The benefits of continuity of care

Have you heard this phrase but have no idea what it really means? Let me explain…

Continuity of Care is essentially being supported by the same person, or small group of people, during your pregnancy and throughout your labour and birth.

Some NHS models adopt continuity of care and assign each pregnant person a midwife. But it’s not very common anymore, which is why many choose to hire a doula to fulfil that continuous role of support.

Pregnant people who receive continuity of care throughout pregnancy are less likely to*:

Have an instrumental birth

Have an epidural

Give birth prematurely

Experience early baby loss (less than 24 weeks)

They can also have shorter labours!

(Jane Sandall, Hora Soltani, Simon Gates, Andrew Shennan, Declan Devane, Cochrane Review, 2016)

There are no downsides to a continuity of care model.

Seeing different healthcare professionals at every appointment in pregnancy, and being tended to by midwives you’ve never met during birth means that you won’t have been able to develop a trusting relationship with anyone.

Trust is vital for birth.

It also means that midwives do not know what is “normal” for you, so the care they provide cannot be personalised.

They won’t know what’s important to you.

They won’t know about past traumas and past experiences which can have a huge effect on the way you want your birth to go.

So how can you increase your chances of continuity of care?

• Research all the trusts in your area to see if any offer it

• Look into home birth

• See if the birth centre has a smaller team of midwives

• Hire a doula

• Hire an independent midwife

Did you know about the benefits of continuity of care?

Send this blog post to a pregnant friend so they can benefit too!