Choosing the Domino Scheme

The Domino scheme means, in theory, that one midwife looks after you throughout your pregnancy, goes into hospital with you for the delivery, and accompanies you home again a few hours afterwards. Although the scheme isn't available everywhere and in practice you may not have the same midwife with you in labour who looked after you during pregnancy, research suggests that it's a very popular scheme with women. It gives them the satisfaction of developing an excellent relationship with one midwife whom they can confide in and whom they can trust to help them achieve the kind of birth they want. You may, however, have to be persistent if you want to choose a Domino delivery.

Schemes very similar to Domino are likely to be available to more women in the future. This is because a recent government report, called Changing Childbirth, recommends that women should see just a few midwives for their maternity care. At present, it's quite likely that the midwife whom you see at your GP's surgery will not be the mid¬wife who helps you give birth, or that, if you are going to the hospital for your antenatal checks, you see a different midwife and doctor every time you have an appointment. This makes it very difficult for the health professionals to get to know you and for you to get to know them. All over the country, the way in which midwives work is now being changed and soon, pregnant women should find them¬selves being looked after by a small team of midwives who will take responsibility for them from when they find out they are pregnant until after the birth of their babies. This will make it much easier for women to get information about their choices for birth, to ask questions and to feel relaxed with their carers. Perhaps it's never been such a good time to be pregnant!