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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to consider going against consultants advice?

232 replies

TiredofYorks · 17/08/2010 17:55

DS1 (2.4) was born by emergency C section.

I am 36 weeks pg with DC2 and have just been to see the consultant. He said because of previous CS I am high risk and need to be in the consultant unit.

I asked if I definitely can't use the Midwife led unit (it is across the corridor from the consultant unit) and he said no, so I asked if that ruled out a water birth (there is one on the Cons unit) and he said yes as I have to be monitored throughout.

I then asked if I would have to be immobile, he said that there is one mobile monitor but if that is in use then yes I will be immobile and will have to stay on the bed.

I asked exactly what the risk is and he said 0.7%.

I know this is a low risk and I do think I'll cope better if I'm left to it (well I think so anyway) and also I really wanted a waterbirth.

So would I be unreasonable if I considered going against the consultants advice and opting to use the Midwife led unit anyway?

Sorry for the long post.

OP posts:
Appletrees · 17/08/2010 21:24

To be honest I made the assumption that the op is not in fact stupid and is capable of making a decision based on info and experiences at her disposal. Do the rest of you think she's so dim we shouldn't even post post our pov for fear .. shock horror ..she might choose differently to you?

OnEdge · 17/08/2010 21:25

Maybe he is a fucking lunatic?

Appletrees · 17/08/2010 21:28

Onedge I think you have also engaged in personal abuse. Go and stand in the corner.

RubyBuckleberry · 17/08/2010 21:28

OnEdge have you read deemented's post? and wwyd? would you have continous monitoring from the outset? what if you got there, they checked the heartbeat, and everything was fine. wouldn't you want to walk or move around on one of those balls without listening and being hooked up to that?

RubyBuckleberry · 17/08/2010 21:29

without having to listen to the baby's heartbeat constantly?

quaere · 17/08/2010 21:29

OK a consultant is an expert and you (and we) are not. The fact that he is advising you to give birth on a CLU is his professional opinion. He has given you the facts and you are totally free to ignore them. But he advises you for your and your babies safety, not to 'oppress' you. He's only trying to help. There are pluses and minuses, weigh them up and take responsibility for yourself and your decisions, whatever they may be. Good luck.

girlwithsparklyhair · 17/08/2010 21:32

Midnightsun, ignore, they are bonkers, and a danger to their unborn children too.

ThatDamnDog · 17/08/2010 21:32

Theochris, sorry, now posting from phone so can't link but lots of info and references in RCOG guideline paper which I linked to earlier.

OnEdge · 17/08/2010 21:33

I didn't like the big blue ball.

mummynoseynora · 17/08/2010 21:35

just an extra note on my ds birth as I was classed as high risk it was in the normal labour ward in the close room to the midwives station.... but actually it was more relaxed, calm and I felt more in control than my dd's birth - where I was low risk & in the home from home room for a time....that said neither of them ended low risk as they were both LSCS or whatever they call it! But actually the high risk labour was the more positive for me :)

had the lights dimmed, a lovely midwife (which IMO will make or break your experience of labour!) who really looked after me without interferring at all! Bless her she even took me off for a shower when she decided I was starting to get frazzled (in labour 3 days at that point, and only just established!)

I digress- my point is stats aside, there IS middle ground to be had - just make it clear what you feel you need! For me it was to be as mobile and calm as possible, whilst also making sure my babies were safe Grin

girlwithsparklyhair · 17/08/2010 21:35

... and they seem to forget that there is a difference between the minimum 15 years experience a consultant obstetrician has and reading Ina May whatserface's book and gleaning a few selectively chosen facts on childbirth from the web.

Arrogant in the extreme - a little knowledge is a dangerous, dangerous thing.

Igglybuff · 17/08/2010 21:38

Yes that's right girl bonkers. Because the medical profession are gods and babies never die at their hands. I think it's dangerous to assume that they know what they're talking about - I'd want to check the facts myself quite frankly.

