Denied a homebirth when in labour?

[PrettyCandles]

Has this happened to anybody else?

When I phoned up to say that I was in labour and was booked for a homebirth, they could not find a midwife to come to me and I had to go to the hospital. I know that in theory that can happen, but have never heard of it happening before. Even the midwife who booked me for homebirth a couple of weeks ealier said that it had never happened as far as she was aware.

[SenoraPostrophe]

sorry, lulumama - I was arguing with quadrophenia's post, not yours. and I added the bit about stamping feet.

I do think also, the reason I get a bit wound up by this kind of debate is that I think there are far far more important things that all pregnant women need than the right to a home birth - in particular breast feeding advice and good support after the baby is born (neither of which are available in spain either - Spain doesn't spend anything like as much as the uk on healthcare).

[kittythescarygoblin]

Pooka, i was contracting very strongly when i phoned the midwives and they tried to get me to go in. i couldn't say much, but "no" seemed to do it

[kittythescarygoblin]

It is this government that has stated that it is a womans' right. You can read all of these on the aims website. i say thankheavens that that is now the case.

[DarrellSHivers]

Do you think sometimes we think too much about the 'mode of delivery' and then before you know it, baby's delivered and suddenly the rest of your life is spent concentrating on looking after.
Both my deliveries were so different (planned c-section for breech and successful VBAC ) but in someways, the fact that i didn't have alot of control over everything was good for me, as it started off how the looking after children bit of my life was going to be ie unpredictable. I occasionally look back at my deliveries and obviously they are both special but also different.
At the end of the day, it's good we have choices, but sometimes those choices aren't available at the time.Sometimes these are beyond our control, ie baby breech, and sometimes beyond our control but shouldn't be ie lack of midwifes.In most healthcare systems sometimes things go pearshaped but unfortunately in the NHS in the future I think we will be getting a lot less choices And a lot more things going pearshaped.
Don't know what to suggest to improve it though

[lulumama]

thank you senora......

good post natal advice is vital especially b/f...think there needs to be huge investment in the maternity services..in all areas.....and i take on board what you say...

[lulumama]

thank you senora......

good post natal advice is vital especially b/f...think there needs to be huge investment in the maternity services..in all areas.....and i take on board what you say...

[lulumama]

isnt it a shame kitty, that the government gives us rights with one hand and then takes them away with the other by cutting midwifery funding etc...

[DarrellSHivers]

Well by talking about 'choice', when it is blatently obvious that there is not a lot of choice,

[kittythescarygoblin]

I believe that the mode of delivery is very, very important to alot of women, myself included. I know that how happy I have felt with the births of my children has had a direct link with how happy I feel postnatally and whether I get PND or not.
My last birth was my 5th, but my first at home, but it was the first time ever I have had no depression post natally, despit the fact that she was born 2 days before christmas and I had 4 other children 7 and under to look after.
So, I think the importance of the mode of delivery shhould not be underestimated.

[lulumama]

there is not a lot of choice...but there should be...

or we will be in a situation where everyone ends up being induced in hospital to ensure there are staff to cope..

bit far fetched maybe...?

at the moment, midwifery units are closing, midwifery as a profession is desperately short of midwives....if we accept this is ok, then it will continue to happen.

i believe the mode & place of delivery is vitally important to both mum & baby, and the mums physical and mental well being post natally

i do feel very strongly about this ( you may have guessed!) but i appreciate all the comments and am taking it all in...

[lulumama]

X post with kitty

my failed induction and subsequent emergency c/s was i believe the root cause of my PND...my VBAC, which i fought for, was a dream come true and have been well ever since...

[belgo]

lulumama - that's not far fetched. The situation in Belgium is that a lot of inductions and c sections occur on a friday to try and avoid the weekend. How a woman gives birth does seem to be based on seemingly trivial things - like when a midwife goes on her lunch break, and what doctors happen to be avaible at what time. Maybe I'm just cynical.

[kittythescarygoblin]

So true lulumama. perhaps it is so they can say they tried, it makes them look like the good guys the whole situation is a disgrace don't you think?.
I feel so, so sorry for any midwive, slogging their guts out the way they do, rarely being able to provide the support they want to.
It's not simply a question of being physically there to deliver a baby. It's about emotional support, because a good midwive can make one hell of a difference to a woman's birth experience. How can you provide this service if you have to tend x number of labouring women all at once, feeling stressed and unappreciated ?

[MumtoBen]

I went to hospital and they didn't have a midwife to look after me, so my husband & I were left on our own for over 4 hours. Was nearly fully dilated by the time some one was available. They had forgotten I was in the hospital. My son's heartbeat hadn't been checked and I had no pain relief and was in agony and very scared.

So, even if you go to hospital you can't guarantee one there either.

I am planning a home birth this time. Even if no midwife comes it can't be any worse than last time. The 1st time I had a medicalised birth and it put at risk the life of my baby who ended up in an incubator unconscious. I'm not risking that again.

[lulumama]

belgo - believe the situation is similar in USA...?

mumtoben.... hope your darling baby recovered ok..and you too...

[MumtoBen]

Fortunately my son is fine. I haven't fared so well and will be left with life-long injuries.

