My husband and I can't possibly put into words how wonderful, competent and helpful Jo and Emily are. We had our first child (a baby girl) in May 2021. Since our families do not live in the UK, and with Covid restrictions limiting travel, we could not rely on their help or support in those first weeks and felt the postpartum care provided by the NHS was very limited. Hiring Jo and Emily was genuinely one of the best decisions we made throughout our pregnancy. Jo (our lead midwife) has been the biggest support we could have hoped for. As first time parents, we quite literally did not know what to do in those first few days and were constantly doubting whether we were doing the right thing. With her incredible experience as a midwife and mother herself, and her loving and caring nature, Jo was there every step of the way to teach and reassure us and give us the confidence you need as new parents. It also gave us great peace of mind to know that we could contact Jo and Emily 24/7, and they always responded within minutes. After five weeks, we still have so much to learn, but thanks to Jo and Emily we are 100% confident that we can do it. We cannot thank them enough and would recommend them in a heartbeat to anyone looking for a private midwife!

One of the best decisions we made in our pregnancy with our daughter was to hire Jo and Emily as our midwifes. They have gone above and beyond to support us throughout the pregnancy, birth and the weeks after birth. Their advice and expertise has been invaluable for us as first time parents and has given us confidence that we can master this big new chapter of life. Thank you so much for everything you have done for us and our daughter, Felicia & Thomas

Emily was absolutely brilliant from start to finish when helping us with our boy's tongue tie. She made us feel right at ease and we were totally confident in her knowledge and expertise. The follow up support has been so useful and we feel really looked after and supported - cannot rate highly enough. Thank you, Emily!

Without question this was the best investment we made for our baby. Emily and Jo helped us throughout our pregnancy and the first few weeks of our baby girl’s life. As first time parents with a lot of nerves and worries, having Emily and Jo support us was invaluable. During the pregnancy their regular checks provided additional comfort that the pregnancy was going well and they answered all of our many questions (even when we had worries in the night). They also helped guide us through the process of requesting an elective caesarean and preparing us for what to expect in the operation and recovery. As we’d seen them so often throughout the pregnancy, they really knew us and our worries by the time our baby girl arrived. They immediately supported us with feeding, helping us to successfully breastfeed and address our baby’s tongue tie. They also helped us navigate the anxieties that came up over the first few weeks. Their visits helped us to build confidence with our newborn that I know we wouldn’t have had without them. We were very sad when the time came to say goodbye to Emily and Jo as they made such an impact at such an important time in our lives. If we ever have another baby they will be the first call I make! I can’t recommend them highly enough to anyone currently expecting.

After a difficult birth in the hospital and a shaky start with our son briefly in the NICU we were very grateful of the support that Jo and a Emily were able to offer us in the postnatal period at home. They went above and beyond to help us to recover from the birth, answer any questions we had and settle into life as first-time parents. From showing us how to properly bathe our baby, to helping us to establish breastfeeding, we received the in-depth 1-2-1 care that we needed to become confident new parents and bond with our baby. We recommend Jo and Emily’s services to anyone who needs more support in the postnatal period and will be recommending them to our friends.

Emily was lovely and easy to talk to and treated my baby with the upmost care. She was really helpful and knowledgeable, providing the perfect advice and even checking in the next day to see how we were doing. Thank you so much Emily!

Emily and Jo thank you so much for the fantastic postnatal care you provided for our baby boy, Otto and myself. In the lead up to our baby’s birth, and from day 1 after coming home from hospital; the care, time and guidance you provided was wonderful both in person and at the end of a phone to answer questions or provide guidance, as needed. We are so pleased we invested in having your support and care at home and would highly recommend the investment to anyone considering options for postnatal care. Thank you both so much

This was one of the best investments and decisions we have made as a family. Emily and Jo were incredible, such lovely, knowledge ladies who made us feel so comfortable, informed and safe throughout the whole experience. They really took the time to get to know us, our wishes and invested in the relationship throughout our time with them. Compared to our experience with the NHS previously, this pregnancy and birth was so relaxed and special, without any unnecessary pressure. They genuinely care so much about what they do, and giving you the most positive birth experience and were responsive, caring and reassuring throughout each visit, the birth and postnatally. Our home birth was everything I could have hoped for and this was very much down to them. Wholeheartedly recommend, our little one entered the world in the best way possible thanks to them ❤️ Rebecca & Damien Hill

Having Emily and Jo care for my little one and I during my pregnancy/birth was the best decision we could have made for our family. Not only are they both extremely knowledgeable, supportive and caring, I never felt alone. I was able to have the birth that I wanted thanks to them and having the postnatal care for my little one was invaluable, the early days are intense and it’s easy to convince yourself that something is wrong but every time I started to panic they were there reassuring me. I can’t speak highly enough of them. Thank you Emily and Jo! You will always have a special place in our hearts.

I couldn't recommend Emily enough. My newborn baby wasn't gaining weight from 10days old and I was exclusively breastfeeding but was feeling very disheartened and was ready to give up and switch to bottle. We booked Emily to come to our house and have a consultation. She was amazing and gave us the confidence to continue breastfeeding with all her amazing professional advice. My baby is now over a month old and has gained 8oz a week and I am loving breastfeeding him! Thank you Emily

I’m not sure the below words can really do justice to just how amazing Jo and Emily have been. After suffering with some miscarriages I was very apprehensive about my pregnancy. Finding Jo and Emily changed everything for the better! Being able to have consistent care via WhatsApp and face to face in my own home allowed me and my husband to relax into our pregnancy and even learn to enjoy it! I cannot recommend Jo and Emily enough. Not only are they truly educated in all areas of pre and post natal care, they go above and beyond to help support you when you need it and you can really see how passionate about what they do. We were lucky enough to have care from both Jo and Emily over my pregnancy and post natal care. They both offer something truly unique, yet complement each other so well. We were always in ore of their knowledge and compassion to each part of our journey. They never rushed us or made us feel that we didn’t have options. We always felt listened to, which can be rare when pregnant. Although we had Kaia in hospital we were able to go into the process educated with all possible options we had, we knew when we could push back or challenge a medical next step, something that felt very empowering to us. My husband felt the post natal care was invaluable in particular. Usually a calm and reasoned individual he was definitely stressed with the first few weeks of a newborn but they reassured him and us both that we could do it…and apparently they were right!

