Private midwife?

[Sekhmet]

I'm just wondering how many of you have hired a private midwife? I am from the US, so the ways of the NHS are rather mysterious to me. I have read online that there are no private maternity hospitals here in Scotland, so I guess that isn't an option, but I'm wondering about whether it's worthwhile to hire a private midwife - so that I'd have 1 midwife all the way through, who would also be there for delivery. (My understanding is that otherwise you will likely see multiple different midwives throughout the pregnancy?)

I'd love to hear any thoughts on this!

TIA
Sekhmet

 

[lindypops]

I've met and spoken to an independent mw - met her at a homebirth group meeting, not bc I was looking for one.

She costs £3000 (which I think is pretty normal) for all ante natal care plus birth attendance plus one month 'on call 'after. I think the reason many people are interested in this is because they might want a homebirth and not feel confident this will happen on the NHS.

One thing the lady I met pointed out is that she cannot deliver babies in hospitals, but can only act as a supporter/doula - as she will not be covered by the hospital's insurance.

She did say that all the appointments are at your house and she feels strongly that she puts the women at the centre of the experience, which I think is good.

 

[amie-leigh]

if i could afford a private midwife i would have one, my midwife is so bad at checks i have just changed to another (meet her tomorrow)
as far as im aware here in scotland you can do both, have a private midwife and still attend NHS midwifes (which i think would be good because then you would have double the care)

good luck

 

[catty_smith]

I suppose it depends where abouts in Scotland you are. I've heard good thinks about the care at Edinburgh though!

Here in Aberdeenshire I've had the same midwife for all my pregnancies and she's great. She's there for the whole 9 months if I need her and will be there at each check up.

I'm very, very fortunate to have the choice of 2 places to have my baby. Aberdeen Maternity or the midwife lead unit in the town near where we live. Last 2 times I went to deliver at aberdeen....1st because I wanted an Epidural and 2nd because I thought I was going to have one, but my baby girl wasn't hanging about! This time I'm happy enough for just gas and air so I'll be going to the local one. They're fabulous (both times I was transfered afterwards) and the care there is second to none. You'd think this place was a private hospital it's that good. However if there's any sign of problems they send you through to Aberdeen because they can't do any complicated things, or c-sections.

Depending on where you are you could also be fortunate enough to have several places to opt for? Have you spoken to anyone about it yet? I get the impression you've only just found out you're expecting so may not have yet and if you've just come over from the US you may not know anyone in the area to tell you their experiences! Once you've seen your doctor for the first time they'll explain everything to you and there will be plenty of ladies on here who can share their experiences with you.

The NHS can sometimes be a bit unhelpful and seem rather useless, but in Scotland we're pretty lucky so there shouldn't be too much messing about and hopefully no need for you to spend anything on care!

 

[Shifter]

It very much depends on your NHS trust. I saw the same NHS MW at all of my antenatal checks as she was assigned to my GP surgery. I think this is reasonably common, it was the case when I lived in Bristol too. She was also the primary attendant at the start of my homebirth. In her team they make a point of trying to be there for the homebirths of their own ladies.

If having a hospital birth then you will have one or more MWs during labour, depending on shift changes and hospital policy, i.e. some MWs will stay past the end of their shift if their birthing mother is close to delivery. And you will possibly be sharing the MW with about 4 other birthing women.

An IMW cannot deliver in hospital, as has been mentioned already, so if you want her to be your primary carer for the birth then go for a homebirth!

If we decide to have another then we'll be hiring an IMW for a HBAC (Home Birth After Caesarean).

 

[Sekhmet]

Thank you all!

catty_smith, you are right that I have just found out - I'm about 5 weeks along. I've been in the UK since November 2007, and I do have a few coworkers who have recently had babies. The problem is that I'm not planning to tell my employer until at least 12 weeks, and I'm not really close enough to any of my colleagues to confide in them before then. I have my first GP appointment on Thursday, so hopefully then I can get a better idea of how the midwives work in Edinburgh, and whether I have more than 1 option as far as hospital. I just assumed the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary was it.

Mostly, I'm just a bit scared because this is my first baby. So the idea of having 1 midwife throughout pregnancy and birth, sort of a guru, is very attractive. I guess the other thing is that my mom (and the rest of my family) is back in the States, so I don't have any other experienced female figure here as support.

I wish I had the nerve for a home birth, as I really like the idea of it. I like the more laid-back, natural approach to pregnancy (in the US it's treated much more as a medical condition), but I'm pretty sure I will want an epidural just the same!

As a side note, I had a crash course in the NHS (and the Royal Infirmary) last spring when my hubby had to go to A&E with a gallbladder attack - and after the 2nd attack he had surgery to have it out. We were very pleased with the service there; our only complaint was the revolving door of different doctors and nurses. But you can't imagine how amazing it was to go through all that without ever filling out any paperwork or signing a thing, much less worrying about coughing up an insurance copay!

Hmm... that was all kind of rambling. A lot on my mind I guess.

 

[Shifter]

Hi hun, it's worth noting that with a homebirth you are much less likely to want an epidural as the more relaxed and comfortable you are the easier it is. I would highly recommend you read Childbirth Without Fear by Grantly Dick-Read, in order to prepare for the birth in the most positive way possible. Also, it's a good idea to keep an open mind to how much pain relief you might want and not set your eyes on the highest form of relief right from the start

If it's continuity of support that you're really after then you could look into hiring a doula instead of an IMW. She would be able to support you throughout pregnancy and labour and if the hospital allow more than one birth partner she could accompany you during the birth too. Doulas have no medical training and do not provide any medical care or advice. What they do is support you emotionally and sometimes physically during labour!

It has been shown that having a woman to support you in labour also reduces the instance of epidural

 

[GersPrincess]

I was going to suggest the same thing as Shifter, and ask whether you'd looked into hiring a doula? They are there to look after the mummy through pregnancy , labour, childbirth and the days after and they seem to do an amazing job. Many of them only deal with one lady at a time, so you'd have the assurance she'd always be on hand to attend to you. It also seems to be more personal because of this. They dont have midwifery qualifications though, so couldnt deliver your baby themselves, but then a private midwife wouldnt be able to do this either, if you gave birth in a hospital as they aren't covered under the hospital's insurance. But at least with the doula they can be present in the room with you, looking after you.

I moved to Fife from Brighton in 2006, and the difference between the NHS up here, to down there is remarkable. The staff are so much nicer, have so much more time for you, and genuinely seem to care.

I think there are 3 hospitals in Edinburgh you can give birth in, depending on where in the city you live.

Your GP will be able to explain all of this to you when you go. Congrats on your pregnancy, and I think you're so lucky to be able to give birth in one of the most beautiful cities in the world!!