Lotus Midwife is an Independent Midwifery Practice, provides antenatal care, support during your baby's birth, and postnatal care for six weeks.
Berkshire Independent Midwifery Practice is a new service launching in January 2016. I am Sarah March, registered Midwife, International Certified Lactation Consultant and Tongue-tie Practitioner. A Birth mother myself to three children, (one Vaginal Breech Birth, one Homebirth, one Premature Emergency Cesarean), and I am also blessed to have two grown up children who complete my Family. I offer tailored Antenatal care, unhurried and relaxed in your own home; this can be one off appointments in addition to your NHS care, or part of a complete package. For your Labour and Baby's Birth, I am experienced in Homebirth and Waterbirth, however can accompany you to your hospital birth if desired. Most hospitals do not provide insurance for independent midwives, therefore if you chose a hospital birth, (or we transfer there in the event of a complication) I can accompany you as your advocate. Postnatal support is available for six weeks following the birth of your baby, I visit you at home daily to start, and can assist you with all aspects of feeding and caring for your newborn. As a Lactation Consultant, I specialise in Breastfeeding support and can offer one to one breastfeeding antenatal and postnatal sessions, also as a one off appointment or as part of your pregnancy package. I specialise in tongue tie assessment and am qualified to perform frenulotomy (the division of the tongue tie) in babies up to six months old. Other services include:
Support and Advocacy for Consultant appointments,
Birth Plan preparation,
Previous Birth Debrief,
Pregnancy Belly Casting and Birth Art! Please do call for a chat if you feel an independent midwife might be right for you, i would be happy to answer your questions!
18/02/2026
🌟 Toddlers are more than welcome at both the breastfeeding support groups I volunteer at!
🌟 We love having them there and have some toys for them to play with too!
🌟 All our volunteers have all been there with noisy, messy toddlers🤣 Please don’t think you cannot bring them with you if you are in need of support, we genuinely love having them there ❤️
Free support available at:
Support available every Thursday 12-2pm (except the month of aug)
The Austin Leigh Baldwin Institute
Eton High St
SL4 6AQ
And
Fridays 11:00-12:30
Surrey Health family centre
Kingston road
GU15 4AF
🤱Sarah March,
Registered Midwife
IBCLC
Tongue tie practitioner.
🌟Had a rare day off today and went to see the Marie Antoinette exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum with my daughter.
🌟This terracotta sculpture of a Peasant woman is one of my favourite pieces, made in 1783 by Aime-Jules Dalou and it shows the baby having a deep latch with the mother using the ‘scissor’ technique.
🌟 What I wasn’t expecting to see was this weird b**b bowl - that apparently Marie Antoinette used to drink milk out of, some googling later says that it’s modelled on Ancient Greek vessels called mastoïdos.
🌟 Hey ho, back to work tomorrow! 😊
🤱Sarah March,
Registered Midwife
IBCLC
Tongue tie practitioner.
🌟 Pumping to increase your supply? Have you tried the 5-4-3-2-1 technique?
🌟 This technique tries to mimic baby’s behaviour when they stop and start feeding - stimulating behaviour- to try and signal to your body to urgently make more milk.
🌟 It also tries to boost more oxytocin releases which would stimulate multiple let downs in one pumping session.
🌟 If you have concerns over milk supply, please do reach out to an IBCLC and we would love to help you!
❤️
🤱Sarah March,
Registered Midwife
IBCLC
Tongue tie practitioner.
🌟How do you stop or phase out topping up with expressed breastmilk or formula?
🌟 When you are ready to start reducing the top ups, first you must calculate how much expressed breastmilk your baby has been having in a 24 hr period. You then reduce that about by 30ml (or 1oz). You then divide that new total by how many top ups you are giving.
🌟 You can try the ‘top ups sandwich method’ where as the top up decreases (either breastmilk or formula) you pop the bay back on the breast after the top up.
🌟 As you repeat this process, and the top ups reduce, eventually the two ends of your breastfeeds meet in the middle to create one big feed.
