Now I can't have a Home birth due to underactive thyroid?!

[mannicmummyhavinaiccy]

Right getting angry now! fed up with mw trying to find reasons for me not to have a homebirth and bloody reducing me to tears at every appointment had my home assesment last week and as my named mw was unavalible, had a wonderful mw, who said Im a greaty candidate for a homebirth :) then at my 38 week app' today, my named mw read through my notes and picked every little thing as reason I cant have one! she said no from the begining of pg as was anemic, but have now got hb levels up.Today she started asking if any one in the house do drugs or smoke (which we, of course do not!) then for the 1st time in 8 mnths reads that I have a heart murmer, and tells me I need to b in hospital in case I have a heart attack! I told her what a heart murmer was, so she finds my underactive tyroid! I as her why, she wont giveme any reason but tells be i'm putting my babys life at risk and we need a care plan she then thinks she will check my iron levels again (I had bloods 2 weeks ago) I refused the test as I dont think I need it and she is just looking for a tiny drop in hb levels as reason for hospital birth, so she said (anoyed) she is putting in my notes that i've refused a test, as if im being neglectful! note she 'forgot' the urine sample sticks again! so she couldnt test urine sorry about the rant, but litteraly have steam coming out of ears now!I feel like asking for a new mw and/or refusing to go to hospital when time comes! and has any one had trouble with thyroid and baby????

I would make an appointment with your supervisor of midwives and ask them to explain exactly what the risks of homebirth are with underactive thyroid.

If you still feel comfortable having a HB you can just let her know that. They can't deny you one - it is your right not their privilege

See www.aims.org.uk and www.homebirth.org.uk

I had a hb with an underactive thyroid. I saw a consultant during my pg who said that hypothyroidism has absolutely no effect on labour. And presumably it is being managed anyway!

It did take me half way through to notice that they had labelled me as 'high risk' on my notes (& hadn't mentioned it!) but said they have to indicate that for any illness but it didn't affect my hb.

Speak to the supervisor of midwives, mine did a risk assessment and supported my desire for a hb (had GD). remember they have to provide a MW, they can advise against one but it is ultimity your decision :)

(waves at bumper!)

Definetely ask for a new MW. I had this with my MW when I had DD2, and she was doing what yours is, finding every little reason she could to talk me out of it.

Bear in mind though that if you do get a new named MW, due to the rota system you may get the old MW when you are in labour so you need to think about how you will handle her if she starts saying you need to go in etc.

As someone who was called "selfish" by my consultant a few weeks ago and has "patient requesting HB DESPITE RISKS OF PPH AND OBSTRIC HAEMORRHAGE" (her caps, not mine!) on my notes, you have my sympathies. I have had no problems in birth ever, but they are trying to say i shouldnt have a HB because it is my 6th. It pisses me off too :(

I suggest seeing the MW who told you you were a great candidate for a Hb and seeing what she thinks and then as someone else suggested go see the SoM at your hospital.

Bogeyface, the same advice I would suggest to you too. Yes once youa re classed as a 'grand multip' the risk of PPH is increased but I have been present at births of women who are on their 8th babies.

Good luck to both of you.

Hello RR, you still want to meet up sometime btw? We could go to the cafe in the village.

Apologies for the hijack :)

Agree with everyone else -- ask for another midwife and if you see mean midwife again, remind her that she cannot make you go into hospital and that you have a right to care at home if you so choose.

Even if you are high risk, they can put a butt-covering "informed we cannot encourage homebirth due to X" in your notes. I had a midwife who did the home assessment who said I was perfect, but had to put that note in due to my chronic anemia having a relapse during the pregnancy. (Birth went well, Baby is now squealing 18 month old).

I know how you're feeling - with both of my homebirths I felt like I had to jump another hoop and then another to be deemed 'acceptable'. In the end I just put my hands up and did what I wanted to do as all their reasoning was emotional blackmail and bias.

Incidentally, if you no longer have confidence that your named MW will support you at home if she happens to be on call you can state now that you will no longer accept care from her and she will not be permitted access to your home should she ring the bell when you're in labour. I'd also be contacting the Head of Midwifery and seeing what her take is - although I might do it in writing (amazing the difference some women find between what is said and what is part of a written record).

Oh - and you're not "refusing to go to hospital". That makes you sound like a naughty little girl! You're making an informed (I assume ) choice to birth you baby in place that you feel to be safe :)

DontHateThePlayerHateTheGame - I know that there's a general perception that grand multips are more likely to have a PPH, but do you know where that view comes from? Looking here it seems research published in 2002 found parity, in and of itself, was not a significant risk factor (for a healthy woman in a developed country, caveat, caveat...).
I've looked around the homebirth site a fair amount over the years and its always come across as well researched - if the author's missed some data I'm sure she'd like to know so she can get things up to date :)

Tangle, thanks I was about to post something like that!

DHTPHTG Thanks for the information but my understanding is that there is only a raised risk of PPH if the mother has previous issues or pregnancy problems. The study that was considered definitive was later found to not take into account pre-existing problems such as diabetes, pre-eclampsia etc and where women had had previous PPH. If it werent for the number of babies I have had I would be a perfect HB candidate! I was actually asked why I wasnt a HB last time :o