UK ladies, did you have a midwife with you in the room all the time?

[babyv13]

I'm watching OBEM and noticed the MWs seem to come and go and that made me realise that I had a MW in with me at all times, I was never ever on my own in the labour suite. like even if the MW went to the toilet or for a break they had someone in to cover her, is that normal? I had to be monitored because I was bleeding and had meconium in my waters, is that why I always had someone with me?

It's just out of interest really

 

[WDWJess]

My midwives (plural coz I went through 3 shifts of midwives) came in and out. There were quite some long periods of time when we were just left to it for what seemed like an eternity but I know they were busy!

 

[FlatShoes]

My MW was in and out alot - I was left on my own for fairly long periods.

 

[Dawnlouise30]

My midwife was always with me but i was high risk due to developing pre-eclampsia and other issues.

 

[Pearls18]

I pretty much had a MW with me at all times first time but that was because I was only in the hospital an hour before giving birth and they could see I was really close, they did pop out though, when I was pushing I had 2.

As you know I didn't have any with my home birth lol, but I know if I had of given birth slower I would have gotten MUCH better care at home, at my local hospital there are so many stories of women giving birth unassisted as it is so busy and MWs just miss it, whereas if I had of birthed at a more steady rate I would of had 2 MWs at home. I also got to see the same few MWs for all my appointments and after care, home birth care is much better in my area than what they can offer at the hospital (here, it obviously differs by area).

 

[babyv13]

that's the same with home birth care in my area marineWAG! there are only 2 midwives so I always saw the one assigned to me and either one of them would have been at the birth. soooo wish it had happened like that next time though I love your birth story, will be cool to tell your DS2 that his dad delivered him

I was just wondering because it made me think that I really must have been high risk I might ask to see my notes from labour for a bit of closure, it would be nice to know what was really happening as they don't tell you much! at one point I remember my LOs heart rate was in the 190s for a while and I think that's when I got taken away for forceps/c-section.

 

[Pearls18]

that's the same with home birth care in my area marineWAG! there are only 2 midwives so I always saw the one assigned to me and either one of them would have been at the birth. soooo wish it had happened like that next time though I love your birth story, will be cool to tell your DS2 that his dad delivered him

I was just wondering because it made me think that I really must have been high risk I might ask to see my notes from labour for a bit of closure, it would be nice to know what was really happening as they don't tell you much! at one point I remember my LOs heart rate was in the 190s for a while and I think that's when I got taken away for forceps/c-section.

It sounds like it hun, I definitely recommend asking to see your notes especially if you want to try a vaginal birth again, I think they can offer a debrief? My best friend has just given birth and she had a traumatic delivery, she will be able to elect for a c section next time which she would do but I've suggested to her when she has recovered and moved on a bit that she asks for a full debrief so she can come to terms with it, I believe a lot of women get a form of PTSD from a bad labour and understanding what happened could help with closure, whether you plan to labour again or not. She wasn't told a thing that was going on at the time.

 

[MindUtopia]

If there were concerns about something going on, they may have monitored you more closely (especially if it was a slow night). But typically, they try to leave you alone because labour tends to work better when we aren't observed and have a bit more privacy. Having someone in the room with you can slow labour (and that can be the reason that midwives/doctors panic and think you are 'failing to progress' - you aren't, you just need to not be watched and meddled with as much). For most women, unless you're very close to the end or need a lot of monitoring, they'll let you get on with it and just check up on you as needed.

I had a home birth, so technically I had two midwives all to myself who could have done nothing but sit in the room and watch me (the other alternative was to sit in the kitchen and drink tea). I actually didn't call them until I was quite far along as I didn't really want them just sitting around the house, so was fully dilated when they arrived. But they mostly just left me to it, at my request, and sat downstairs, except to check on me and baby about every 15 minutes, and then when she was actually being born. Even just them coming in the room during a contraction, it would just fizzle out and go away, so it definitely had an effect.

