For many new parents, the idea of getting out of the house with a baby, especially when feeding is already difficult, can feel like one thing too many.
That is the gap Stone based midwife Gem is helping to address through Day One Midwife, a home visiting tongue-tie service supporting families across Staffordshire and beyond. The service offers assessment for babies up to one year old, with same day division where appropriate, all in the family’s own home.
Gem, who grew up in Yarnfield and now lives in Stone, says the aim is to make support easier to access at a point when parents are often already tired, worried and under pressure.
She said:
“Hi, I’m Gem. I’m a practising midwife and tongue-tie practitioner with nearly two decades’ experience supporting families in the early weeks after birth.
Through Day One Midwife, I specialise in at-home tongue-tie assessment and treatment for babies.
Research shows prompt assessment and feeding support by a trained practitioner, with treatment where needed, can improve outcomes for families.”
Bringing care to families at home
The service is built around a simple idea, that parents should not always have to wait for a clinic appointment, pack everything up and head out when they are dealing with a newborn and feeding concerns.
Instead, Gem visits families at home, offering assessment in familiar surroundings and, where suitable, treatment on the same day.
She said:
“Visiting families at home simplifies things for parents. No waiting for a clinic appointment. No packing bags, travel or parking. Just the comfort of your own space. And in my experience, babies often settle more quickly and feed better when they’re treated at home.”
That home based approach is likely to resonate with plenty of local parents. In the first weeks with a baby, even a short trip can feel like a major task. Add worries around feeding, and the stress quickly builds.
Earlier assessment can also matter when problems begin to show. In some areas, families can face a long wait for specialist appointments, which can leave them trying to manage feeding difficulties in the meantime. A service that comes to them can offer a faster route to getting answers.
A service shaped by personal experience
For Gem, this work is not only professional, it is personal too.
Both of her daughters were born with a tongue-tie, and she says that experience helped shape what she wanted to offer other families.
She said:
“Both of my daughters were born with a tongue-tie, so I understand the experience not just as a midwife but as a parent too. That really shaped the work I do now.”
Alongside running Day One Midwife, Gem is a practising midwife, a qualified tongue-tie practitioner, a member of the Association of Tongue-Tie Practitioners, and her service is registered with the Care Quality Commission.
She has also been a familiar face to many local families through antenatal classes in Stone since 2019.
There is a strong local thread running through it all. Gem grew up nearby, now lives in Stone with her family, and says she still enjoys staying connected with parents long after their babies have arrived.
For families in Stone, it means specialist support is available from someone with both professional experience and a direct understanding of what those early weeks can be like.
More information about Day One Midwife is available at dayonemidwife.com.
