Sian's story
After British mum Sian Wylie moved to New York and struggled to find a midwife for her second pregnancy, she wrote a blog post to find and thank the midwife who delivered her first baby at UCLH.
"You played such a huge role in our lives, helping get our daughter safely and peacefully into my arms."
“It wasn’t until being pregnant this time around in America that I realised how unique and important the role of a midwife is.” Sian wrote. “Here in America the whole birth show is mainly run by doctors and surgeons. Most women don’t even see a midwife at all through their whole pregnancy or birth.”
Sian had experienced midwife led care during her first pregnancy and this time around she was determined not to miss out. She recalls, “We have searched long and hard, battled with insurance companies and been to SO many appointments to find a midwife-led birth centre to have this baby. The cut-off for the birth centre accepting patients was 22 weeks, but at 21 weeks and 5 days, we finally found one that was accepted by our health insurance. Phew.”
Sian’s birth was straightforward and without complication, but the relationship she developed with her midwife in that short space of time had a profound impact. In a letter to her midwife she wrote: “I had no idea how much you would mean to me.”
“What I really can’t get my head around though is that you played such a huge role in our lives, helping get our daughter safely and peacefully into my arms, but you do that all day, everyday at work. Delivering babies. What a job.”
"I’ve found a midwife now, but Lydia will be a hard act to follow. It just felt like she had all the time in the world for me."
The blog in which Sian thanked her “incredible” midwife, Lydia Schorah, has spread far and wide. Lydia, who has delivered hundreds of babies since joining UCLH two and a half years ago, was overwhelmed by the very public thank you, she said:
“I still read the post now, and her words were so lovely and it makes you realise why you do what you do, and that the little things you do really make a difference.
“I treat my women all the same, but it shows they remember all the little bits you do for them, which is nice.”
Sian moved to New York since having Belle in the The Birthing Centre 18 months ago and is now pregnant with her second baby.
She regularly blogs about her life and wrote the piece after struggling to find a midwife in the U.S., where babies are generally delivered by obstetricians.
Sian said: “I’ve found a midwife now, but Lydia will be a hard act to follow.
“It just felt like she had all the time in the world for me.”
- Read Sian’s blog "Dear midwife" in full.
