Induction

I'm in an area that was praised for embracing continuity of carer and that was recently downgraded on CQC (I think?) after some staff whistleblowing on understaffing and safety. It's a fab idea but it seems it's not been as resourced as it needed to be (what a surprise). I have one midwife and hospital for routine stuff, another for scans etc, and I'll have to give birth in a third. The general standards in the scan hospital have plummeted since I was there regularly two years ago before continuity of care, every time I've been there, in every letter, there has been something that has really raised my eyebrows. I'm enjoying seeing the same midwife for the other appointments but she is quite obviously overworked, much more noticeably than my last pregnancy. I'm not actually clear about how continuity of care will look when I'm giving birth as it just seems logistically impossible that she could do all her community work and be on standby for when I decide to pop!

I want women's pain to be taken seriously and treated.

I want women who are keen to give birth at home/ birthing centre/ water etc etc to have those options if suitable.
And women who want a section the same.
And those in between.

Post natally I want bounty off the wards and this partners 24/ 7 is a terrible idea.

I want the most important thing to be a delivery that is as in line as possible with what the woman wants. To minimise trauma and guilt if things don't go as expected.

Decent follow up on health, injuries, bf support, all that. Fast help for women with trauma around birth.

And somehow change this idea in society that it's a nothing. Just get on with it. Of course you must be over the moon! Oh and you're invisible now there's a baby.

@RaeRaeMama I do understand that there can sometimes be pressure from medical staff over various issues. I too was pressured by one particular midwife during part of my labour (I was induced - she tried to tell me I wasn’t allowed the hormone drip without an epidural and I didn’t want an epidural). And I do believe that it’s wrong that women feel pressured. But I do also believe that women need to research and know their options and stand up for themselves - or ensure they have a birthing partner that will if they can’t 🤷🏻‍♀️

@NiceGerbil I think that is very well said. I must admit the OP wound me up, but what you say is right and this should not be a battle. If it is any reassurance I think most places don’t advise that pregnancy goes on longer than that www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2019/oct/28/post-term-pregnancy-research-cancelled-babies-die-sweden - although I absolutely think that too should be the choice of the individual woman, as it is her body. I have to say I am different, I was deluged with statistics about VBAC after my second birth and it was too much. But I can imagine a lot of more statistically minded women would benefit from it. So I agree with you. As long as there is a kind, friendly, evidence-based soul around to guide simpletons like me!

Why was your baby in distress?
As mentioned, the cord was wrapped around his neck.

Did you have an infection following you waters breaking
No, because they induced me a day and a half after my waters broke to avoid this.

or was it because of the drugs used to induce you which are known to cause distress to the baby?
No. Let me say again THE CORD WAS WRAPPED AROUND HIS NECK WHICH MEANT THAT HE COULDN'T BREATHE.

Medicalised births after often appropriate. Your posts seem very misguided.

I agree that a named midwife, continuity of carer would be a major improvement for mothers.

It's all so sort of descended into different and often very strong views and then it gets fighty.

Part of the problem is lack of resources/ interest in NHS meaning things are conveyer belt etc.

I also feel, and this may not go down well. But anyway. Years ago my mum said that there's been a sort of almost competitiveness or something with midwifes not wanting to have women taken out of their area iyswim. That they want to do their thing and see docs getting involved as undermining or something.

From my own experience this felt bang on.

What I would like to see.

An end to the really often unpleasant arguments between VB proponents and others. Ditto bf.

I want.

Full information warts and all on all the options, risks and benefits. Not this sort of one way street we get (I had babies a decade ago).

The realities, benefits and risks around vb.
The realities, benefits and risks around sections.
Proper info about induction, assisted deliveries etc.
All with stats.

BF needs to be more support post natally to help women actually do it. Rather than hammering it when you're pregnant and then giving no help and leaving a lot of women guilty.

On induction. In other countries I think they let you go longer.

I went 42+2 and got told it was the thing to do, the placenta was probably failing, baby wouldn't get enough oxygen etc.

It was a total nightmare.

I donated my placenta/ cord for stem cells etc and they said ooh lovely red blood very healthy thank you! I mean maybe they say that to everyone but it's a weird thank you if it's not true!

I want the midwifery and medical side to work together in the best interrsts of the the woman.

I want an end to the just get on with it don't make a fuss attitude that it seems from here and own experience a fair few midwives have.

I think I found the conditions in the post-natal ward and care far more upsetting than needing to be induced (which in itself didn't go particularly well, but we all came out the other side healthily so it's hard to complain too much when that is the ultimate purpose).

I would actively support work, campaigning etc to improve the conditions for those who have to stay on post-natal as the whole setup is so counterintuitive to what you'd think would be helpful, but I can't get het up about advances in medicine being used to the to improve outcomes, even having been through a, it could be argued, unnecessary intervention. But we don't get to see the alternative ending, so we just don't know. I took the medical advice at face value as much as it conflicted with what I had wanted, and it worked out. If I hadn't, it might not.

Its not such much that birth is medicalised its the way that you are told that this is whats going to happen.

For me, I was told that I would be induced at 40 weeks, because that's what they did for mothers over 40. At no point was it presented as an option, just thats what was going to happen.

Amen, OP.
Giving in to the bullying around IOL is the worst mistake I have ever made.

NICE etc are not looking at the whole picture. The first year post-partum is the time in a woman's life when she is most likely to commit suicide. If we were trying to reduce mortality we would balance how heavily medicalised births are a risk factor for post-partum depression with the medical risks around not inducing. But we're not, because the life of a foetus is more valuable to us as a society than that of a grown woman.

Just so I understand @RaeRaeMama.

You had a positive birth.

You had the resources to leave the NHS and pay for a private midwife who by the sounds of it supported you to make the decision you wanted.

But you felt the NHS pigeonholed you.

So now medical help at birth is wrong?

If you back decades further before induction was more common stillbirth and maternal rates were higher. Medicine, labour, birth aren't exact sciences there is so much we still don't know and can't control.

Yes more can be done in the UK to reduce stillbirth and MAMA - Mums and Midwives Academy is helping change things.

I had 4 inductions for being overdue, I waited to +17 for one and tbh my placenta was manky and thick meconium in my waters, I think I made the right decision not to wait longer.

My water's broke but labour never fully established, so I had to be induced. It all ended with an EMCS because my baby's heart rate was dropping. He had the cord wrapped around his neck. It was very medical but we're both alive and grateful for the NHS.

I don't really understand the point of your post. If anything I think we ought to be examining the pressures placed on women (including by various hypnobirthers) to have a non-medicalised birth when this is often not the appropriate route. They sell you on these ideas of using a birthing pool which is actually only suitable for a small proportion of women.

I am so sorry OP that you had such an awful experience

You are right a lot of the treatment of women is disgusting and we should not let it continue.

I agree that a good midwife is key also for getting over a less-than-ideal birth.