Can I ask for a particular midwife to be at birth if she's available?

[ontheedgeofwhatever]

I've had problems in this pregnancy and have been a regular patient at day assessment unit for last 8 weeks. All the midwives bar one I've met there have been lovely but one of them makes me feel calm just by being in the room - don't know why as I'm sure all the other MWs are just as competent as she is.

I'll be induced early middle of next week. I'll probably see her at my regular appointment on Monday. Can I ask her to deliver our baby - will she be allowed to if she normally works on day assessment rather than delivery? I just feel she'd be the right person to do it if she's available even though I know that there are plenty of confident experienced midwives at this hospital

I don't know how it works at your hospital but I've always just assumed it would be who is on the rota when you go in?

Midwives don't only deliver babies, many only work in ante and post natal care and your favourite midwife will probably be one of those. Your baby will be delivered by someone who delivers everyday.

As to choosing which NHS hospital based midwife delivers your baby, you get whoever has the lowest number of other ladies to look after. Also depending on how long labour takes there may be shift changes, so you may have more than one midwife.

i reckon it's worth an ask!

chances are if she doesn't normally work in delivery they'll say no.. but I still reckon it's worth asking them.

thank you more or less what I thought really. She's just such a lovely person. I think I'll ask her anyway if I see her on Monday the worst she can say is no - hopefully she'll at least take it as a compliment

You could ask but my DAU MW ( who was lovely too) only covered delivery when they were short staffed. I still got a wonderful MW for my delivery.

My DAU MW saw my delivery details on the hospital system and came to visit me and DD on the post natal ward. She bought me a copy of OK! (as I used to always leave my copies for them to read after my monitoring) and we had a good catch up over a cuppa! Still in touch now.