I would recommend getting your notes though, you can also book a debriefing session with a midwife to go over them and talk about any concerns you might have. Really though, all the monitoring and observation and people coming in and out of the room does have an effect and can cause difficulties during labour. It's obviously sometimes unavoidable if there are complications and they need to keep an eye on you, but if it happens again, you can ask them to find ways to give you more privacy while still doing their monitoring.

 

[tristansmum]

I had mw with me the whole time both labours but I was classified high risk but Times so I think that's why.

 

[miss_kseniya]

I gave birth in a midwife-led unit (attached to the main hospital in case of emergency transfer, but a separate entity) so I had someone in with me at all times which was lovely. I know in the maternity hospital it was attached to, you have midwives coming and going and it is always so busy there I was glad to be in the midwife unit where I could relax.

I was low risk too and had a straighforward pregnancy and labour, it was just the unit policy to have one-to-one care

 

[ClairAye]

Not with my first, where I was in a busy city hospital and I did with my second once I went into the bath and then the delivery room (before then I was in the sitting room watching tv and just contracting, not in full blown labour!) but I was the only person in labour then, there was me and a woman who had previously given birth!

 

[Mrs HM]

I got to the hospital quite late (DD was born 1.5hrs later) so we weren't there for very long but as I was a VBAC, waterbirth I had 3 MV's with me the whole time.

 

[Pearls18]

I got to the hospital quite late (DD was born 1.5hrs later) so we weren't there for very long but as I was a VBAC, waterbirth I had 3 MV's with me the whole time.

So lovely that you were supported and had a water birth with a VBAC, too often I hear women saying "I wasn't allowed because I'm a VBAC" not acceptable! (Of the medical professionals, not the mum!)

 

[claudinator]

My midwife made such a balls of my induction the consultant sat in the room the whole time because in his words "couldn't be trusted"

 

[Bevziibubble]

I had two midwives and they were in and out of the room a lot but were only out for brief spells.

 

[Eleanor ace]

With my 1st I was in hospital for induction (had a failed induction that day and was just waiting for the next morning to go on the drip) when labour started. I told the MW I thought I was in labour and she examined me then left me for 45 minutes to call my DH, call labour ward and have a bacon sandwich . When she got back I was 6cm and she took me to L&D and the MW there told me that she might be in and out, as it was very busy. It may have been because a little while later they broke my waters and there was meconium, or because I had been progressing quickly but she stayed in with me the whole time except when she went out to talk to the pediatrician and then another MW sat in.
With DD I was high risk and I was told I'd have a MW present the whole time. When we arrived DH told the MW that we'd been told this (we forgot my notes) and she said they wouldn't leave me anyway as I was 8cm. So I guess maybe how far on you are makes a difference to whether they stay, plus how many other ladies they have delivering at the time.

 

[apple_20]

i wonder about this. Im going for a vbac and have been told they want to constantly monitor me (strapped to wires so there goes my waterbirth idea) however Im going to ask the consultant if the MW will actually be there looking at the print out from the monitor, because if they are only checking it intermittently i don't see how that is any better then me getting intermittent monitoring allowing me to have an active labour or even water birth?

 

[Leliana]

When I had my DD I gave birth in a MLU unit. My midwife was in and out of the room but left us alone for fairly lengthy amounts of time (15 minutes or so). She just came in to do her doppler checks etc and then left us, although she was mostly in a little room next door. She did stay with us when I was in the birthing pool but as I wasn't happy in there and got out she left us to it again. I remember shouting 'I'm pushing!!' when I had the urge to push and her popping her head in and saying 'Are you? That's good' and then buggering off again!

To be honest, this suited me just fine. To my surprise I came to realise I hate people near me or touching me in labour. Even DH was too much. I think I'd have been happier going into a room by myself and just having some help when it's time to deliver!

 

[c1403]

I had a midwife with me most of the time (I was being monitored due to meconium) although I do remember me and OH being alone for a hour or so here and there.
I was checked 4 hourly for dilation etc.

 

[Alyssa Drough]

I was in a birth centre and was assigned one midwife. She regularly popped in and out. She even left me pushing to go out and chat to the delivery suite when she thought I might need to be transferred!