nhs. bmi over 35. did u have to fight?

[babyhopes2010]

i have asked a few midwifes about homebirth to which they laughed.

i thought id have polyhydromnioes again so thought theres no way. well i dont

did u have to push for a home birth?

my bmi on booking was 37 last birth was induced but was straight forward.

 

[lozzy21]

I did have to remind a doctor of my rights but my MW was a lot more supportive

 

[Smiler82]

They actually laughed at you? That is totally unprofessional and worth a complaint IMO. So rude.

I don't know the ins and outs I'm afraid, I just know there are higher risks associated with being overweight, such as pre-eclampsia and early delivery. If you were to go into labour before 38 weeks regardless of weight you wouldn't be allowed a home birth anyway. But your MW must have concerns and reasons as to why she would not recommend a home birth, but she should have explained this to you when you asked, not laughed. I'm so sorry that happened. Next time you see her I would just go in with a list of questions and get her to spell out exactly why you can't have one. I know that really they are supposed to support your choices and to hell with their personal opinion, but I don't know if there are certain rules for certain cases, if you see what I mean.

 

[irish_cob]

If you were to go into labour before 38 weeks regardless of weight you wouldn't be allowed a home birth anyway.

Let me just pick up on this, there is no "not allowed" when it comes to giving birth at home, if you're 37+5 and go into labour at home, and you want a home birth, it's totally up to you. Even if you're 36 weeks it's still entirely your choice, it's your choice whatever, and there are stories on the home birth sites of women who've had totally healthy babies born at 36 or 37 weeks at home and not needed to go into hospital after the birth. How exactly are they going to "not allow" you to have your home birth? Physically drag you into the hospital?

As far as BMI goes I was 37 on booking with my first pregnancy, and although I got sent to see a consultant and no one was very happy cos of my BMI and they tried to tell me I had pre-eclampsia (the blood test results whilst I was in labour proved I didn't - grr) and tried to tell me all sorts of things to get me to go to hospital but I stayed strong and went home and laboured at home for almost 24 hours and it was awesome, and the midwives who came out were awesome too, never mentioned my weight, in fact everything was perfect - my blood pressure, the baby's heartbeat, my temperature etc, really BMI doesn't have an impact on anything, it just makes you more likely to suffer pregnancy complications like GD, but if you don't suffer those complications, by the time you get to labour, you're not different from anyone else. As it happens although I got to fully dilated at home, my daughter had somehow got herself wedged in a deflexed OP position so she was stuck and we ended up transferring and having an emergency c-section, but no one has suggested that was anything to do with my BMI.

For this pregnancy I'm the same BMI, and I have refused to enter into any fights. I rang up and cancelled the consultant appointment my NHS midwife booked, and then I managed to get my care transferred to one to one midwives, and it was my midwife who actually said to me "right, home water birth then" My scans and blood pressure readings and urine tests have all been fine, and I have no concerns about my weight causing an issue at all.

 

[sarah1980]

If you were to go into labour before 38 weeks regardless of weight you wouldn't be allowed a home birth anyway.

Let me just pick up on this, there is no "not allowed" when it comes to giving birth at home, if you're 37+5 and go into labour at home, and you want a home birth, it's totally up to you. Even if you're 36 weeks it's still entirely your choice, it's your choice whatever, and there are stories on the home birth sites of women who've had totally healthy babies born at 36 or 37 weeks at home and not needed to go into hospital after the birth. How exactly are they going to "not allow" you to have your home birth? Physically drag you into the hospital?

As far as BMI goes I was 37 on booking with my first pregnancy, and although I got sent to see a consultant and no one was very happy cos of my BMI and they tried to tell me I had pre-eclampsia (the blood test results whilst I was in labour proved I didn't - grr) and tried to tell me all sorts of things to get me to go to hospital but I stayed strong and went home and laboured at home for almost 24 hours and it was awesome, and the midwives who came out were awesome too, never mentioned my weight, in fact everything was perfect - my blood pressure, the baby's heartbeat, my temperature etc, really BMI doesn't have an impact on anything, it just makes you more likely to suffer pregnancy complications like GD, but if you don't suffer those complications, by the time you get to labour, you're not different from anyone else. As it happens although I got to fully dilated at home, my daughter had somehow got herself wedged in a deflexed OP position so she was stuck and we ended up transferring and having an emergency c-section, but no one has suggested that was anything to do with my BMI.

For this pregnancy I'm the same BMI, and I have refused to enter into any fights. I rang up and cancelled the consultant appointment my NHS midwife booked, and then I managed to get my care transferred to one to one midwives, and it was my midwife who actually said to me "right, home water birth then" My scans and blood pressure readings and urine tests have all been fine, and I have no concerns about my weight causing an issue at all.

I just loved this post

Sarah xx