Want home birth but there "might not be staff"

[Kopparbergkate]

I'm expecting DC2 and am nearly 38 weeks now. Ever since my booking in, I've said that I wanted a home water birth with this baby. I didn't have a pleasant time (putting it mildly) having DD1, albeit in a different hospital, and I am really really keen to stay at home; though I have also said throughout that if anything changed and I became high risk, then I would go in.

Anyway, the community midwife I have had for all my appointments has seemed keen and assured me that there is no reason I can not stay at home.... That is, right up until my 37 week "home birth check" at home last week, when she said that, of course, there's only one home birth team in this area (its a big rural area) and if they're attending another woman, then when you phone for a midwife, you'll have to go in to hospital. I asked how often that happens and she said it happened at least every month.

I've never had an issue with the thought that I might need to transfer in labour or indeed that I might develop a complication in pregnancy that means home birth isn't an option but that's not the case. I'm in tears at the thought I might phone up expecting to ask for a midwife and get told to come in instead and it's really worrying me (i guess partly cus of what happened last time). I have a doula and she's given me a letter template from an AIMS book to send to the supervisor of midwives basically demanding a midwife be guaranteed.

Thing is, I feel really torn; I do really want them to guarantee me a midwife and they have had months of notice but I also don't want to come across as an entitled arse making a huge fuss when NHS resources are limited etc etc.

Wwyd?

I just wanted to add, the squeaky wheel gets the oil. You have a right to a homebirth, if they try telling you you can't have one you can stand your ground in the knowledge that you are in the right. These attitudes that it can't be helped, the resources aren't there and we just have to accept it are exactly why maternity services have been allowed to get into the state they are in. We need to get much more vocal if we want to stop being fucked over!

I've been lurking on this thread and add my hope that OP gets her HB. I spoke to an Independent Midwife yesterday about my wish for HB (in Aug/Sep) and that I am in an area of the country with a high and still climbing birth rate, where all maternity services are concentrated in one big hospital (that I am very close to). I'm concerned about exactly this situation, that there "won't be a midwife available" when I need one.

I am glad that there are Independent Midwives (for the moment) and I want there to be an insurance solution for them, as I am spooked by the combination of it costing £3-5k to "go private" in this way but there being no liability cover whatsoever. We can't afford that unless DH's health cover can include it, so I suppose like the OP, we will be getting to the last month of pregnancy and preparing to have an argument about it to get the service we paid our taxes for (and were promised 3000 more midwives trained in the course of the present parliament).

Well, in the US, they're really trying to clamp down on independent midwives to the extent that they find it really hard to get insurance, and that if somethign "goes wrong" and the woman has to be transferred, it's easy to get a lawsuti against them :(

It's a fallacy that there isn't enough staff in this country to get a HB - yes, we need more midwives, but cutting back on services isn't going to get them - the only way we will get more midwives is by showing need for them.
The medicalization of birth that is being reversed right now has meant that consultants and Obs drs are more normal than they should be, and midwives have been sidelined - we need to get them back at the centre front of birth.

Actually, I think independent midwives in the UK aren't a very good idea either - women shouldn't be forced into private healthcare because they can't get what they need from the NHS, and on the flipside of that con, independent midwives should be working for the NHS - private healthcare removes medical staff rom the NHS, which means there is less choice at point of use

*coin

U&A - I was in the USA for my first and didn't get my home birth - the ins co wouldn't tell me what they normally pay out for an average hospital birth (which is the max they would pay out for a HB) and DH was about as supportive as a handkerchief s0 I had my choice taken away from me. I'm with you on private midwives - we shouldn't be forced to go into private healthcare - we pay taxes for healthcare...but that doesn't seem like it's going to be an issue for much longer anyway seeing as the government seems to be hellbent on basically outlawing them...

I'm reading my livebirthsaga now
couple of things have made me laugh
"I promise you Nickel, at some stage today you will do action without thinking" from Alouisee - that didn't happen
"Get your DH home NOW, panic can be a sign of transition and lots of people do labour fast when overdue. " from JKSLtd (that was at 10 in the morning - she was textbook and arrived at midnight)

i imagine it's because homebirths are usually less complicated, they aren't having to keep a patient in a bed, clean the bed and sheets, clean the mess after you've given birth, feed you etc. there tends to be less interventions when you're at home so less cost in equipment, pain relief etc. it's just one midwife for most of the time and a second at the end...although my second didn't make it in time....actually my first didn't really make it in time lol!

stick to your guns! i had a horrid experience with my first pregnancy in hospital. i cried most of my stay. the second time i wanted a homebirth and it was lovely and i would do it again.

they will find someone to send to you, even if it ends up being an ambulance to come out. you will be fine.