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Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

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Original poster

Homebirths. How many Midwives needed?

24 replies

Angeliz · 25/05/2006 09:45

Hello all.
Worrying now after reading something else.
Quick story is that i am probably going to try for a homebirth for this one. Midwife backed me and was very nice. She said that if they were very short staffed that day then they try to get an experienced midwife and maybe a student or a (can't remember the name- someone who works there but is not qualified at all in midwifery)....

At first i thought that if there was at least one good qualified midwife then who am i to complain! Now though i'm feeling increasingly more uneasy. What if there's a problem? I don't want someone who is not trained at all dealing mith me or the baby!!

So, all you Homebirthers, how many of you had 2 qualified midwives?

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Original poster

Angeliz · 25/05/2006 09:46

(I do feel a bit mean as i know they are needed in Hospital too!)

OP posts:

LaylaandSethsmum · 25/05/2006 09:47

i had 2 qualified midwives but i think a student does count as they have to get a certain number of deliveries. in hosp you could get one qualified and 1 student.

mears · 25/05/2006 09:52

In my area it is 2 qualified midwives who must be present at a home birth. However I know that in many areas in England there is a shortage of midwives and Maternity Care Assistants (MCA) are being used as the second person. They do have some basic training but not to the level of a midwife. I personally do not think students should be used as a second person at home.

Bozza · 25/05/2006 09:53

You are supposed to have two for the actual delivery - one to deal with you and one to deal with the baby. I had one and...DH. My own fault for leaving it too late to ring. I delivered standing up and the midwife caught DD and handed her straight to DH.

tortoiseshell · 25/05/2006 09:54

At first homebirth I had 2 qualified mws and a student, at second, 2 qualified mws. Interestingly in hospital I had 1 student for a lot of the time, and then 1 student and 1 qualified mw. (And then 1 junior doctor and 1 registrar when they started getting jittery ).

Original poster

Angeliz · 25/05/2006 09:54

Thanks.
I am going to have a chat about it next time.
Mears that wsn't the word she used. Oh what was it (for the person on the ward but not trained).

So Mears, could i insist on 2 qualified midwives?

OP posts:

Avalon · 25/05/2006 09:54

I had 2 qualified midwives, but it was my first baby as well as a home birth. Perhaps if you've already had an uncomplicated birth one qualified one and one student is fine?

Think I only had one for my second home birth - that's all I remember anyway, lol!

mears · 25/05/2006 09:58

They have a number of titles. There is health care assistant, nursing auxilliary, maternity worker....

You could ask for 2 midwives but it may well be in your area they cannot promise because of shortages.

Original poster

Angeliz · 25/05/2006 10:00

auxillary, that was it.
I do kind of feel i'm pushing my luck trying to get 2 qualified but am getting nervous now!!

OP posts:

mears · 25/05/2006 10:11

Best thing to do is speak to your midwife about it. You might actually find that they have always managed to have 2 midwives at homebirths. Ask her to give you the phone number of the Supervisor of Midwives (SOM) - her role is to protect the public by ensuring midwifery care is safely delivered. The SOM is there to assist and support women in their birth choices. Your midwife will probably be grateful if you can help this situation at all.

SoupDragon · 25/05/2006 11:33

I only had one qualified midwife. The other didn't arrive in time. (nor did the student who wanted to see a home waterbirth)

MrsLee · 25/05/2006 19:21

Im booked in for a homebirth and after reading a few threds on here i have allot to talk about with my midwife tomorrow.. (only ever seen her twice for a start) if she's never there when i go for a check up will she be there when i have the baby? urrrr..... iv been to two family homebirths one the midwife arrived just in time to catch the baby and the other one my nan deliverd the baby as the midwife didnt arrive till 5 min after the birth!

Homebirth sounds so nice for most people but i cant help feeling quite allot of worry as im only a month away from my due date,

motherinferior · 25/05/2006 19:25

One of the midwives at DD2's birth was new to the community team and I think relatively inexperienced. She was absolutely fantastic, in combination with another extremely experienced one.

RedZuleika · 25/05/2006 21:23

Just for information, I had an independent midwife and she intended to call her back-up (qualified midwife) only if things were taking a long time and she was tired. As it was, things went on for ages - but she didn't call her. (I eventually transferred and had an emergency Caesarean - but that's another story...)

NotQuiteCockney · 25/05/2006 21:42

I had an independent midwife, and wanted a homebirth. She would normally work alone. Obviously she was very experienced, and would know both the mum and the dad very well. Not sure if that makes that much of a difference, though.

Bozza · 25/05/2006 21:45

Where I live you do not necessarily get a midwife that you know anyway. As DD was born at the w/e it was the oncall midwife. As luck would have it she had stood in for my midwife at my antenatal appt 3 days previous and I also remembered her from a couple of home visits after DS was born.

WideWebWitch · 25/05/2006 21:46

Hi Angeliz, I had 2 qualified midwives there both times.

The second time they were both needed, one to deal with dd, who was whisked downstairs where midwife #1 said to dh, "don't want to worry you but we'll have to take her in if we can't get her Apgar up" and one for me upstairs where mw #2 said to me "don't want to worry you but we'll have to take you in if we can't stop this bleeding." All was totally well btw, we were and are both absolutely fine but I'm glad they both knew what they were doing and were both there and qualified.

Original poster

Angeliz · 25/05/2006 21:46

Thanks all.

As long as it's straightforward i'll be fine with one, it's just that awful niggle of 'what if we both need care after the Birth'. The thought of a studnet or untrained person doesn't appeal to me.

Will express my concerns at my next appointment.

OP posts:

WideWebWitch · 25/05/2006 21:47

x posted Angeliz. A student may well have been able to cope in my situation but I don't know for sure, someone more experienced would have to tell you.

snafu · 25/05/2006 21:49

Hmmm, dunno about a student, but a studnet sounds like fun (maybe not so soon after giving birth though...)

WideWebWitch · 25/05/2006 21:49

lol at studnet Snafu, that I'd like to see!

Original poster

Angeliz · 25/05/2006 21:50

OOHH you're all so quick
Was chatting to dp and there have been about 5 posts that i missed!
WWW, that's the the kind of thing that worries me.
TBH, i haven't yet had a midwife i've met before deliver my babies. It's pot luck on the day and fortunately both were lovely. The first was an angel!

I'll definately express my worries to Midwife next time.

OP posts:

Original poster

Angeliz · 25/05/2006 21:51

hee hee.
Off to watch E.R!

Thanks all+

OP posts:

sugarfree · 25/05/2006 21:52

Just wanted to add that in the hospital,other trained midwives are only a buzzer away,if needed.
I agree with Mears about speaking to your midwife,the more information you have the better.

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