I'm expecting DC2 and am nearly 38 weeks now. Ever since my booking in, I've said that I wanted a home water birth with this baby. I didn't have a pleasant time (putting it mildly) having DD1, albeit in a different hospital, and I am really really keen to stay at home; though I have also said throughout that if anything changed and I became high risk, then I would go in.
Anyway, the community midwife I have had for all my appointments has seemed keen and assured me that there is no reason I can not stay at home.... That is, right up until my 37 week "home birth check" at home last week, when she said that, of course, there's only one home birth team in this area (its a big rural area) and if they're attending another woman, then when you phone for a midwife, you'll have to go in to hospital. I asked how often that happens and she said it happened at least every month.
I've never had an issue with the thought that I might need to transfer in labour or indeed that I might develop a complication in pregnancy that means home birth isn't an option but that's not the case. I'm in tears at the thought I might phone up expecting to ask for a midwife and get told to come in instead and it's really worrying me (i guess partly cus of what happened last time). I have a doula and she's given me a letter template from an AIMS book to send to the supervisor of midwives basically demanding a midwife be guaranteed.
Thing is, I feel really torn; I do really want them to guarantee me a midwife and they have had months of notice but I also don't want to come across as an entitled arse making a huge fuss when NHS resources are limited etc etc.
Wwyd?
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Childbirth
Want home birth but there "might not be staff"
Kopparbergkate · 19/03/2013 18:45
I'd have felt exactly the same - hospital for medical reasons fine, hospital just because there's not enough staff not fine.
Totally agree with sending the letter. If hbs continue to be cancelled because of lack of mws, they will continue to argue that the existing resources are adequate when clearly they are not if it's happening once a month.
Good luck OP - really hope you get the birth you want 
.
Why should one person give up her right to a homebirth over this? Patches, i see where you're coming from but I'd happily pay more taxes, or have less of my taxes spent on giving tax breaks to rich people. The NHS isnt a charity handout given by a kindly government, its part of our society. Without it, private employers would have to offer healthcare as part of compensation packages and its about time we stopped being grateful and starting demanding what we've paid for. If we all put up with shoddy treatment, we'll all get it. I would say kicking up a fuss is the only way to ensure that good care is the norm, and appropriate resources are allocated to women's health. Midwives benefit from increased resources too, even more than patients, so insisting in our rights is important. Rosa Parks, after all, didn't say 'I can see this bus is busy and there's a seat shortage'
I planned a homebirth in a pool, never once warned there might be staffing shortages, I live in the a huge city close to the hospital.
When I went into labour my partner rang the team and was swiftly told there weren't any midwives available and I would have to come in, he refused, they insisted, I got on the phone and flatly refused (I now realise I couldn't have been that far gone if I was up for an argument!) and miraculously they managed to find a midwife to send out.
When she arrived she did explain that in my immediate area 3 women, excluding me, had already rung in for the homebirth team which put me 4th on the list, I was only 3cm and she left. luckily it took a good few more hours till I really needed them and they were available and I got a lovely (
) homebirth.
Sorry to ramble, but I agree - demand what you want, they have to find the resources, it will also help future staffing levels too if they are aware of the need.
oh and last time when i was asked to sign about going in if staff levels required i quite simply refused to sign (but acknowledged that i had read it, but didnt agree to it 
)
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