midwife refused pain relief

[liznay]

Please help as I'm seriously getting myself in a stew about this...
I'm due to give birth for the 2nd time at my local hospital. I'm under consultant care due to previous traumatic birth. He has said that I'm fine for community care from this point on (I'm due this Friday) and can have an epidural at 3cm this time if needed. (Didn't get one last time even though I asked 6 times)

However the issue I have is that the hospital seem to be seriously run off their feet at the moment. My friend gave birth there at the weekend. They had no delivery rooms available and so she gave birth in a side room behind a curtain because the midwife refused to examine her (hospital has a strict 4 hour policy on VE's) and said it was too early for G&A as she was only 3cm last time she was examined!!!

What are my rights if they try and do this to me? I was getting panicked about doing it without an epidural (even though I managed last time) but without even G&A, I think I might actually flip out completely.
Even if there is no piped G&A for a room, surely they should have got her a cannister? BTW the birth has been recorded as a near miss as midwife didn't spot she was about to give birth, so head of midwifery is looking into it.

I'm scared

I was unable to have an epidural with dc3 though I shrieked my demands asked dozens of times. I rationalise this by saying that it was because some other poor woman needed them more.

On a happier note, within 10 mins of saying I was considering asking for one with dc4 I was sitting on the bed having my back swabbed. On a Saturday. In a major, busy maternity ward with staff shortages (and there were major shortages that weekend - my induction had been postponed by nearly 24hrs because there were no mws).

Good luck.