Midwife Led Marernity Unit (UK) - Opinions?

[Maple_Fairy]

I know it’s a little way off but I’m having a bit of a dilemma at the moment.

I can go to one of three hospitals to have my baby. Two of them have everything needed incase of an emergency... doctors to go ahead and do C Sections if required or deal with any other serious emergency... one is quite far away from home though and the other quite close...

Then, there is the other hospital which is a Midwife Led Unit only which means if there was an emergency you would get transported with blues on to one of the other hospitals as the Midwife Led Unit doesn’t have the facilities for C Sections or to deal with a serious emergency...

However I really like the atmosphere in the Midwife Led Unit.. you have your own room throughout the whole of the birth and afterwards with your own bathroom/shower... the pool room is amazing.. pool, bed, sofa bed for partner, dimmed lighting, TV, CD player and just a very relaxed environment which doesn’t seem very hospitaly at all. An environment I would love to have my baby in! You can’t have an epidural here though or have Some other pain relief without being transported to the other hospital. In an ideal world I would like a water birth anyway so this I can deal with... it’s just the emergency side of things that concerns me should something go wrong!

My question is, has anyone else had their baby in a Midwife Led Unit before and what is their opinion on it? I’m so scared of something going wrong and the care not being there immediately but the atmosphere is lush in there.. I just don’t know what to do!! They’re transfer rate is about 20% ... because it’s such a relaxed environment they have a good reputation for an easier, natural birth ...

Confused!!

 

[Emsabub]

I didn’t have my first in a MLU but this time I am.

The experience looks so much nicer than the usual delivery suite with their lighting, pools and stuff but what makes you think you might need a C section?

If you’ve been low risk with minimal problems the default option is usually the birth centre (it is where I am anyway, Worcestershire) so you should be ok If you haven’t had any issues

 

[Maple_Fairy]

With regards to a C Section I am just trying to be mentally ready for every scenario I think as I know things can happen all of a sudden and things can change so quickly with labour and delivery...

I am (at the moment) low risk and had no problems (hopefully it stays that way!) .... but it’s also my first baby so I’m very much in a “anything could happen” frame of mind!

Midwife Led does look and sound amazing and I think I would definitely cope much better in a relaxed environment... there’s just always that “what if” lingering in the back of my mind!

 

[pinkstarbinks]

If your low risk and based on how your thoughts are coming across id vote mw led. Have had 2 of my boys in mw led unit and it was amazing. May be be quite quick getting to the other place if need be also, if in an ambulance especially x

 

[DJMooMoo79]

I had both my two and plan to have my third with midwives. I love them! They really listened to what I had to say and we're super supportive on wanting to natural. I DID hemorrhage with my second after giving birth. But my midwives were trained to handle it and quickly ensured I stopped bleeding. No hospital transport was needed. Which was good because at the rate I was hemorrhaging I don't think I would have survived a trip. as long as they are trained and certified, i i not see why not. Especially if you really liked them

 

[RainbowDrop_x]

I had my 2nd baby in a MLU and it was such a lovely experience that I’m fully intending to go back with this baby. I’ve alrwady put the request in!

Like you said the unit I was in had everything. Double bed, own bathroom, own kitchenette, birth pool, mood lighting, CD player, candles. It was just like a home from home. The midwives were lovely, they couldn’t do enough for me. I was allowed people in my room that weren’t my partner (my dad, after birth not during) and there was no rush to get us out once baby had arrived. It was such a relaxing atmosphere. My labour was 4 hours from start to finish and I do put that down to being so calm.

In terms of pain relief you could only have gas & air, anything else I would have had to have been transferred but where I am the MLU is on the hospital site so had I of needed to be moved or found myself in an emergency scenario I was already at the hospital so it wouldn’t have been a problem to be moved quickly.

I honestly would recommend a MLU it’s completely different to a labour ward. So much nicer!

 

[Maple_Fairy]

If your low risk and based on how your thoughts are coming across id vote mw led. Have had 2 of my boys in mw led unit and it was amazing. May be be quite quick getting to the other place if need be also, if in an ambulance especially x

Did you have any problems when you had your two boys? You didn't need to be transfered anywhere at any point?

I had both my two and plan to have my third with midwives. I love them! They really listened to what I had to say and we're super supportive on wanting to natural. I DID hemorrhage with my second after giving birth. But my midwives were trained to handle it and quickly ensured I stopped bleeding. No hospital transport was needed. Which was good because at the rate I was hemorrhaging I don't think I would have survived a trip. as long as they are trained and certified, i i not see why not. Especially if you really liked them

That sounds really reassuring. I did wonder if Midwives can actually do anything if you start hemorrhaging ... think that's a question I will need to ask them if and when I go back to have another look at the Centre. I've had the worry in my head about what if something is wrong with the baby but at the time it never crossed my mind about if something was happening to me as well... I'm quite an anxious person and every bad thing crosses through my mind but that's the only thing that is putting me off - everything else about it looks so calm and relaxed and I think that's exactly what I need... I've never been in hospital for any operations or anything so the fact it is so unlike an actual hospital actually makes me feel much better and calmer...

I had my 2nd baby in a MLU and it was such a lovely experience that I’m fully intending to go back with this baby. I’ve alrwady put the request in!

Like you said the unit I was in had everything. Double bed, own bathroom, own kitchenette, birth pool, mood lighting, CD player, candles. It was just like a home from home. The midwives were lovely, they couldn’t do enough for me. I was allowed people in my room that weren’t my partner (my dad, after birth not during) and there was no rush to get us out once baby had arrived. It was such a relaxing atmosphere. My labour was 4 hours from start to finish and I do put that down to being so calm.

In terms of pain relief you could only have gas & air, anything else I would have had to have been transferred but where I am the MLU is on the hospital site so had I of needed to be moved or found myself in an emergency scenario I was already at the hospital so it wouldn’t have been a problem to be moved quickly.

I honestly would recommend a MLU it’s completely different to a labour ward. So much nicer!

That's something that I thought was lovely as well - the fact that you an have visitors at any time of the day - I don't actually think I will want anyone in the hospital with me at all other than my partner but it's nice to know the option is there if I want it...

We were also told that massages, reflexology etc is available which sounded awesome! (although a small fee for this extra).

4 hours for your labour sounds brilliant! I also like the thought of a shorter labour so if relaxing helps that then that's another bonus.

I didn't really want to have an epidural if I could help it but being my first I'm worried how I might cope knowing it's not available at all unless I transfer to another hospital which I don't want to do if I can help it.... It's so hard to make a decision!

So worried that if there's something wrong with the baby, will baby get to where they need to be in time? I'd never forgive myself if something happened to my baby because I picked the wrong hospital...

 

[Babybump87]

I planned on having both my girls at the MLU unit but my blood pressure and heart rate was All over the place with DD1 so I was moved to the consultant led unit within the same hospital . DD2 was born on the MLU. I understand what you mean the MLUs are so much more relaxing and comfortable surroundings ! .

I am hoping again to have 3rd baby at the MLU , but will judge this when the time comes .

Have you been to visit the hospitals? If your
Low risk when the time comes to pick a hospital I would go with the MLU.

 

[pinkstarbinks]

Baby 1 back to back but straight forward birth did the stitching up down below at the mlu afterwards. Baby 2 i had a little blood loss problem afterwards like rainbow drop but again all dealt with there. If you are deemed low risk close to birth you should be safe as houses to birth at mlu but do go with your gut ita whats right for you. What you will relax and feel most comfortable with so you can concentrate on labour. Pros and cons with all. My mw says the safest place to birth is at home as the environment is most conducive to a natural birth x