[3andnomore]

Hm, the point was raised that, but if there isn't enough m/w's....should they create one...well, there are soooo many people that want to train as a m/w and would qualify to do so, but there aren't enough recources to do so, there are also m/w's getting sacked, dispte them being needed....now, if everyone who possibly could would have a Homebirth, then, there would be more money Because, even though you will have 1-1 and towards the end usually 2-1 care....a HB is much cheaper....so, enoucouraging HB is actually a efficient money saving way...so, maybe all those people wanting C-sections or a Hospital Birth (by choice now, not if medically necessary now) are selfish then...because they are costing so much unecessary money....(this is not my opinion by the way, just a but of a devils advocate thingyin an ideal world we would all be enabled to have the Birth we want, as that is definately in everyones favour...it's so important for the emotional wellbeing, and better Birhts would probably reduce a high number of PND and certainly PTSD (Posttraumatic stressdisorder, or it is stressyndrome...just don't look right), which again is moneysaving, a low drug Birth will save money (and that is often in positives Births the case when good postive midwifery care is given), so, having an epidurtal could be seen as selfish, too....I just think it's such a difficult road to go down, iyswim!

[3andnomore]

Belgo that is just shocking and a disgrace....whatever happened to letting women give Birth as natural as possible, etc....

[lulumama]

3andnomore- very thought provoking and interesting POV..

mumtoben... i am very sorry.....that must be very difficult...

[sliderule]

fighting for your homebirth is not selfish - I was lucky when I had one 6 months ago and there were sufficient staff available (3 were there for the delivery) - so I only had to fight the consultant who said I wouldn't be allowed a hb after I had a show and minor bleed at 36w - he hadn't examined me and only glanced at my notes and the objection was finally lifted after my questioning it.

But if I had been told to come in I would have questioned that too - why should I not? It is not selfish to want to avoid all the (I imagine) expensive and most likely unecessary intervention for my first birth and I was traumatised by the experience - very determined not to repeat it for my dd's birth.

Traumatic births contribute to PND and if a good hb experience can help prevent this then it is the right decision for the woman - being in control as much as possible, of your birth in hospital or at home is very empowering and enabling that is an excellant use of nhs resources - guidelines for nhs trust require them to support womens choices and that should be a priority.

While planned hb is a minority choice I really don't think it is having a huge impact on nhs resources - there are plenty of arguements to be had about the proper use of resources - but we all contribute to the funds and all have a right to ask for the kind of service we want/ need.

[pupuce]

In our local trust - if no community MW can attend they have a rota of very senior midwives ! Not that any are keen to be called in!
They have bank (agency) MWs which I know they can't afford at the moment.... sadly as a lot are ex-community MWs so well qualified to do this!
We have 2 student Mws in our trust who know they won't have jobs in the Trust, yet we are with a SEVERE shortage... there just isn't any money.
A doula colleague was told to come in as they could not find a community MW, she chose not to go in and they found a MW.

[pupuce]

In our local trust - if no community MW can attend they have a rota of very senior midwives ! Not that any are keen to be called in!
They have bank (agency) MWs which I know they can't afford at the moment.... sadly as a lot are ex-community MWs so well qualified to do this!
We have 2 student Mws in our trust who know they won't have jobs in the Trust, yet we are with a SEVERE shortage... there just isn't any money.
A doula colleague was told to come in as they could not find a community MW, she chose not to go in and they found a MW.

[3andnomore]

MumtoBen, gald all went well for you and best of luck for the future HB
I was bullied out of a HB with ms (and in hindsight this annoys me so much), as I had Glucose intolerance (it wasn't even proper GD) and it was perfectly diet controlled etc, and his Birth was wonderful, dispite being in Hospital, but at home it would have been a perfect Birth, iyswim...anyway, the reason for me not being "allowed" ( I know, what a joke) to have a HB was all those possible complications that my Baby could have had and apparently I would have been irresponsible if I had him at home...in the end though, he was fine anywya, and afterwards, when pg with #3, I learned that all teh possible comolications could have been managed really well at home anyway, and indeed, after he was born I didn't see a m/w or anyone for hours after, even though I hadn't been given any food and just given Birth and was starving no toast for me, and no one looking if ds was o.k. no bloodsugar taken nothing, indeed m/w's rushed of their feet....surely both of us would have been better off at home....where I would have had the care I needed....it was just ridiculous really! Hindsight is a beautyful thing...or is it, lol!

[3andnomore]

Pupuce, yeah this whole using Bankstaff scenario, not just in Midwifery, also in Nursing...what a false economy....I mean, they pay through their nose for them, whereas, if they would just pay their proper staff decently and have the right staff keys, they would actually save money....I mean, what is that all about....madness!

[VanillaMilkshake]

I have read all this thread and found it really interesteing. I am due in approx 7 weeks. I have 2 community midwives who I see weekly from now on and one of them suggested I have a HB as first PG and labour were textbook, and the other has said they will support my decision whatever I choose. The first MW is coming to talk to me and DH about our options and the arrangements of a HB when I get to 36 wks. However I am very clear if it's not her in attendance at my home birth I am off to hopsital.

BTW The community midwives here also work shifts on the labour ward.

The labour ward at the local NHS hospital has about 6 private labour room and 2 4-birth rooms with curtains. A couple of the private rooms have a pool and there is also an inflatable one available if these room are taken. However around the time my DD was born (3 yrs ago) The ward suffered a crisis where too many women went in to labour at once and it was a big splash all over the local rag that one woman had given birth in the toilet - her bed was wheeled in for privacy. And another in the storage cupboard - where the infaltable pool is now kept! Other women were turned away as there was no room and ended up having unplanned homebirths and one woman was bought back by ambulance with complications except did'nt quite make it and gave birth in lay-by.

I think the NHS needs to answer for the apalling state of midwifery. Regardless of how many MW's were available on this particular day, it was a space issue. And those who chose hospital births were denied. In this day and age a woman whould have a right to choose and plan for the birth she wants. After all most of us have made a contribution to the NHS and should therefore have the right to the care we want

Sorry I have ranted so long, but thought as you were all so passionate about the issue that you might like to know this.