chronic lack of midwifves..

[katierocket]

very frightening article in the telegraph yesterday. I guess this is no news to you mears?
lack of midwifes puts lives at risk

I AM sure that is what led to my dd's birth being so badly managed. We still have no answers to what her diagnosis is but I and all of my family are pretty sure it was 'birth' induced (ie. CP) I never complained BTW but sometimes I think I should have done to save other families going through what we have been through. This might sound hard-faced but if it is diagnosed at that I think I would take the matter further for the future of my dd, sorry am I horrible?

I'm really shocked at the 3,000 stillborn babies every year - I wouldn't have thought it was anywhere near that high. That any of those are due to midwife shortages is awful. IIRC the situation was similar about 6 years ago when ds was born - women were sent home in Bristol ? may not have been - due to staff shortages even though they were in labour and wanted to be admitted.

Things were no better here in Sheffield 17 months ago when I had DD. I was sent home on day 3 after my cs purely because the hospital had had to shut one of the maternity wards due to lack of midwives. They needed my bed, so despite still being very anaemic I was signed off. Luckily I really was ready to go home, and was going home to plenty of support.

The same in Cheltenham with dd1. All beds full, not enough staff, the ones there were completely harassed and unable to respond to everyone's needs properly, even though they tried their best. People were being sent home early after CS too. I'd had a CS and dd1 was in special care, but I wasn't able to see her for 24 hours because there was no one with enough time to take me up there in a wheelchair. Eventually walked up there on my own!

There's no doubt about it there are acute shortages of midwives throughout the country, especially in England. One-to-one midwifery care in labour is the ideal. In the article it talked about midwives needed for theatre. It is now recognised that midwives should not be trained for theatre - nurses and theatre practitioners can do that bit with one midwife supporting the woma. The best use of midwives' time is not in theatre but looking after women in labour.

My experience couldn't have been better I have to say, my mw was with me from when I went to the delivery ward at 7am until it all went pearshaped with a emercency c at 9pm. She came into the theatre to hold my hand etc and dh said she cried when dd was born. Worth her weight in gold. Works at Mcr St Mary's in case she is a secret Mumsnetter (mears?).

Saying that, there was an article in the local paper saying the same thing for this area as well, I think its a lottery on what care you get depending on the number of women in labour v staff on duty.