Home Birthers & Hopefuls!

[lnic1970]

Hi Cupcake thanks very much for this, I really am at odds with myself as alot of the literature I have read & research I have done suggests that I can quite easily achieve my VBA2C, however, the increased risk does definately exist..

I know that if I opt to labour & attempt to deliver in hospital they will put time limits on me for each stage etc and my midwife agreed that if I were to be in hospital then it was probable that id end up having another section. I am open minded to my options at the moment and will just have to see how the rest of my pregnancy progresses and at the end of the day the important thing is a healthy happy baby..

Its great to be able to talk to someone in the profession x

 

[Rachiebaby24]

Welcome Cupcake!! LOVELY to have a MW join us! I've seen a bit of MW bashing around the forum and TBH most of it is generally unjustified. I have never come across a MW in real life who wasnt supportive and professional and I think you'd get the same rantings from time to time from a bunch of hormonal women who ever was taking care of them!
I for one am in awe! I'd love to be a MW one day and I'm sure I'd soon get a picture of what life in any part of the NHS maternity services is REALLY like and I'm guessing it's not easy at all.

Thank you very much for such a warm welcome

I love being a midwife...its hard work but seeing a new life and the happiness it brings makes me happy...I hope I always feel that way....sadly the NHS does have knack of breaking your spirit

It does make me sad that so many people here have had bad experiences because I know that I would never treat anybody with disrespect, scare them, be rude etc...



.x.x.x.

I also think its great your here. Cant say i have had a bad experience with a midwife but i think on a whole NHS doctors, nurses and midwifes are overworked and underpaid. I think the ones who are good deserve medals as you must be doing it for the love of the job!

I have known one or two not so nice midwives (one who looked after my sister was quite snappy and quite cold - but to be fair my sister was being a pain!) but to loop all in the same boat is wrong.

xx

 

[Shifter]

I really recommend joining the ukvbachbac yahoo group if you are thinking about a vbac/hbac. There are women on the group who have had vba4cs! The up to date figures for uterine rupture are actually 0.35% and no statistically significant increased risk for multiple previous c/sections. The higher figure comes from a time when vbac women were induced, they don't do that any more as it is known to be contraindicated for vbac.

There are many wide and varied risks in life that are significantly more likely than uterine rupture during a vbac, oh and what "they" never tell you is that there is a risk of UR during a c-section as well as all of the other risks of major surgery!

There were 2 MWs at my HB at all times

 

[Shifter]

Unfortunately, NHS MWs are constrained by protocols that prevent them from providing true woman-centred care. The IMs that I know left the NHS for this reason, they felt they could not do the job they wanted to do because of pressure on them from higher up to follow rules designed to reduce risk of litigation. I think it is a real shame and have the utmost respect for those MWs who put their jobs on the line for the sake of the women in their care.

 

[mrsmo7]

ER i have just seen your photo and i can not believe they are talking about your weight!!

you are georgous!

I have a high BMI of 39 and am a size 18 and because of this they didn't want me to have a homebirth but in the end they had to admit there is no real problems with giving birth and having a high BMI

 

[cupcake23]

I really recommend joining the ukvbachbac yahoo group if you are thinking about a vbac/hbac. There are women on the group who have had vba4cs! The up to date figures for uterine rupture are actually 0.35% and no statistically significant increased risk for multiple previous c/sections. The higher figure comes from a time when vbac women were induced, they don't do that any more as it is known to be contraindicated for vbac.
There are many wide and varied risks in life that are significantly more likely than uterine rupture during a vbac, oh and what "they" never tell you is that there is a risk of UR during a c-section as well as all of the other risks of major surgery!

There were 2 MWs at my HB at all times

At my trust we still do inductions for VBACs (Following Nice guidelines.....these guidelines do need to be updated though) so I would still account for the 'higher' statistical risk, but I agree with you that like anything in life there are risks and its personal choice how we perceive them.

 

[cupcake23]

Hi Cupcake thanks very much for this, I really am at odds with myself as alot of the literature I have read & research I have done suggests that I can quite easily achieve my VBA2C, however, the increased risk does definately exist..

