That is one thing I love about this board! You get to see how other places do things. Fascinating!

It is neat to see the differences! So does a midwife deliver all you ladies in the uk? Or do you just get the on call OB at the hospital that day?
We have our family doc till about 28 weeks then OB. But your OB may not deliver you if they are not at the hospital when it's go time.

We are different here in the US. OB from the beginning up to birth. But like you in Canada, there is no guarantee your OB will be on call when you go into labor. With my practice there are 9 OB's and they encourage you rotate around during the monthly appointments so that you will have at least met the Dr. who will deliver your baby.

In the UK most of our care is through midwives, indeed for most women they only see midwives.
You have your community midwife who you see for regular appts (and possibly birth if you have a homebirth) but it will be different midwives in hospital where you deliver.

You see an OB if you have a higher risk pregnancy but last time I didn't even meet my consultant! I met one of the junior doctors.
Then when giving birth I was in the Obs unit rather than m/w led but it was still m/ws who looked after me until we had problems. Midwives did all stages of induction, monitored me and then called for the on call OB when ds hr went up.I don't even remember who the OB was that delivered DS! (Just asked DH and apparently it was a woman! More than I knew!!!)
I will meet my OB at 20wk appt, when we will discuss my plans for home birth after c-section. Fingers crossed they don't make it too difficult for me!

But for most women they will not meet an OB at any stage!

It varies across the UK but most hospitals (at least the two I have been to) have a main birthing unit which is equipped for all types of delivery and has options such as pathedine (sp?) and epidurals. There are usually a few OBs on standby in as well incase a delivery requires extra assistance.

There is also usually another section in the hospital which is either called a midwife led birth unit or a home from home unit. They have gas and air, water pools and in mine an indoor peace garden. They are for low risk pregnancies and women that want a more natural delivery, they are great because usually you can sleep in the room you give birth in with your partner privatly instead of transferring to the ward.

My first was delivered by an OB. I still remember he came in wearing his motorbike leathers and was drop deap gorgeous . and said 'Just came to see how you are getting on before I start my shift' as I had been in labour 48 hours by then and he was on shift earlier in my labour! He came in later (properly dressed) and delivered my son with a suction cap, as his heartrate was dropping.

My community midwives worked at a different hospital to the one I gave birth in... had I given birth in the 'other' hospital I could have ended up having one of them for the birth (I remember my lovely community midwife ringing me up at home after the birth to tell me she'd just delivered my friend's baby )

I actually didn't see anyone other than a midwife or nurse until I needed an episiotomy to deliver the baby!! Doctor made the cut, stayed for delivery then sewed me back up. That's all I saw of one whole pregnancy and labour!!

Over where I am in the North of the UK if its considered a non risky pregnancy you're just left in the care of community midwives.... For both of mine now I've had appointments with midwifes only in the local community and just 2 scans at hospital at 12 and 20 weeks. What is an Obgyn lol??

Actually I tell a lie... he didn't actually deliver the baby the mw did that... all the dr did was make the cut and sew me back up!

I had the same midwife for all appts but then different midwives when giving birth. Funnily enough the midwife who delivered Henry remembered me (was only there 10 months before!) and she said "I sat down with you and discussed contraception before you left didn't I? You didn't believe me when I said you were most fertile in the first few weeks then?" and just laughed. She was lovely

This time I will see the same midwife all the way through AND she may be at the birthing unit I give birth at if she is on shift. (obviously if I become high risk then I'll have to be transferred to a consultant-based/main labour ward)

You are a brave woman. I was told that after a c section you shou wait till your child is 15 months to be pregnant again, and this would be acceptable for trying vbac. I would love to try for vbac but my son was 12 months when I got preggers so we shall see what they recommend. How old was yours when you found out? Wonder what they'll say.

My son was only 6 months old when this lo was conceived. The most recent review of evidence indicates that the risk of uterine rupture in women who have had a c-section is much lower than previously thought. There is an increased risk if you have had more than one c-section or if there is less than 12 months since your c-section. DS will be 14/15 months when this baby arrives. Here's a link to the study. And an article in the Royal College of Midwives journal.
Understandably Obstetricians are concerned about the risk of this happening as the consequences can be dire. I will not undertake a hbac if there are any medical reasons not to and if baby is overdue and showing signs of distress then I will have an elective section but otherwise I am determined to birth this child myself (I just need to go into labour between 37 and 41 weeks to get my home birth!). There's a good thread in the labour and birth section on vbac with lots of links to information and resources as well as women who have succeeded in vbac! I was even told when in theatre that I should be able to vbac next time, don't think anyone expected it would be so soon though