Experience of transfers from MLU to CLU

[Murtette]

Our local hospital has both an MLU & a CLU in the same building. The MLU has a more relaxed atmosphere & I like the idea of labouring in water so, ideally, would like to go there. However, with DD I had an epidural. I don't know whether this is because I have a low pain threshold or because I had the full induction process (including drip) so contractions went from nothing to hell within about 30 minutes and then I had an epidural 10 mins later & all was fine again.
I'm nervous about being in lots of pain, wanting an epidural but it being delayed because I'm in the MLU and have to be transferred. Does anyone have any experience of this?
DD ended up being a forceps delivery in theatre whilst being prepped for a c-section but that was a medical necessity so, if I end up in that position again, I'm not worried as they'll have to transfer me. With DD, I had to wait 90 mins between them deciding to go that route and actually going to theatre as there were so many emergencies that there wasn't room in theatre for that long.

with dd1 i was in the MLU was 2 weeks overdue and labour was 36 hours all in , was only in hosp for 15 of them tho... anyways evrything started to go complicated towards the end and the rushed in other midwifes and a doctor i wasnt transfered to the CLU they just brought the consultant in to me . after the baby was born and things lookd to be going ok again the consultant left but my placenta then would not come so they brought in the anestatist to tell me about going to thatre , i was prepped ( undressed and helped into a gown) in the MLU and was wheeled thru MLU then thru CLU to theatre on the bed ... so i wouldnt worry about having to wait to be transferred if theres any complications ect, as you dont actuli have to be in CLu for the consultant to see you ... but if you did have to have forceps due to some complications you are probarly ssafer to go to the CLU, and CLus usuly have a birthing pool in them too , i was in CLU with my 3rd child as i lost 2nd one at 21 weeks and due to the complications i had with 1st also., i was aloud to labour in the water ( i just had the bath as i forgot to ask for the pool lol), but due to previoius complications they wouldnt alow me to push in the water so i ad to then come out ...

hope i helped x

In my hospital transfers are very straightforward, though it might help that the units are very close together on the same floor. We transferred a woman for an epidural the other day and I don't think it took much longer than if she had already been in the CLU and wanted one. Of course things were quiet and there was a room immediately available.

I don't have direct experience, but from friends who have been in this position I don't think it makes much difference time wise. You often have to wait a bit because the anaesthetist is in theatre or whatever anyway.

Also, I am going to get a bit shouty about your reference to a 'low pain threshold'. . There is no such bloody thing. Pain is subjective. If you feel pain, you are in pain. Low pain threshold is just something said to women to make them feel bad IMO.

More practically, I had an epidural with DD1 because of the drip, but managed fine with DD2 with just a pool. All the natural hormones is a whole other ball game.

I had planned to give birth in a MLU, had a really supportive conversation with the midwife who said only go to MLU if you really think no pain relief is for you to avoid transfer if possible.

After 2 hours of contractions at home I know I wanted an epidural so rang the MLU and they were lovely and told me just to go to the delivery suite and they would let them know I was on my way.

However, in answer to your question, transferring won't slow things down as if there is an anaesthetist free there will be one free, same with a room to deliver in.

However, there are no guarantees where I gave birth that there will be room at MLU or CLU so that was the risk i took!

I did this. After 8 hours in the MLU pool they made me get out, at which point my SPD got even worse and it was suggested I consider an epidural.
When I agreed they called the anaesthetist and CLU but said I might as well stay put until he was on his way. So about 15 min later I was taken down on a trolley and got hooked up immediately.

So no delay, though DP kept throwing a sheet over my head for some reason. He explained two years later this was because we were going down in a public lift and I was still naked but kept throwing the sheet off despite him trying to tangle me up in it to stop me...

Thank you for this. Its very helpful as no one locally is able to tell me if there's a policy or anything that the hospital follows. Given the MLU and CLU are on the same floor, I think I'll try the MLU if I get the choice.

I was in a MLU and transferred for an emcs.

It was quite a big emergency and what was not good about the transfer was how long it took the doctors to get up to speed with what was going on. Presumably if I had been there all along they might have been more clued up and it wouldn't have taken them nearly 2 hours to get my baby out.

The transfer itself took about 5 minutes, including a bit when I wandered into the lift naked and dripping wet...

Anyway, the MLU part was great and I was pretty relaxed. And so until the crash section I had no pain relief bar water (I am a serious wimp, with dd1 i had a ridiculously early epidural!)

I saw a different MW today and she's only recently stopped working in the hospital where I'll be having DC2 and was very reassuring about the whole transfer process. She said its a matter of being wheeled a few extra yards & through a set of double doors if I need to go to theatre. For an epidural, there's the usual risk of there not being a bed or an anaethetist free but that would be no different if I went to the CLU. If my body ever decides to go into labour, MLU here I come!