I know that if I opt to labour & attempt to deliver in hospital they will put time limits on me for each stage etc and my midwife agreed that if I were to be in hospital then it was probable that id end up having another section. I am open minded to my options at the moment and will just have to see how the rest of my pregnancy progresses and at the end of the day the important thing is a healthy happy baby..

Its great to be able to talk to someone in the profession x

I definitely think a homebirth is achievable...it’s just getting the right care....all you can do is be prepared with loads of research which you are obviously doing.

Good luck.x.

 

[gina8177]

Hello Lisa and Cupcake and welcome!!!

I think it is nice to get the perspective of a MW. And it must be annoying when everyone lumps all MW together when they've had a less than ideal experiecne. I am lucky because I got to choose my MW and love her. And she should be the one delivering my baby (and staying with me throughout labour 100%). Since most poeple go with dr's here it works much differently with MW, we get to choose them and you deal with only them (and possibly one backup). Hopefully I won't get her backup, but I am meeting her too just in case. She's never had to use her backup in over 750 births, but you never know.

I found that I stopped watching births that didn't provide a positive experiecne for me after a while (although I don't get that show you all watch here).

Lisa (mervs mom) - This is my first child, and I will have a birthing pool but will give birth wherever feels right at the time (re water vs land).

 

[cupcake23]

Hello Lisa and Cupcake and welcome!!!

I think it is nice to get the perspective of a MW. And it must be annoying when everyone lumps all MW together when they've had a less than ideal experiecne. I am lucky because I got to choose my MW and love her. And she should be the one delivering my baby (and staying with me throughout labour 100%). Since most poeple go with dr's here it works much differently with MW, we get to choose them and you deal with only them (and possibly one backup). Hopefully I won't get her backup, but I am meeting her too just in case. She's never had to use her backup in over 750 births, but you never know.

I found that I stopped watching births that didn't provide a positive experiecne for me after a while (although I don't get that show you all watch here).

Lisa (mervs mom) - This is my first child, and I will have a birthing pool but will give birth wherever feels right at the time (re water vs land).

Im lucky that I have one to one care...I know that if I wasnt a midwife I would never have got that with the hospital Im booked with....Its a shame that not all women get the same treatment.

You would think I would stop watching birthing programmes but I cant seem to get enough...Ive seen enough in real life to have stopped me having another one but I know mentally and physically Im ready to have this baby the way nature intended....to be honest not musch worries me, well I try not worry but Im really looking forward to my homebirth.

 

[BabyHaines]

Hello Inic (wow - what a lovely pic- is that where you live??)

Hello Cupcake!! Don't worry we'll keep it to ourselves hehe - you'd have 1,000 PM's a day from all us worried girlies!! lol

I have had an experience with a complete cow of a MW in hospital at 24 wks. It put me right off going to the labour ward and just generally terrified the life out of me!!
However.....My community MW is an angel and I love seeing her. She is a rock and is so, so calm. I pray that she is available/on call to attend my labour, as I know she'll get me through it.

I envy your job, I imagine that nothing much compares to helping bring a new life into the world and that feeling must be amazing, especially when you are making that moment as special as possible.
However, I imagine that it's also very, very difficult. I struggle with my views on the NHS. I am so grateful it exists, and feel we are very lucky. However, I also get frustrated that as the others said, their core staff are over worked and under paid. I know three people that work for the NHS (administration) and one is a manager who drives around in a brand new Merc....paid for by the NHS, the other is a manager who drives round in a convertable BMW and the other one is a clinical coder who can earn £150 O/T rate.
I find that side of it disgusting. Why the hell should that be the case?? I believe we should pay the people on the front line - the actual care givers the highest amounts and those who simply push pens should be paid accordingly!!