🌟As the baby’s need for top ups reduce, you can gradually reduce the expressing.
🌟 These reels are meant as a guide, and not intended to replace skilled IBCLC support (preferably face to face)
🌟This is information I wish every new parent had… save it 📌 Share it 💌 tag someone who needs to hear it 🥰
🌟 For further details on how I may be able to support you, please do get in touch!
🤱Sarah March,
Registered Midwife
IBCLC
Tongue tie practitioner.
🌟 How long does it take for milk supply to increase if you are pumping alongside topping up?
🌟 Did you know that it takes 3-5 days for your body to either increase or decrease milk supply, depending on the increase or decrease in stimulation?
🌟 The key is to be consistent-milk supply changes do not happen instantly, your body needs time to recognise there’s an increase (or decrease) in demand and takes time to adjust.
antenatalhandexpressing
🤱Sarah March,
Registered Midwife
IBCLC
Tongue tie practitioner.
🌟How do you stop or phase out topping up with expressed breastmilk?
🌟 If exclusive or close to exclusive breastfeeding is your goal, your body needs time to adjust to the new demand in feeds (previously your baby would be getting those from the top ups) and the aim has been to increase your supply- which is most likely why you have been expressing.
🌟 When you are ready to start reducing the top ups, first you must calculate how much expressed breastmilk your baby has been having in a 24 hr period. You then reduce that about by 30ml (or 1oz). You then divide that new total by how many top ups you are giving.
🌟 You can try the ‘top ups sandwich method’ where as the top up decreases (either breastmilk or formula) you pop the bay back on the breast after the top up.
🌟 As you repeat this process, and the top ups reduce, eventually the two ends of your breastfeeds meet in the middle to create one big feed.
🌟As the baby’s need for top ups reduce, you can gradually reduce the expressing.
🌟 These reels are meant as a guide, and not intended to replace skilled IBCLC support (preferably face to face)
🌟This is information I wish every new parent had… save it 📌 Share it 💌 tag someone who needs to hear it 🥰
🌟 For further details on how I may be able to support you, please do get in touch!
🤱Sarah March,
Registered Midwife
IBCLC
Tongue tie practitioner.
🌟How do you stop or phase out expressing if you have been topping up with expressed breastmilk?
🌟 If exclusive or close to exclusive breastfeeding is your goal, your body needs time to adjust to the new demand in feeds (previously your baby would be getting those from the top ups) and the aim is to increase your supply- which is most likely why you have been expressing.
🌟 When you are ready to start reducing the top ups, first you must calculate how much expressed breastmilk your baby has been having in a 24 hr period. You then reduce that about by 30ml (or 1oz). You then divide that new total by how many top ups you are giving.
🌟As the baby’s need for top ups reduce, you can gradually reduce the expressing.
🌟 These reels are meant as a guide, and not intended to replace skilled IBCLC support (preferably face to face)
🌟This is information I wish every new parent had… save it 📌 Share it 💌 tag someone who needs to hear it 🥰
🌟 For further details on how I may be able to support you, please do get in touch!
🤱Sarah March,
Registered Midwife
IBCLC
Tongue tie practitioner.
🌟 Once you are ready to start reducing the top ups, it’s important not to stop the top ups overnight, especially if the top ups have been formula milk.
🌟 If exclusive or close to exclusive breastfeeding is your goal, your body needs time to adjust to the new demand in feeds (previously your baby would be getting those from the top ups) and the aim is to increase your supply at the same time as the formula is reduced.
🌟 When you are ready to start reducing the top ups, first you must calculate how much formula your baby has been having in a 24 hr period. You then reduce that about by 30ml (or 1oz). You then divide that new total by how many top ups you are giving.
🌟 For example: your baby has 300ml of formula in 24hrs over 8 top ups. Your new total would be 270ml, divide that by 8 to give you a new individual top ups value of around 34ml.
