Welcome to Ash Midwifery - home to independent midwifery

My name is Kirsten - I'm a midwife, mother and hypnobirthing teacher living and working in Warwickshire.

My first introduction to the world of midwifery, pregnancy and birth was when my mother was pregnant with my little sister. I was 8 years old, and completely fascinated! My maternal family are Dutch, where homebirths and holistic care are much more the norm than here in the UK. I was born at home, and my sister was too. I trotted off to my next door neighbour when my mum's active labour started, watched Postman Pat for a little while, and then my father came to collect me when my sister was born and we carried on with our lives.

And that's the approach I started off my midwifery journey with - pregnancy and birth being a normal event. I had no idea most babies were born in hospitals until I was a teenager!

My Education

As most teens, I was quite overwhelmed with the life changing decision of where I should go to university, and what I should study. Did I want to commit to midwifery? Or was that just a passing interest? My parents advised me to just pick something I loved that was easily transferable, and that's how I ended up studying Archaeology and Anthropology (BA Hons) at Durham University. Durham led the way in Europe in their social anthropology curriculum, and we were even lucky enough to have Professor Helen Ball and the Baby Sleep Information Source study (BASIS) in our department.

With a strong academic background in human physiology, social anthropology and the anthropology of childbirth, I applied to become a midwife. I moved to London, and started my Midwifery (BSc Hons) degree at City University, London. The training was a combination of practical placements at Homerton Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and academic study with world class educators including Professor Christine McCourt and Lucia Rocca-Ihenacho. I graduated with a high First Class degree, and my dissertation received the accolade of highest grade in my peer group.

It was with Homerton that I learned the value of requiring skills in high dependency and also hands off midwifery. They boast a fantastic homebirth team, where I learned the importance of trusting people's bodies and births.

I loved my time at the Homerton, and I learned a lot. Both what kind of midwife I wanted to be, but also how I really didn't want to practice.

I left when I started my maternity leave in 2021, when I moved back to Warwickshire where I grew up, and joined the Practice Midwives team at South Warwickshire Foundation Trust.

Where I am now

I never stop learning, and I'm constantly challenging my own beliefs and knowledge that I've gathered over the years.

I started moving away from the NHS when I realised I was never going to be able to practice the authentic midwifery I craved. 20 minute appointments and policies not based in evidence were causing my love of the job to waver, and my mental health to be affected.

I knew to provide the care that people deserve meant I had to go it alone. And once I came to that epiphany, I knew I could never look back!

And that's where I meet you. With a wealth of experience, academics, and passion for midwifery. I look forward to seeing how my expertise and knowledge can help you on your incredible journey!

- Kirsten