**Ooooh, sorry - rant over** Didn't realise quite how strongly I felt about it!! lol xxxx

 

[EternalRose]

Welcome Cupcake, a resident midwife in the group! YAY! ..and I havent checked the front page of the first thread Lisa but you probably already know that this is my first child. x

 

[EternalRose]

BabyHaines, when I was a student nurse I got a £5,000 a year bursary thats how me and Manda know each other previously as we were both on a student nurse forum. That was the only income I got, divide that by 12 and tell me if you like it? I must admit, I still feel lucky to have not come away with any tuition fee debt as the government paid that but I had to take a break from the course I was so worn out. I was told at the start of my course that the attrition rate for student nurses is 50%. I loved being a nurse, I miss caring for patients so much some days so it really hit home to leave but I was doing 7.30am-7.30pm on a ward, running home to get sleep and something to eat and then doing 10pm-3am twilight shift. I would then run home again ( I lived at the hospital in nurses quarters ) sleep for 3 hours and then get up to do the whole thing again. All this just to pay my rent, I just couldnt carry on. Absolutely LOVED my time out on placement with the community midwives though, didnt feel like work at all....

I kind of want to try again with the NHS though. I had something in mind, but I have also been thinking about midwifery lately.. I may have sent off my transcripts for consideration on Monday. This whole BMI fiasco has really made me think more about ethnic minorities in pregnancy. Like Manda, with her ghetto booty I wonder if there are more women like me that have felt discriminated against in pregnancy? Maybe I could help make some positive changes.

EEEK, why are my posts so long now..

 

[Celesse]

I used to be a nurse as well, in fact I also started my midwifery. I stopped in 2006 cos of a combination of ill health and bad choices because of this. I now have an office job which isn't that much lower paid than a junior nurse, is well into my comfort zone and has a lot of life style benefits.

I find it interesting that those of us who have had professional contact with hospitals and maternity units are choosing to deliver at home.

 

[BabyHaines]

Good on you honey.
It would be nice to encourage more MW's especially those that actually care. I'm all for it!!

And as for the hours you had to work - what can I say...?? It's no wonder the staff seem grumpy at hospital!! xxxx

 

[EternalRose]

I used to be a nurse as well, in fact I also started my midwifery. I stopped in 2006 cos of a combination of ill health and bad choices because of this. I now have an office job which isn't that much lower paid than a junior nurse, is well into my comfort zone and has a lot of life style benefits.

I find it interesting that those of us who have had professional contact with hospitals and maternity units are choosing to deliver at home.

I hadnt considered that before...are you glad you no longer work in the nhs or do you miss it sometimes? x x

 

[EternalRose]

Good on you honey.
It would be nice to encourage more MW's especially those that actually care. I'm all for it!!

And as for the hours you had to work - what can I say...?? It's no wonder the staff seem grumpy at hospital!! xxxx

I think what I was doing was completely illegal in all fairness. I worked for the nhs professional bank doing twilight shifts, no questions asked they just needed the staff so I took advantage of it but definately not safe or beneficial from a patients point of view I was just so tired all the time.

 

[Celesse]

I miss it a lot and would consider my return to practise if OH had a secure job. He doesn't work atm so we can't afford for me to go part time for the 3 months it would take. Which is part of the reason we decided to have babies now. I may as well be on maternity leave from a non career job and pregnant whilst working an office job and look at returning once our family is complete.

 

[EternalRose]

Speaking of jobs, what does everyone do on this thread. I know what MM does, Manda and cupcake..but what about everyone else. Anyone planning on being a SAHM afterwards or going back to work straight after? x x

 

[EternalRose]

I miss it a lot and would consider my return to practise if OH had a secure job. He doesn't work atm so we can't afford for me to go part time for the 3 months it would take. Which is part of the reason we decided to have babies now. I may as well be on maternity leave from a non career job and pregnant whilst working an office job and look at returning once our family is complete.

I see hun , I hope you do go back one day I thought that feeling of 'missing' it would go away but it hasnt for me and I used to moan a lot about it at the time. What speciality did you do?

 

[Celesse]

I did a couple of years on medical (and loved it) followed by a year on surgical (and hated it) followed by a few months as a student midwife before having to leave.