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[melissa75]

So I am having my first child in England, and thus it is my first experience with midwives etc... My other two deliveries were in Canada where I am from, as I chose to have them there, as even though I was not living there at the time, I wanted them to have Canadian citizenship. Unfortunately I lost my twins during birth/post birth due to a lot of health complications, but my 3 year old was also an emergency c-section...so I have no experience with midwife led deliveries, as a midwife at home is a private thing that one must pay for, as opposed to here where it seems to be the norm.
So I was just wondering if you could walk me through what happeneds when it is a midwife led delivery...is it the same as if you had a consultant? I know from my current MW that I am not guaranteed to have the same one during delivery, which upsets me, as I feel if I have created a relationship with a MW, I would like to know that she is the one who will deliver the baby. This is what would happened at home, as you would have the same person from the prenatal stage to antenatal stage.
So, basically I am just wanting to have some light shed for me on what it is like having a MW led delivery. Is there anything I need to know in advance or to prepare myself for?

Also, I am hoping to have a water birth, following two previous c-sections...

Thanks in anticipation of any help/advice

[Lulumama]

sosorry to hear of the lossof your twins. that must have been so hard.

i would say that you are v v unlikely to get midwife led care as you have had two previous sections and will be considered high risk and also due to the loss of your twins.

you will be under a consultant who will oversee your pregnancy

most will encourage you to book a planned section BUT if you want to go for a waterbirth VBAC and you are making an informed decision to do so,then go for it

you might well struggle to get a waterbirth in a consultant led unit and struggle to be delivered in an MLU

you might watnt to consider an independent midwife who can look after yuo during the pregnancy and deiver you in water at home

you might want to consider seeing the supervisor of midwives/ consultant midwife/head of midwifery at the hospital you wnat to deliver at if yyou are planning a hospital birth so you can hopefully get the birth you want without too much opposition

[Lulumama]

sorry that sounds so negative

a lot can depend on which hospital you are at , which consultant etc

but at the end of the day it is your birth and you can choose to deliver how and where you want,but you might have to fight for it!!

[melissa75]

thanks lulu...what does VBAC and MLU mean?

I am currently under a midwife's care...but as I mentioned, am new to all of this from that perspective. I have been told I am high risk, so I have seen an OB-GYN as well, and am under his care as well due to my history. They have tried to get me to go for a planned section, but I am resisting it at all costs, as I do not want the recovery again, as I really struggled with recovery from the last two. I had massive headaches from the epidural, along with got infection in my scar...and that was just the start, so if I can avoid a c-section, I would like to.

Due to my histroy, as much as I would rather it, I do not think a delivery with an ind. MW at home would be a safe option.

[Lulumama]

VBAC is Vaginal Birth After Caesarean

there are lots of threads about it on here including one in childbirth called 'support for imminent VBACers' which is really good

there are also lots of websites devoted to VBAC ,you are going for a VBA2C.. as you have had two previous sections

MLU is a Midwife Led Unit

[Lulumama]

you will probably be encouraged to deliver in a CLU - consultant led unit, where your birth will be looked after by a MW but in a unit where there are consultants around and will be able to intervene should you need more help

you should check out wht your consultant feels about management of VBACs. some like to insist/recommened constatn monitoring, no water birth, a Venflon and a time limit to your labour

of course you can decline any or all recommendations

some consultants are more pro VBAC than others so you can ask to change to a different one if you are not getting the support you need

[melissa75]

thanks lulu...and for the acronym explanations! Some of the acronyms I can make out, and others go way over my head!!

All of this is food for thought so to speak!

[Lulumama]

letus know how you get on.....

[mrsboogie]

melissa I cannot imagine how terrible it must have been to lose twins at birth or how you get over that.

It is very hard to advise you because there are so many factors that have a bearing on your situation. This country has one of the the best free healthcare systems in the world but it is overstretched and decidedly patchy in places - especially in maternity services.

Normally a pregnant woman will pitch up at her GP's surgery, get booked in, have a few appointments with the attached midwife, then turn up at her local hospital when she goes into labour and, unless she is very lucky, share whatever midwife is on duty there during delivery with two or three other labouring women. it would usually not be someone you have met before. Sometimes its not the experience one would hope for. Sometimes its absolutely brilliant.

The only thing I would say to you is that in your shoes, given the limited information you have provided, I would definitely go for the planned c/s. A planned c/s is a lot more pleasant an experience, and usually easier and quicker to recover from, than an emergency c/s.

[mrsboogie]

and please do come back and let us know how you get on. Mumsnet is very supportive and particularly if you are new the country you might find it a great help to you.