_type":52,"marks":270,"text":271},"cde977340fa6",[]," to improve outcomes. Babies are only born once, so do we think hiring an independent midwife is worth it? Absolutely – your birth experience matters!","c681c4dc54d7",[274],{"_key":267,"_type":70,"href":275},"https://www.cochrane.org/evidence/CD004667_are-midwife-continuity-care-models-versus-other-models-care-childbearing-women-better-women-and","Is an independent midwife worth it?",{"link":278,"_key":288,"_type":289},{"type":279,"internalLink":280,"blank":45,"_type":70,"text":287},"internal",{"_type":281,"_id":282,"title":26,"_updatedAt":283,"slug":284,"_createdAt":285,"_rev":286},"page","1a4b975f-bf33-4691-bcca-e6e21a769d08","2025-03-23T16:16:02Z",{"current":25,"_type":8},"2025-03-23T16:15:53Z","fPYyTh9tfx0oLW6aHEyZmn","Read Real Birth Stories ","0cb1844fef73","cta",{"title":291,"centered":45,"_type":46,"_key":292,"body":293},"Can I pay for the care in instalments?","588f76f3ca15",[294],{"_type":65,"style":66,"_key":295,"markDefs":296,"children":297},"711b07254e29",[],[298],{"_type":52,"marks":299,"text":300,"_key":301},[],"Yes. We offer instalment plans and are very happy to discuss the options with you to find something that works for everyone. We ask that payment has been made in full by the time you are 37 weeks pregnant and we start our on-call commitment, however we understand this may be difficult for some people and are happy to discuss this further.","cc97369d41e6",{"_type":46,"_key":303,"body":304,"title":313,"centered":45},"d607a99d8a34",[305],{"children":306,"_type":65,"style":66,"_key":311,"markDefs":312},[307],{"_key":308,"_type":52,"marks":309,"text":310},"2393350b4b06",[],"In the rare event that an emergency does occur at a home birth, we are both trained to respond to emergencies that affect both the woman/birthing person and the baby. We carry emergency equipment and medications with us. In the event that we need to transfer to hospital, we would call an ambulance and liaise with your local maternity unit. We would accompany you to hospital and stay with you for as long as you needed or wanted.","fc5e2dad0ae3",[],"What happens if there's an emergency at a home birth?",{"link":315,"_key":464,"_type":289},{"text":316,"type":279,"internalLink":317,"blank":45,"_type":70},"Find out more about Juno!",{"_system":318,"title":9,"slug":322,"_rev":323,"_type":281,"_updatedAt":324,"content":325,"_createdAt":463,"_id":320},{"base":319},{"id":320,"rev":321},"7eb978a4-7c16-4e22-a47e-86997dc6376b","kCULmcMi8OAIhnxxBSiyUA",{"current":7,"_type":8},"A1BL058D1L1LG4bFNGjmWm","2026-03-17T13:53:22Z",[326,392],{"_type":327,"_key":328,"body":329,"image":384,"orientation":391},"imageText","1ed2863edc58",[330,339,346,354,361,369,376],{"children":331,"_type":65,"style":336,"_key":337,"markDefs":338},[332],{"_type":52,"marks":333,"text":334,"_key":335},[],"Natasha Soliman","c2a67ee219f8","h2","02e74fd18c2b",[],{"_type":65,"style":66,"_key":340,"markDefs":341,"children":342},"07e59a1a10da",[],[343],{"_type":52,"marks":344,"text":113,"_key":345},[],"6b45c05650de",{"_key":347,"markDefs":348,"children":349,"_type":65,"style":66},"613bcd3cdc93",[],[350],{"_key":351,"_type":52,"marks":352,"text":353},"2cd9295b657c",[],"As a midwife I strive to ensure a holistic approach taking into account the physiological and psycho-social event that pregnancy and childbirth really is. I have been privileged enough to observe birth in busy London hospitals but also much further afield, having worked in East Africa and India. No matter where you are in the world women and their families deserve personalised, compassionate and respectful midwifery care.",{"_type":65,"style":66,"_key":355,"markDefs":356,"children":357},"9dd26a386e58",[],[358],{"_type":52,"marks":359,"text":113,"_key":360},[],"894998d62d46",{"_key":362,"markDefs":363,"children":364,"_type":65,"style":66},"d175310e9c79",[],[365],{"_key":366,"_type":52,"marks":367,"text":368},"397b1cae8f97",[],"Having worked as a Senior Midwife for a vulnerable women’s team I have gained an incredible amount of knowledge and experience working with mental health conditions and women with a history of trauma and abuse. My vast experience within the NHS has impacted me in both positive and negative ways and it is that thought that has led me to set up as an independent midwife so I can ensure I can provide more of the positives for women as they journey through pregnancy and childbirth.",{"_key":370,"markDefs":371,"children":372,"_type":65,"style":66},"8a3d2c6152df",[],[373],{"marks":374,"text":113,"_key":375,"_type":52},[],"bcf320bc0403",{"markDefs":377,"children":378,"_type":65,"style":66,"_key":383},[],[379],{"_type":52,"marks":380,"text":381,"_key":382},[],"On my midwifery journey I have developed different habits, good and bad. I have a sweet tooth that I claim to offset with running and swimming. 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One where your voices is heard, your choices are respected, and where you feel truly supported. ","de44d7598819",[],"b199fc116709",{"_type":65,"style":66,"_key":432,"markDefs":433,"children":434},"20fc18d9d8f4",[],[435],{"_key":436,"_type":52,"marks":437,"text":438},"25319e414024",[],"With over decade of midwifery experience across busy NHS hospitals,  international practice in Australia and New Zealand and now independent practice, I've witnessed births in every setting. From labour wards to midwifery-led units and beautiful home births, these diverse experiences have shaped my understanding of what exceptional maternity care looks like.",{"children":440,"_type":65,"style":66,"_key":445,"markDefs":446},[441],{"_type":52,"marks":442,"text":443,"_key":444},[],"I became an independent midwife so that I could truly offer care and support that aligned with my values and that reflected actual midwifery. Being out of the mainstream maternity system means I can provide holistic, evidence-based care. Whether birth unfolds exactly as planned or takes unexpected turns, I'm committed to ensuring that you feel empowered, informed and respected throughout the experience.","4b6363bc6ad6","4989698d9eae",[],{"_key":448,"markDefs":449,"children":450,"_type":65,"style":66},"5af8122a394d",[],[451],{"_type":52,"marks":452,"text":453,"_key":454},[],"I welcomed my twin boys in July 2024 and I’ve now experienced pregnancy, birth and postpartum from both sides - as a midwife and as a mother. This dual perspective has deepened my appreciation for just how extraordinary the journey of growing, birthing, and raising babies is.","0a3e33b66c41",{"style":66,"_key":456,"markDefs":457,"children":458,"_type":65},"6c2c8ce8d1d6",[],[459],{"marks":460,"text":461,"_key":462,"_type":52},[],"When I'm not chasing after my two busy toddlers or supporting families through their birth journeys, you'll likely find me swimming in the sea (one of my favourite ways to recharge) or sipping coffee at one of Folkestone’s cafes.","56bfe9fbc5cd","2025-03-20T21:06:47Z","8b1515f0f877",{"base":466},{"id":40,"rev":467},"IIFMD3ga18avgsbqfhn9Xf","2026-03-24T13:56:50Z",{"current":30,"_type":8},"2025-03-20T20:29:58Z",1775740033427]