The wonderful NHS

I know there's a lot of opinion on the web about the NHS and how good/bad it is, and I thought now would be the time to post about my view of the antenatal care we have received. Today marks week 38 for LittleLanky, and we've just had our final antenatal session, which covered the wonderful world of breastfeeding (including fake boobs).

I know there's a lot of variability in antenatal care across the UK. We have friends and family whose experiences have been scattered along a very broad quality spectrum, and my first observation is that care seems to be better in smaller towns/cities. Lancaster (so far) has been a great place to be pregnant. We've had abundant access to our wonderful community midwife, who we have seen for the vast majority of our appointments; all of the other midwives we have seen have been professional and personable.

In recent weeks, we have had the pleasure of attending the local NHS-run antenatal classes. At first, MrsLanky and I weren't keen, but we were soon convinced of their value. The midwife who runs the classes is great! Her enthusiasm and positivity is infectious; whilst her knowledge and experience are reassuring. I feel like we're much better prepared than we cold possibly have been through books and websites.

MrsLanky has also taken advantage of the NHS physiotherapy service due to a number of pregnancy related ailments. The physiotherapist has been excellent, and we didn't have to wait months for a referral.

The quality of care we have received has been superb throughout; if you're thinking about having a baby, come to Lancaster!