Mother's Journey

Shortcode deactivated
Menu

Refund Policy

Dedicated to providing personalised, compassionate midwifery care that honours the natural
process of birth while ensuring the highest standards of safety and support.

Refund schedule

When you book care with me at Mother’s Journey, I reserve a space for you based on the care package you have booked.

If you have booked a birth package, then I will be on call for you from 37-42 weeks of your pregnancy. During these 5 weeks:

  • I will not take annual leave.
  • I will be available 24/7 for you.
  • I will limit how many clients I commit to being on call for at any given time. Typically, this is a MAXIMUM of two clients in any one month.

When considering cancellations and refunds, I will always try to be fair and proportionate.

  • I want to give you choice and avoid you paying for any care you have not received.
  • I want to deter people who reserve a place without thinking things through, then change their mind and cancel at the last minute and expect a full refund.
  • I want to be fair to myself I make a commitment to you when you book, I arrange my personal life around your due date and being on call 24/7. I may have had to decline other clients who are due at a similar time- Therefore all bookings for birth care will incur a £500 non-refundable holding fee.

Trying to balance all of this is a challenge and there will always be exceptional circumstances that will be considered on a case-by-case basis. However, below is my general refund policy.

Antenatal care

  • When booking a single appointment, payment in full will be taken at point of booking, this guarantees you a time slot which cannot be booked by another client. If you need to amend the day or time and give me more than 24 hours’ notice I will do this with no charge. All cancelled appointments will be subject to a 20% nonrefundable charge. If you cancel your appointment with less than 24 hours’ notice you will be entitled to a 50% refund.
  • If I am unable to make your appointment at any time, for any reason, you will be offered the option to change the day and/or time or a full refund.
  • If you book a package of care with me but have a miscarriage, you will only pay for the appointments you have received.
  • If you book a package of care and change your mind after the first appointment, you pay for the care you have had or pay £500 – whichever is the greater.
  • Antenatal care consists of visits every 4 weeks until 28 weeks of pregnancy. From that point on it will be fortnightly until 36 weeks of pregnancy, and then finally weekly until baby arrives. If baby has not arrived by 42 weeks, twice weekly appointments will be offered.
  • If you choose to miss appointments, you pay the same. There is no reduction.
  • If you have a package of antenatal care and you cancel an appointment on the day, it will be rearranged. If this happens more than once, I may not be able to rearrange this and you may lose that appointment- no refunds will be offered.
  • If you go into labour after 36 weeks, you pay in full for antenatal care.
  • If your pregnancy is prolonged past 42 weeks you pay the same, there is no additional charge for any extra appointments.

Birth care

The payment for birth includes the commitment to you, the on-call period, the care you receive, the equipment used and statutory clinical indemnity insurance.

It may also include:

  • A back-up midwife/birth worker being available in some circumstances. Home birth and hospital birth are charged at the same price as I believe you should make your decision for place of birth based on clinical need and personal preferences, not finance.
  • Being on call for you 24/7 from 37 weeks of pregnancy. There may also be a second back-up midwife/birth worker on call. Please call me or message me as soon as you think labour is starting, even if you don’t need me yet. This will allow me to plan my workload, notify my second and ensure I can be with you.

I do understand that sometimes, clinical situations arise, and your plans may change late in pregnancy. For example, your baby is breech or there are concerns about growth. I have tried to balance these situations and be reasonable in my refund policy. However, in exceptional circumstances, each case would be viewed individually. 

If you change your mind or your circumstances change before labour starts
  • If you book a package of care and change your mind before 36 weeks of pregnancy (35 weeks plus 7 days), you pay for the antenatal care you have received plus a £500 space holding fee. You can cancel the birth element of your care and receive a refund for this less the holding fee.
  • If you book a package of care and cancel care after 36 weeks (35 weeks plus 7 days) you are required to pay for the birth element of your care in full.

I appreciate that often the decision to change plans may only be made after a 36-week assessment, scan, or obstetric review etc. I also recognise that this could be deeply upsetting for you.
I want to be fair to you, so with this in mind, if the cancellation is due to a medical or maternity related condition:

  • You can cancel up to 37 weeks (36 weeks and 6 days) and receive a full refund for your Labour and birth care- less the holding fee.
  • You can have your midwife support you in hospital and pay in full

If your plan of care changes after 37 weeks of pregnancy (for clarity, 36 weeks plus 7 days), you will still need to pay in full for birth care.

  • If you have changed your mind, you pay in full
  • If your plans change from a home birth to a hospital birth, I remain on call and will be available to support you in hospital. The cost remains the same.
  • If your plans change after 37 weeks (36 weeks and 7 days) for medical reasons AND I am unable to accompany you into hospital AND you have had no care in labour at home, you will be offered a partial refund. During the time you are in hospital I will be available for you via phone or text for support but cannot give clinical advice. The cost below reflects my commitment to you and the on call cover I have committed to.
  • Birth after 37 weeks where I cannot attend you in Hospital and have provided no care at home you will receive a refund of £1900
Labour before 37 weeks
  • If you go into labour before 37 weeks, I will try to accompany you into hospital. If I am not available (as the on-call period has not commenced) I will refund you the full proportion of your birth fee less the £500 holding fee.
Labour after 37 weeks
  • If you receive any care at home during labour from me, you pay in full.
  • If a transfer to hospital in labour (before birth) is required AND you have received no care from me at Home and I am unable to attend you in labour I will refund you £1900. But will be available to provide support via text, phone or video call.
  • If your labour progresses very fast and baby is born after you call me but before I arrive, you pay in full. I will have prepared you for this situation and will guide you over the phone whilst I am travelling to you. On arrival I will provide immediate care to you and baby and complete the third stage of labour.
  • If labour is very prolonged, I may call a colleague to assist or take over care for a while. This is to maintain safety. Your fee will not be reduced in these circumstances.
Induction of labour

If you planned a home birth but labour needs to be induced or choose an induction of Labour, I will remain available to support you. I will explain the procedure to you. Induction is prescribed by an Obstetrician and completed in a hospital environment. 

I will attend the hospital to support you once labour is established. If you are having your waters broken and a drip commenced, we will discuss the appropriate time for me to come to the Hospital to support you. This may vary depending on the circumstances. The fee for birth care remains unchanged unless one of the circumstances above apply. 

Failing to call me
  • If you do not call me and you freebirth you still pay in full.
  • If you fail to call me and request me to attend when labour is established in hospital, you still pay in full.

Postnatal care

Postnatal care includes visits at home from me each lasting at least an hour. Typically, there are 3-4 visits in the first week, 3 in the second week, 2 in the 3rd week and on final appointment in the 4th week.

  • When booking a single appointment, payment in full will be taken at point of booking, this guarantees you a time slot which cannot be booked by another client. If you need to amend the day or time and give me more than 24 hours’ notice I will do this with no charge. All cancelled appointments will be subject to a 20% nonrefundable charge. If you cancel your appointment with less than 24 hours’ notice you will be entitled to a 50% refund.
  • If I am unable to make your appointment at any time, for any reason you will be offered the option to change the day and/or time or a full refund.
  • If you wish to shorten your duration of postnatal care I will look at how much care you have had and calculate a refund for you that is fair and reasonable.

Any refund would take account of the time already reserved in my diary for you.