Testimonials

‘Claire Shatford at Early Days has quite honestly been our lifesaver! Coming home from the hospital post C Section I was finding breastfeeding quite a challenge, my baby wasn’t gaining weight like she should, she wasn’t sleeping and I had the mum guilts like you wouldn’t believe. 1 phone call to Claire and my mind was at ease. With Claire not only having the lactation consultant qualification but combined with the years of midwifery practice behind her and being a mother of 4 herself, she was calming, reassuring and above all else gave me hope! The following day Claire came to see me to watch a feed, she made small adjustments while I was feeding, tweaks that just made the breastfeeding ’click’ while talking me through what she was doing and why. I’ll admit I was very nervous about contacting a LC, out of fear of judgment as we were mix feeding with both boob and bottle as well as breast milk and formula. Claire not only embraced our decision, but she went through the bottles with us to ensure we were using the right ones for our baby and showed us the correct technique to help reduce colic. After applying the techniques we learnt from Claire our baby girl has been a completely different baby, she’s feeding well, growing, she’s alert and I’ve gone from being fearful of breastfeeding to enjoying it. Both my husband and I strongly recommend Claire for any new mum who has concerns or worries over breastfeeding.’

‘Claire was my midwife in 2018 when I became pregnant as a first-time mum with twins. Right from the start of what could have been a very scary experience, Claire was there to guide myself and husband through everything. She is so incredibly caring and knowledgeable that we could trust her judgement and advice 100%. After giving birth early, at 32 weeks, having her with me with her positivity and reassurance she really made our birthing experience wonderful. During our subsequent stay in NICU, I always enjoyed Claires many visits. I couldn’t recommend Claire more highly as she is a beautiful caring professional that will enhance any mums experience with their newborn x.’

‘We can't fault the care provided by Claire. She is an extremely warm, caring, considerate and professional person. The care and support we received after the birth was particularly appreciated. We always felt respected, at ease and comfortable with Claire. She provided excellent information in a relaxed manner. We have huge respect for Claire and felt truly grateful to have such a wonderful person supporting us through the journey.’

‘Claire was an amazing midwife during my very complex pregnancy. We had an early delivery at 28weeks and Claire was there every step of the way, even in NICU. During postnatal care I struggled with being able to express for my baby. Claire was very supportive and helped with techniques, while ensuring I was also having a positive experience with baby. Our daughter spent 3 long months in NICU care, which was an extremely stressful and emotional time for myself. Claire helped me with compassion and empathy. It was such a pleasure to have her come and visit on numerous occasions checking on me and baby.
She was my rock during one of the hardest, most difficult times in my life. Helping with my happy ending I spent so long fighting for.’

‘I was lucky enough to have the support of Claire throughout the early stages of breastfeeding both my children. Claire is so knowledgeable & has a calm and nurturing way of teaching. Claire shows many tricks and tips and made our breastfeeding journey as easy as possible. I cannot recommend her enough.’

‘Right from our first meeting, Claire’s warm and open nature made my wife and I feel instantly at ease. I felt like we had won the midwife lottery!!
To be honest, I was actually really nervous at the start of my pregnancy but having Claire’s wealth of knowledge and confidence there to guide us was a huge relief.
Claire was always there to listen and no question was ever off topic or awkward.
I felt really well informed the whole way through and felt really supported in the decisions I made about both my birth and feeding.
Claire has the most amazing ability to be direct when needed, which made me feel safe. Her determination provided the best possible care for our family which was invaluable.
I really felt like I had someone in my corner the whole way through my pregnancy and for that I’m very grateful.
Even when it came to the actual birth day Claire was a calm, kind and nurturing.
After my birth it was so lovely having Claire visit us each week. Her bubbly nature and vast knowledge on caring for babies and new mums was a lifesaver.
Claire is a super star and we feel so lucky to have had her warmth and knowledge with us as we welcomed our wee son into the world.’