Any Northern Ireland/ UK ladies, how supportive are NHS hospitals of natural birth?

[AphroditeN]

This one may be a bit too specific, but here goes.

I am 28 weeks at the moment, a while to go yet, and I having my baby at the Royal Maternity Hospital in Belfast. Recently I have been doing my research/ birth plan and would like to have as natural a birth as possible with minimum intervention. Does anyone have any experience of how supportive they are of this in NHS hospitals?

 

[sam2eb]

Hi

Ive had all my babies at the Ulster hospital. They have a great home from home unit there where natural birth is really encouraged! I havent actually ever used it as due to my history they recommended I deliver on the labour ward itself.

But even still I was pretty much left to my own devices with my 3rd baby. Midwife sat in the corner of the room and only got involved when I needed her. It was as natural as a hospital birth could be I reckon.

Are you able to take a tour of the labour ward at the Royal? That would give you a good idea as to what things are like there.

 

[Best step mum]

Hi, Im almost 20 weeks and I am having my baby in Craigavon Hospital. At my last midwife appointment I was told (by the midwife) that they try to encourage relaxation techniques and hypnobirthing as much as possible and that you will nto be pressured into having anything that you dont want. As long as you stick to Midwifery Led you should be ok, I have a friend who is a registrar in the Royal maternity unit and she keeps telling me that if the pain relief is available then it should always be taken....I dont agree. Why dont you discuss it with the midwife at your next appointment and see what they say but I know that mine has been very supportive of me wanting to do it as naturally as possible.

 

[Amygdala]

I think it depends a bit on the individual midwife you get but in general, the NHS seem to be very supportive of natural birth. My midwives tried to encourage me to use gas and air repeatedly (which I didn't, merely because I couldn't work it ) but never pushed any other pain relief on me. The first midwife I encountered made it quite clear that she disapproved of my plan to have a water birth though but everyone else was supportive.

 

[flubdub]

Our nearest hospital were very good with regards to wanting to do things natural. I was praised for having a physiological third stage, the breastfeeding help was quite good, and they were happy for you to co-sleep as long as you did it safely - we were given a leaflet on how to cosleep safely. In all three of my labours, I was encouraged to use the water pool (although I always declined) and pain relief wasn't forced upon you. I really like it there. I'm nowhere near Ireland, but the NHS is the NHS! Good luck

 

[cheshire]

I have alwas found all the midwives and the two hospitals that I delievered in were very supportive of natural birth.

 

[Tjkitty]

Put it on your birth plan, they read that first. Mine were very supportive!

 

[dan-o]

I was induced, on constant monitoring, with an antibiotic drip, but had a completely natural and active birth experience. I just dragged all the equipment round with me, its all on wheels lol!
The midwife barely interfered at all, I actually had to keep asking her to check me, as they don't like to do it often any more! My baby was delivered right onto my chest and I was breastfeeding as soon as she'd helped my placenta out and stitched me up!
I had to stay in that night as I was induced due to blood pressure, but that was it, I was home by midday the next day!

Hope to have a homebirth or birth centre delivery this time, but if that's not possible, then I won't worry too much!

 

[MaskedKitteh]

When I had my first, it was a horrible experience in the sense they tried to push drugs and I felt disorientated.

However, with my second, they we're lovely about how I wanted it to be mega calm and nautural as I explained about how I'd planned a homebirth, they checked I was in established labour, then handed me the gas and a birth ball and pretty much left me and OH to it other than checking my 4 hourly and a brief scan as the cord was coming before baby's head, and they wanted to sort it. I walked around, bounced got into loads of positions, watched tv etc it was a great experience