My wife and I recently took on Emily and Jo for the birth of our daughter. Initially, we weren't sure if we would need private midwives, but very soon realised that for our circumstances, this was the best option we could have. Emily and Jo were very attentive to our requests and needs from the start, and this made the whole experience a lot more comforting and relaxing for my wife. As a result, we were successfully able to have a smooth home birth, and didn't need to deal with any of the problems and issues we have previously experienced with the NHS. We're very lucky to have had their help and guidance, and wouldn't hesitate to do it again for our next baby. Thank you so much for preparing us for this next journey in our lives, we're greatly indebted to your support and loving process! Aidan and Yasmin

The best decision I ever made, having jo and Emily at my home birth. Two amazing ladies, the birth was exactly how I wanted it to be, so so special! Highly recommend riverside midwives!

To Emily + Jo, Thank you ever so much for everything; you have been such a huge part of pregnancy and beyond for us - and we will miss seeing you both so regularly! We are eternally grateful for the past six months of care we have received 🤍 …The families you work with are so lucky to have you! Thank you again for such a positive experience - and for all the hand holding you have given to these first time parents. If we ever (forget the sleep deprivation and) go for ‘baby number two’ - we will look no further. Gem, Kieran + Rudy x

Myself and my wife started working with Emily and Jo around 4 months into our pregnancy. As the Father / Non-birthing partner I found Riverside Midwives antenatal and postnatal care excellent. The Antenatal appointment's were all un-hurried, thorough and incredibly informative (with all the regular and necessary checks you would expect). The continuity of care was brilliant in ensuring we both understood how the pregnancy was progressing and ensuring both mother and baby were happy and healthy. They provided me with an excellent understanding of what to expect during birth from the non-birthing partner perspective, I was provided with a framework to work with to ensure I made decisions that reflected the birthing plan myself and my partner wanted. I found this invaluable as it allowed me to ensure I was an active partner in the birth and excellent advocate for my wife in ensuring she received everything that we wanted from the birth. Post-birth they were amazing at ensuring we de-briefed fully on the birthing experience. All our new born checks were conducted at home which was a great comfort and ensured we could spend our time enjoying all our precious moments with our new baby. Overall I would say they were exceptional, we are so glad we were able to work with them.

Jo and Emily saw us throughout my pregnancy and after the birth of our daughter. They were knowledgeable, kind and very supportive. They were always there to answer any questions we had, which we valued greatly and found hugely reassuring. They're support and regular visits helped to ease anxieties during the pregnancy, transforming into a wonderful experience, understand and prioritise birth preferences and helped us transition into a family once our baby had been born. We would wholeheartedly recommend them to everyone looking for personalised care, especially during the post natal period, where we felt their attention made an enormous difference in establishing breastfeeding and helped us to overcome challenges such as blocked ducts and engorgement. We would certainly hope to user them again during future pregnancies. .

After a traumatic birth that left me with PTSD following the birth of my first son, I knew if I was going to entertain the idea of getting pregnant again I would need some extra help. We had a fantastic initial conversation with Emily and from then on I felt more comfortable and even a little bit excited. Working with Riverside Midwives was incredible. No question too silly and no fear too small, Emily and Jo’s compassion, knowledge and experience made me feel safe and empowered the whole way through the pregnancy of our second son. Their support was invaluable for my own well being both mental and physical but also in helping us navigate the NHS and get the right appointments with the best people to help with our situation, knowing our past history and the triggers I had for my PTSD. I’ve learnt so much and couldn’t be more grateful to them. As a result we had an extremely positive experience, our son is happy and healthy and my PTSD symptoms have almost gone entirely! I would wholeheartedly recommend them to anyone.

Emily and Jo have been absolutely amazing throughout our journey from early pregnancy through birth to post-natal care. We have not had an easy journey with a scary start and I wasn't sure what birth options I wanted but Emily and Jo listened and provided fantastic advice and support. Unfortunately we didn't get the birth we wanted as our son was born prematurely so we ended up in the hospital for the birth, but Emily was in hospital with us during the entire birth and advocating for us. They have also provided amazing post-natal care both for me and my son and have been instrumental in helping our tough feeding journey. I would highly recommend Emily and Jo; they have become and will remain a really important part of our family - we cannot thank them enough.

We were lucky enough to have Emily and Jo gently guide and support us through my first pregnancy, helping us have the most perfect, natural and special home birth we could have ever imagined. I had various wobbles through the pregnancy and their patient and informed support kept me on track, managing worries as they arose to protect my birth experience. We also couldn’t have done without their post natal support once our son was here, helping me with breastfeeding, managing a heat wave and Emily being our most welcome +1 every day whilst in our newborn bubble. I wouldn’t do a future birth without them and felt so, so sad to say goodbye to two people who became so important in our lives, and have helped us have only amazing memories of such an important moment in our life. I’d recommend and encourage any mother to work with Emily and Jo, especially for a first born. I am confident our experience would have been significantly different (and not for the better) if we hadn’t met them.