Hi! I’m Kate!
“Kate was able to answer all of our questions and provided us with detailed explanations. We came away from the classes feeling like we had the medical information and research to help us to inform our choices. Kate showed us practical techniques and was able to discuss our local hospital practices in detail to help us feel confident and informed.”
Taunton Antenatal and Postnatal Classes with Kate
Hello! My name is Kate and I'm a midwife living and working as an NHS midwife in Taunton, Somerset.
Before midwifery I worked all over the place, I was a geographer, a reserve officer in the Royal Navy, a property manager, an administrator in a dental practice and an estate agent. I came to Midwifery as I wanted to put my feminism into practice and I am so glad I did! I love working on the Birth Centre and seeing families out in the community. Being a midwife is central to who I am now, I spend most of my time living and breathing it.
My goal as Taunton’s Village Midwife is to create a community, for you, your partner, and your growing family. I want to give you the time, space, and information to enter birth and parenthood with choices and agency. I am always ready to chat about birth and babies for a few hours! I applied to join Sophie’s team because her vision was so aligned with mine. I want to enhance the service I provide as an NHS Midwife and give families all the information they need and want to make informed choices about their antenatal care and birth.
Behind the scenes I spend time reading everything under the sun about midwifery and birth, slowly painting my entire house green, writing and overthinking about life and the universe, snuggling my dog Bonnie, cycling around Taunton on my pink bicycle and attempting to keep my houseplants alive.
For information about the course dates or to enquire about 1:1 antenatal course or postnatal support options, you can email Kate at kate@thevillagemidwife.co.uk
Upcoming Taunton Antenatal Courses
Venue: Cheddon Fitzpaine Memorial Hall, Taunton, TA2 8JY
May/June 2024 Antenatal Course in Taunton:
(for June/July/August 2024 due dates)
Saturday 11th May 9am-12.30pm, Wednesday 15th May 6.30-9pm, Saturday 18th May 9am-12.30pm, Wednesday 22nd May 7pm-9pm (on zoom), Saturday 25th May 9am-12.30pm and Wednesday 29th May 6.30-9pm (4 spaces left!)
July/August 2024 Antenatal Course in Taunton:
(for September/ October 2024 due dates)
Saturday 27th July 9am-12.30pm, Wednesday 31st July 6.30-9pm, Saturday 3rd July 9am-12.30pm, Wednesday 7th August 7-9pm (on zoom), Wednesday 14th August 6.30-9pm and Saturday 17th August 9am-12.30pm (5 spaces left!)
September/ October 2024 Antenatal Course in Taunton:
(for November/ December 2024 due dates)
Saturday 21st September 9am-12.30pm, Wednesday 25th September 6.30-9pm, Saturday 28th September 9am-12.30pm, Wednesday 2nd October 7-9pm (on zoom), Wednesday 9th October 6.30-9pm and Saturday 12th October 9am-12.30pm (New!)
“This was the most wonderful course.
Kate (Taunton Village Midwife) brought so much knowledge, experience, and wisdom. Having a midwife deliver the content added a huge amount of value. Especially as Kate could give us true insights into Musgrove Hospital and support us to consider all our options and choices with ample time to plan what feels right for us as a family.
The inclusion of my partner was so welcomed as so much of the pregnancy is focused on the woman. This allowed for a real co-learning experience that gave us a lot of confidence as we explored all the areas of the course. I would highly recommend this course to anyone who is looking for an antenatal that is a bit different and addresses a wide range of possibilities for you and your baby. That focuses on physiological birth, breast feeding, and home birth all being viable and safe options as well as advocating for all birthing choices. It truly left us feeling deeply empowered and ready for birth.”
Taunton Postnatal Course with Kate
A nurturing space for new mums to connect and learn new skills with their baby - with ongoing support from Kate. Held at Cheddon Fitzpaine Memorial Hall, Taunton, TA2 8JY on weekday mornings from 10am until 12pm.
The course covers:
stretchy slings
feeding support
birth debriefs
baby and child first aid
pelvic floor recovery
infant sleep
scar massage/baby massage
relaxation
matrescence coaching (discussion of your transition to becoming a mum!)
May 2024 Postnatal Course:
Wednesday 1st May 10.00am - 12.00p, Wednesday 8th May 10.00am - 12.00pm, Wednesday 15th May 10.00am - 12.00pm, Wednesday 22nd May 10.00 - 12.00pm, Wednesday 29th May 10.00am - 12.00pm
June/ July course dates coming soon!
Prices
Antenatal Course: £250
Postnatal Course: £125
Antenatal Course plus Postnatal Course: £365
Refreshers Course: £150
Refreshers Course plus Postnatal Course: £265
When you book your space using the link below you just have to fill out your details and pay £100 now, £50 of which is your deposit. The rest is paid a week prior to the antenatal course starting or can be paid in instalments (email us to arrange this!)
Please note: We offer a £25 NHS discount for healthcare professionals, a £15 return discount for previous clients and a 35% single parent discount. We also offer discounts and payment plans to parents who are struggling financially - contact us for more information, no questions asked.
Want to see Kate 1:1 in Taunton?
You can do this during pregnancy or after in the postnatal period, I can provide sessions at your home which are flexible around your needs. The options include:
★ Feeding preparation & support
★ Birth debriefs
★ Postnatal support - in person at your home
Please email Kate to arrange a time - kate@thevillagemidwife.co.uk
The No Sleep Club Taunton
A relaxed meet up for local parents - these are held at Cheddon Fitzpaine Memorial Hall, Taunton, TA2 8JY. Email Kate at kate@thevillagemidwife.co.uk for more information or join the Facebook group!
Postnatal Support
£40 for 2 hours for antenatal & postnatal clients (and then £15 for every hour after that)
I offer postnatal support for antenatal and postnatal clients. I can pop in postnatally and help with anything you need - an extra pair of hands to settle baby while you nap, helping with confidence around breastfeeding/bottle feeding, help with using a sling/carrier, a listening ear - whatever you need!
Please note, again - I can offer concessions for postnatal support so please let me know if you’d like support but would struggle with the cost. Please also note that sometimes I’ll signpost you to someone else if I feel that their support would be more valuable e.g if I think your baby might have a tongue tie
Preparation for feeding (plus support in the postnatal period)
£150 for 3 hours of in person time plus WhatsApp ongoing support
Lots of people ask me for help preparing for feeding their baby, a common source of anxiety! I offer a daytime session to discuss what you want to do with regards to feeding your baby (usually near the end of your pregnancy) and we can talk through any previous experiences you have, which can be helpful. We can talk through how to get breastfeeding off to a great start. how milk supply works, how to best attach baby to the breast and common issues that can come up.
I am then on hand for any feeding support via WhatsApp for the first 6 weeks where I can answer any questions - sometimes people find it helpful to create a WhatsApp group between you, me and your partner. I can also pop in (if you’re local to Taunton) and help with any support you need.
If you are struggling financially, please note I can offer concessions for postnatal feeding support - no questions asked.
Birth Debrief
£80 for a 2-3 hour session
A birth debrief session gives you the chance to talk about your birth experience with me in a safe, supportive, no judgement environment. We can go through what happened, step by step, which can help you process what happened. We can talk about how you felt during birth and how you’re feeling now.
Often the unanswered questions we have about our birth experience can make it harder for our brains to process it. Being able to talk it through with a midwife can be hugely valuable. I can use my experience as a midwife to help you understand anything from your birth that you might want to understand further.
If it would be helpful, you can also request your notes from the hospital you gave birth at and we can use these to help - however this is not necessary.
I offer these sessions to partners as well as mums - or for both of you at the same time. I can come to your home, meet somewhere else, meet on Zoom or walk and talk, whatever is easiest and best for you.
Please email Kate to arrange a time at kate@thevillagemidwife.co.uk