🌟 These reels are meant as a guide, and not intended to replace skilled IBCLC support (preferably face to face)
🌟 For further details on how I may be able to support you, please do get in touch!
🤱Sarah March,
Registered Midwife
IBCLC
Tongue tie practitioner.
🌟 Before considering reducing formula or expressed breastmilk top ups, we must make sure that the baby’s latch is as good as it possible.
🌟 Once you are ready to start reducing the top ups, it’s important not to stop the top ups overnight, especially if the top ups have been formula milk.
🌟 If exclusive or close to exclusive breastfeeding is your goal, your body needs time to adjust to the new demand in feeds (previously your baby would be getting those from the top ups) and the aim is to increase your supply at the same time as the formula is reduced.
🌟 These reels are meant as a guide, and not intended to replace skilled IBCLC support (preferably face to face)
🌟 For further details on how I may be able to support you, please do get in touch!
🤱Sarah March,
Registered Midwife
IBCLC
Tongue tie practitioner.
🌟 Before considering reducing formula or expressed breastmilk top ups, we must make sure that the baby’s latch is as good as it possibly can be.
🌟 This may mean going right back to basics with the positioning and attachment, whilst also ruling out attachment issues such as tongue tie or high palate.
🌟 These reels are meant as a guide, and not intended to replace skilled IBCLC support (preferably face to face)
🌟 For further details on how I may be able to support you, please do get in touch!
🤱Sarah March,
Registered Midwife
IBCLC
Tongue tie practitioner.
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My experience as a midwife has taught me that for birth to unfold well, we (midwives) must build a good strong relationship built on trust with the mother and her birth partner. I work to build this trust over regular appointments in your home at a time convenient for you both and these usually last 45mins, but can take longer if needed.
The first appointment takes around two hours to take a full history, and subsequent appointments include your clinical checks as well as emotional support, preparation for the birth and resources such as DVDs and books. The birth plan preparation at 36 weeks takes some time, so to ensure that you are well informed. Should your baby decide to wait a little longer to arrive then the extra antenatal visits at 41 and 42 weeks are included too, as are information books such as 'induction of labour ', 'GBS' etc which we would take time to make sure that you have all the information to make an informed decision.
If your baby decides to arrive prematurely (before 37 weeks) I shall endeavour to be there to support you at the birth, and care continues for the full antenatal and postnatal period past your due date. I am experienced both personally (my own son arrived at 32 weeks) and have a wealth of professional experience regarding caring for and feeding babies who are born prematurely.
I am available to you throughout your pregnancy for any questions or concerns, via telephone or email outside of our scheduled appointments and I am able to attend consultant appointments and extra scans with you if this is needed in your care plan.
I also lend a birth pool (saving you around £150 for hire) and a Tens machine (another £50 saving) so that you have them if you would like to use them, and I deliver these to you at 36 weeks. Should you plan a homebirth, I can assist you and your partner with the preparations.
From 37 weeks- I would be 'on call' for you, and therefore stay close to home so that I can attend to you when you feel you need me. When the day of your baby's birth comes, I am able to attend to you in labour and support you during the birth, whether at home or in hospital.
Labour and Birth Care
I am fully insured for Labour and Birth Care through 'My Midwife and Me'
Includes: Full Midwifery Care throughout your pregnancy (booking from 8-12 weeks) regular antenatal appointments, birth preparation, breastfeeding antenatal session, On call from 37 weeks of pregnancy, support for your hospital or homebirth and full postnatal care for both mother and baby for up to six weeks.
Also includes Birth Pool and TENS machine loan.
Cost: £4500
For Families looking for midiwfery care later in pregnancy, please be aware that the cost is the same. This is sadly due to insurance, and all the fact that when Independent Midwives take on care at such a late stage, there's often a lot of complex history and a lot of work to do between the IM and the family and less time to do that in. Ideally, please book no later than 36 weeks of pregnancy, so that there's time for birth preparation and time for me to get to know you and your preferences.
