October 2013 - High Five! The babies are coming!!

[PseudoBadger]

New thread :)

Congratulations skull !!!!!

So happy baby Lilly is here safe. So sorry experience was poor. Enjoy her!

Congratulations Skull, I hope you and baby Lilly get better treatment in post natal and you get home soon x

Sorry to hear everyones woes - chocking and sprained ankles aren't needed at the moment!

Congtats skull sorry about your hospital soundd very much like mine this has happened twice in last fews days my mw and docs dont seem to care anymore and the mw are wildly understaffed decided they can send a mw to my house from now on not going to hospital unless it is complete emergency and when im about to push, think home birthers are right least you feel human and like you have control over what should be a special time

Skull congratulations!!! So sorry to hear the birth wasn't what you hoped, especially your DH being sent away, that wasn't on at all. Lilly is a beautiful name, and 2 pushes is excellent work!!

Having 2 dinner parties this week (trying to get socialising out of the way!) and the dishwasher has broken - its spewing dirty water all over the floor! Why do these things always happen at the most awkward of times?!!

SC, 37+2 (I'm counting minutes!!)

Congratulations skull so sorry to hear your experience was seriously not good enough. At least you have your beautiful little girl safely in your arms now.

Ugh iv turned into psycho bitch again. I'm angry with dh because he can go out and do fun things and I'm stuck here because I have been told to rest. I'm bored and fed up!

so, based on all our experiences, where have they found all these lovely midwives we see in TV programmes? The Midwives, One Born Every Minute etc...? Arrrghhh... makes me so angry

I cannot fault my midwife I had with dd I had her for all my ante natal care she delivered my baby and visited me for 3 weeks after I have had the same lady this time also and she is amazing and will be delivering this baby also

I don't mean to sound smug but nice midwives do exist. Xx

I also had lovely midwives with dd but I was very textbook so not sure things would have been the same had I needed extra support...

clapham its probably all for the cameras and well edited!

I have updated the spread sheet with your CS date cherry ... Not long until you'll be having those newborn cuddles now! x

Re. MWs, I think it depends on your area possibly - I started off in one hospital where I didn't see the same midwife twice (although they were perfectly nice), then we moved house so now at a different hospital where I have seen the same MW every time (also very nice).

There's no guarantee she'll be there when baby is evicted but she is the same person who will be doing home visits afterwards. I think continuity of care is so important. Unless you have an awful MW and are wishing never to see him/her again!

Unfortunately Natalie I think the continuity of care you have received/are receiving is a pretty rare thing these days. Don't you even have some of your antenatal appointments at home? I was totally gobsmacked to hear that.

I rarely see the same community midwife twice and I certainly won't have seen the person who delivers this baby before. As I understand it, you even have your midwife's number. I just have the telephone number to a voicemail you can leave a message on and a community midwife should ring you back within 24 hours (not great for an emergency!)

The midwife who delivered DD was great but, like Hayle everything was straightforward, so all he had to do was stay out of the way until pushing stage. I never saw him again after that.

The only good thing about having lots of different midwives is that if one annoys you the chances are you won't see them again anyway

X-posts with you a bit there Serious - great minds think alike!

I've never seen the same MW twice - except for the ones who work in the day assessment unit

bridget when I had dd I was the only lady in labour. There were two others but both c-sections so tbh my case was pretty rare.

I've seen the same mw for all my appts so far.

Congratulations skull! You must be thrilled to have your beautiful bundle safely in your arms. I can't believe they sent your DH home, that's awful.

I too haven't seen the same midwife twice and I certainly haven't been given the phone number for one. I will just call the MLU when I go into labour and will get given someone I've never met before since my antenatal care has been in a completely different place

I've never seen the same midwife twice, almost impossible in London I guess. I've accepted it and don't really mind it to be honest as long as they are nice and give me time. I've had two very textbook pregnancies so am low maintenance for them anyway... but my experience so far is very mixed to be honest.

I also had two different midwives during my first labour as, despite being induced, it took me 10 long hours in active labour over two midwives' shifts. Two extremely different experiences. My first midwife was absolutely amazing - so warm and so caring, supported me in my decision not to have epidural and made me feel like I could go through anything with her. She was my rock, more than my DH. She was much older. The second one wasn't nasty or rude but totally cold and indifferent. So impersonal.She was young and the first thing she told me was that she didn't understand why I didn't want epidural, shrugging her shoulders. And she didn't say much afterwards, no support. I really think the first midwife set me on the right track and I have such a lovely memory of my birth thanks to her. It's so important. I'm trying to blank the second one...

bridget I have all of my appts at home except consultant or scans which r at the main hospital. Just had the midwife round actually all good this end trace of protein bp perfectly fine no swelling baby head down still. When I see her next she will do a sweep for me (38 weeks on consultants advice) and then from then on it will be operation eviction for me. Birth plan done mainly a list of preferences like
Skin to skin or baby cleaned first?
Vitamin k?
Injection to help placenta come away?
Discussed the baby having a clip on his head if difficult to monitor abdominally as I'm overweight.
Cord cutting, birth partners, pain relief preferences, how long do I want to stay in hospital afterwards etc

Eeek this is exciting!!!

I'm very lucky I'm being case loaded by a lovely student mw that I met at my booking in appointment, she has come to my house for all my appointments and will come and deliver baby, I have her number so can ring/text with any problems. It's been lovely and very different to when previously pg, and imagine the sort of care u get from independent mw's.

I see the same community midwife every time and can call/text her mobile whenever. she is based at a different hospital to the one I've chosen to deliver at though so won't have met the mw for that before!!

Clapham my labour was so long I had 2 midwives, but the first one came back on shift in the afternoon to be the 3rd me IYSWIM :o

*3rd mw

I keep seeing different ones, but so far they've all been very nice even if one slightly overreacted to my medical issues!

to skull on Lilly's arrival. Lovely name and to ignorant me sounds like a pretty good weight for an October baby born in September! Hope your three days in are much better than your early experience there yesterday.

oh no pseudo... you beat my experience!

Surely our second labour must be quicker...? MUST BE... pretty please...

Just watched The Midwives on iplayer....aaahhh!

Bridget, re your earlier question about the bamboo birthing shirt - I haven't bought one yet. How are you finding yours? Is it comfortable, and does it look okay?

Can I distract you all from babies and midwives to have a big scream? aaaargh my 2.7yr old has learned the word why and now my ears feel like they could bleed.

Thanks, feel much better now