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Domiciliary Midwifery
To meet the needs of mothers wishing to have a home confinement 13 domiciliary
mid wives were employed by the Council; in addition five midwives from the General Lyingin
Hospital covered a selected area in the Borough. The midwives visit the expectant
mother to assess the suitability of the home for domiciliary confinement, or its suitability
for the mother and baby to return home to the care of the midwife 48 hours after confinement
in one of the local hospitals. The "early discharge" scheme is growing, this year
857 mothers were able to enjoy the facilities of this scheme.
To supplement clinic attendance each mother booked for home confinement received
at least three home visits so that the midwife could advise on the preparation of the
home and ante-natal care. In two centres, classes in the psycho-prophylatic method of
relaxation were held to which ante-natal mothers who had booked either for hospital or
domiciliary confinement were invited. All midwives have attended a course of instruction
to enable them to assist mothers in this form of relaxation during labour. Entonox—a new
form of analgesia for administration during labour is now carried by midwives as well as
the better known Trilene apparatus.
There were 521 domiciliary confinements during the year. Of these 20 were premature
births; 2 were still births.
Eight of the Council's midwives are approved teachers under the Central Midwives
Board second period Training Scheme. During the year 45 pupils completed three months
district training. Student Nurses from Guy's Hospital doing the obstetric training course
also made visits of observation to the ante-natal clinic and accompanied the midwives
on home visits.
We have continued the joint arrangement with the London Boroughs of Lambeth
and Wandsworth of providing two non-medical supervisors to co-ordinate, on a rota basis,
a 24 hour control of the midwifery services throughout the three boroughs (APPENDIX C).
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