Appletrees · 17/08/2010 21:40

More insults.. goodness me you ran out of cogent thought pretty quickly girlwiththesparklyhairandabusivetendencies.

Your accusation that we are a danger to our children is rather less amusing, if as equally groundless, and I do think it might be an idea for you to have a little lie down and a nice long think.

girlwithsparklyhair · 17/08/2010 21:43

I don't need to have a long think Appletrees dear, my opinion will remain the same, women like you who think it's a good idea to ignore medical advice are dangerous.

Original poster
TiredofYorks · 17/08/2010 21:44

Rubyblackberry my consultant doesn't want me to have a CS, he's happy to support me in a VBAC but wants me to be continuously monitored in the CLU which means less mobile (or so he led me to believe) and no option of a water birth.

I was hoping to use the MLU and birth pool and as little monitoring / intervention as possible.

OP posts:
ThatDamnDog · 17/08/2010 21:44

Interestingly they barely had such a thing as a midwife in the US hence Ina May being a bit revolutionary and anti-medic. Until recently every birth over there was medical. Although that hasn't been the case in this country we're taking their lead with the backlash!

Appletrees · 17/08/2010 21:44

Iggly you were very sensible and not in the least bit extreme. I am much more bolshy than you with the intervention question and I thought you were more moderate and well informed.

Igglybuff · 17/08/2010 21:45

Grin appletrees

Reading a book on childbirth does not make one more qualified than an obstetrician when it comes to complications. Nobody said that. They're experts on when things go wrong. However childbirth is not inherently risky so lets not pretend it is and go running into the arms of the doctors to save us unless absolutely necessary.

girlwithsparklyhair · 17/08/2010 21:46

No, obstetricians are experts on childbirth - all aspects of it. Sorry.

ThatDamnDog · 17/08/2010 21:47

Interestingly they barely had such a thing as a midwife in the US hence Ina May being a bit revolutionary and anti-medic. Until recently every birth over there was medical. Although that hasn't been the case in this country we're taking their lead with the backlash!

Igglybuff · 17/08/2010 21:47

That long bit of my post was aimed at girl BTW

Minxie1977 · 17/08/2010 21:48

The experts deal in risk not individuals. they are experts in how awful it is when things go wrong! If I had listened I was almost guaranteed an interverntion - I didn't and had a lovely homebirth. Each to their own.
Not about births but my mother saw a consultant who said she was just hormonal - luckily a nurse felt he was wrong - shame it was too late to help her terminal cancer. They can get it wrong SadAngry

ThatDamnDog · 17/08/2010 21:48

Interestingly they barely had such a thing as a midwife in the US hence Ina May being a bit revolutionary and anti-medic. Until recently every birth over there was medical. Although that hasn't been the case in this country we're taking their lead with the backlash!

Igglybuff · 17/08/2010 21:51

girl I'm sorry but I disagree. How many obstreticians have been present for an entire labour? How many? I'm going to take a wild stab and say none. They see the bad bits, they pop in for monitoring etc but they don't see the whole process. So without the practical experience, how can they be experts on all of childbirth? Bearing in mind that reading a book doesn't count (as, yes, they would have studied the theory).

Original poster
TiredofYorks · 17/08/2010 21:51

I digress- my point is stats aside, there IS middle ground to be had - just make it clear what you feel you need! For me it was to be as mobile and calm as possible, whilst also making sure my babies were safe

Mummy this is helpful. My concern (and reason for posting) was that if I was to go against the consultants advice would I be being stupid and putting my baby at uneccessary risk, which is definitely not something I want to do.

I think I had in my mind that if I had to go to CLU I would be interferred with and more restricted, whereas the MLU would be more like a home from home birth, but reading all the posts on here, it seems that I have been looking at the CLU in rather a negative light and perhaps I can still have as relaxed a birth as possible whilst still ensuring any likely problems can be picked up as soon as possible.

(Our MLU has only just opened this year so is all shiny and new, which doesn't help when trying to make a sensible decision as I like shiny new things!!!)

OP posts: