Refused a waterbirth!

[alicemama]

Hi girls,
well just had a midwife call round today after a home assesment yesterday for my homebirth and after monthes of planning I've just been told that I can't use my pool at all, as there is only 1 midwife trained in waterbirths.

I'm absolutely furious! I've talked about my home waterbirth to every midwife I've seen at every antenatel appointmentt and not once has anyone even hinted that this might not be possible.

I'm 36+3 and waited to order my pool from made in water until monday this week and it arrived yesterday and now the following day I'm told I can't use it. As you can imagine I had plenty to say to the midwife who is now going back to her supervisor to discuss it again taking into account that I've already received and paid for my pool! But she's off on annual leave now so won't find out til at least Monday and I know what the answer will be.

Not sure what to do now as I've been planning this for months and had my heart set on using the pool for labour and delivery! HELP!!!!

[Gizmo]

ARGGGGGGHHHHHH on your behalf.

How much does an underwater effing sonicaid cost anyway! If I could buy one and post it to your health authority with a sarky note it would be done.

Write to your MP. Seriously. It is DISGRACEFUL that someone so close to birth should be so harrassed over the purchase of what - I'll bet you - is a £500 bit of equipment.

GRRRRRRRR

[motherinferior]

WTF???? I had my second baby at home (in water, in fact). The lovely midwives never checked the baby's heart at all, I think, when I was in established labour.

(And yes, I got a midwife 'experienced in waterbirths' but in the event all she had to do was catch DD2 as she shot out like a champagne cork!)

I am SO sorry you are going through this.

[Aragon]

alicemama,

Don't talk to these people anymore - if you haven't done so already ring AIMS as they will ceetainly be on your side. Just wish I was closer to you as I was a midwife and helped many women deliver their babies in water. The midwives are talking a load of crap. I used to do readings of the baby's heartbeat and rate every 15-20 mins during labour. I cannot think what their rationale is for wanting to check after every contraction - would they do this if you were in hospital or on dry land. What a load of rubbish.
It's YOUR body and YOUR baby and YOUR birth - they are there to assist you and YOU are in charge NOT them. Write a letter to the supervisor of midwives tell her you have hired a pool at great expense to labour and birth in and that you think it's a bit rich that they have waited until this late stage to tell you they haven't got anyone qualified etc. Tell them you have no intention of subjecting yourself to the experience you had last time and that if nobody is qualified to assist you with a waterbirth then they'd better find you (and fund) an Independent midwife who DOES know what she's doing.

Bit of a rant there but just so mad on your behalf.

[Chloe55]

How awful for you to be put through this at this stage, the only advice I can give is to stay strong and do what YOU want to do. There's no evidence that a waterbirth is 'unsafe' so what the hell is their problem? B*llocks to them I say. Is you DH/DP standing by you on this issue?

[alicemama]

My dh is very supportive and right now is at work looking for an e-mail address for the chief executive of the hospital.
I've already contacted aims and I know i'm in the right, its just so frustrating.

I have a sure start midwife coming on monday to bring me a tens machine and I've just found out that she works at a birth centre in Lichfield. So I'll talk to her and hopefully get her on my side.
I'm just praying that I don't go into labour next week as the really snotty midwife that's just been is on call then!

[carly82]

your poor thing i have been reading through your thread and just wanted to say keep fighting them all the way!! and to check the heart rate after every contraction is the biggest pile of rubbish ive heard, as long as the pg has been trouble free there is no need for constant monitering. they seem like they are trying to bully you out of it get writing your letter of complaint and enjoy the glorious waterbirth you deserve xxxx

[Chloe55]

Glad to hear you have good support at home, that's the main thing. Good luck with it all.

[Aragon]

Just read all the thread. You are definitely in the right - how unsupportive and uncaring of these "midwives".

Another website which has lots of research info is Angela Horn's Homebirth reference site . She has lots of info there about waterbirths at home.

Stick to your guns and keep AIMS involved.

[n1k199]

Have just sat and read all of this...what a shame. I had my first baby (6 months) in a pool, I had planned a pool birth from the start and my midwives were constantly trying to convince me to have it at home and it was me who wanted the safety net of hospital (first baby and everything). The pool birth was the most fantastic thing, and I am definately doing it again if its possible.

I am shocked that all midwives are not taught to deliver using a pool, after all they don't actually do anything hands on during a pool birth, you are pretty much left to your own devices with gas and air, and given lots of support - how hard can that be? They don't even touch the baby until you have brought it to the surface yourself then its business as usual cut the cord and off you go....

Gob smacked to say the least!

[muma3]

i have a 5 month old and although i didnt want or have a home birth i was suprised to find that i could give birth in pool . the long and short of it is i got to hosp to be told all rooms full. i labour quick and waters had gone so they put me in the pool room as it wasnt being used i had posterior baby and got in the pool as i was in ssooooooooo much pain . i had to get out to give birth as there wasnt enough midwifes . the pool didnt help but the having to move when ready to push was a night mare

[muma3]

what im trying to say is its terrible that you might not be able to use it but in the end you might not want to anyway !!!!!!!

[hunkerpumpkin]

AM, am shocked and very angry on your behalf at the bullying behaviour your midwives have shown you. Really hope that you get some joy from contacting the Chief Exec of the hospital - God, I wonder how many other women these bitches have bullied out of the births they want?!

[alicemama]

I know that when the actual time comes I might not to use the pool anyway but I want that to be my choice, not theirs.
Its also the way they are going about this...I feel lied to, manipulated and bullied.

I know nobody here actually knows me but I'm not the kind of person that cries easily, especially in front of other people but thats how bad this is all getting to me....Perhaps they're just trying to stress me out that much that my bp goes sky high and I end up in hospital anyway

[hunkerpumpkin]

AM, it's pretty common behaviour from what I've read - have AIMS been back in touch with you?

Just thought - the hospital doesn't have a birthing pool or plans for one, does it?

[alicemama]

NO they don't have a pool or plans for one, so thats their excuse for not having trained midwives.

I was thinking of ringing aims back but I'm not really sure what they can do to help?

[muma3]

dont let them, it is your baby your body and YOUR choice , i dont wish any harm to you or your darling unborn but if you were to go into labour and refuse to go hosp what will they do then ????
get in the pool and they will have to look after you wont they!!!!!!
aaaaawwwwwww GOOD LUCK and keep calm i can see you getting what you want you are determined and im sure they will come round xxxxxxxx

[hunkerpumpkin]

I'd say you won't know what they can do unless you ring them - might be nothing, might just be some tips, might be a full-scale hitman organisation

Ask the midwives you saw today to put in writing all they said though - definitely.

And have a nice cup of tea and a sit down with a biscuit too - you deserve it

[despair]

Hi

I feel very angry on your behalf. Pls look after yourselves. I am having difficulty with my midwife myself and recognise this bullying type behaviour. However, as others have already said, this is about YOU AND YOUR BABY they are there to help you and you are not there for them. If they are incompetent/rude/poorly trained you need to get another midwife. If you don't trust your midwife you are much more likely to end up with medical intervention, C-section, assisted delivery etc. Definitely try to get a doula to stand up on your behalf! Also, be careful with heart rate monitoring, latest research suggests that women who undergo a lot of monitoring are much more likely to end up with a C-section, because the baby might be in distress. However, unless there is a clear issue with meconium it is quite difficult to assess from heart rate monitoring alone whether the baby is in distress or not. I have decided that I will decline heart rate monitoring/vaginal examinations/giving birth against hospital timelimits given that every woman is different and given that no body has been able to give me any evidence that the outcome for mother and baby are better of all these interventions. To me it seems all a power issues with midwives and doctors wanting to run the show and feeling that they are sidelined if they haven't got a piece of equipment or paper in their hand. Good luck! And I really think that you should try to get another midwife, you don't want to end up with that bitch, this is disgraceful after all the tax we are paying for the NHS!

All the best.

[Cooperoo]

Oh NO!! How dare they!! I am very on your behalf. Get everything in writing. I had a few (unrelated) issues surrounding the birth of my second child and complained and had the supervisor of midwives and her boss come to my home. They were very sympathetic but the important thing was that they put EVERYTHING in writing to me in a letter detailing the points made and what action they were to take. I was definately not monitored after every contraction when I had my waterbirth with dd1 two and a half years ago. That is utter crap. You could just be in a bath FFS. I am so angry on your behalf. They are taking your choices away and have no right to. I really hope you have the strength to get this resolved. Good Luck

[mears]

alicemama - please find out who the Supervisor of Midwives (SOM) is at the hospital (there will be more than one). He/she is not the Head of Midwifery but is responsible for ensuring that midwives have the ability to care for women safely and in a manner of their choosing!

I am a SOM at my hospital. When we had a home waterbirth request recently, we made sure the midwives got a training seminar on the subject. There is absolutely no excuse for midwives not be be able to do this - they can get access to plenty of literature and they should be able to contact other units for advice.

The SOM will support you in your request and support the midwives . An underwater doppler should be bought for use because it is better than disrupting the flow of labour by asking you to lift your bump out the water.

The heartbeat should be listened to every 15 minutes after each contraction for 1 full minute in the first stage of labour. In the second stage it should be listened to after each contraction for 1 full minute.

I am sure I posted a link to midwifery guidelines earlier in the post. Send away for them - they are not expensive and they are very good. It means you will be armed with all the info you need about waterbirth.

[mears]

click on the order guidelines link

[tessasmum]

AM - I'm so sorry that you are having to go through all this now and can't believe the bullying tactics that are being employed. There is great advice on here already that I can't really add to but I wanted to let you know that my thoughts (and righteous fury!) are with you.
Hope you have the strengh to keep fighting, keep the chocolate levels up!

[Cooperoo]

Wow Mears you shock me with how often the heartrate should be monitored and for how long. I now actually do not doubt that this was done for me but I was so much in my 'bubble' concentrating I obviously didn't notice. It is fab to have you on here to offer a professional pespective!
AM - Just to reiterate the SOM who came to see me was definately on my side to try and achieve the kind of birth I wanted. I wish I had tracked her down sooner in my case so get on to them at your hospital. Really Good Luck.

[franke]

Alicemama - I've just seen this again - this is just awful. Would it be time to try plan B - get in touch with a different hospital and see if they will support you in the birth you want? I know that you absolutely shouldn't have to do this, but in the next couple of weeks you need to feel supported not bullied. I'm fuming on your behalf.

[alicemama]

Thanks mears for clearing that up for me, I've never heard that before. I've also ordered a copy of those guidelines, thanks for the link

I've just had my own midwife brip my delivery pack round and she's apologised for the behaviour of the other midwife that came yesterday. She even admitted that the midwifes behaviour was intimidating and bullying. She went to her SOM this morning and basically told them that I know what I'm doing, I'm not going to put myself or my baby at risk and they should just leave things as they are....me labouring in the pool and getting out to deliver.

Feeling much better now and just praying that I don't go into labour next week as my midwife is on holiday and the evil midwife from yesterday in on call.

Just waiting to speak to the sure start midwife on monday who might be able to get a waterproof sonicaid for me to use.

Once again, thank you so much for all of your support..cyber flowers & chocs to you all