Homebirth and smoking midwives....

[HPPAY]

Am 34 weeks, planning a home birth.

Met one of the midwives who could potentially be on duty when I go into labour and she smelled really badly of someone that smokes. Personal preference but i have a real issue with this and it hs made me panic about who will turn up to my house when I'm in labour and what do I do if they have smoke on their clothes?!

Anyone have a clue about this? Do i even have a choice? (Potentially making me consider justgoing to hospital instead which is not what I want at all).

I don't know what you can do, but they'd have to leave & be replaced if it was me because else I'd be throwing up. Good luck.

No suggestions on what could you do but potentially the smell could have been from the previous patient's house. I worked a short time in the community and used to come out of some houses like a 40 a day smoker.

Midwives who work in hospitals smoke too.
Mine came and stood outside with me after I had given birth to dd.
She washed her hands when she went in and of course had a coat over her uniform.
She's not going to blow smoke all over you and your baby.

Totally understand why you would find this repugnant :(
As a doula I would make sure my clients wishes were respected and would convey this to midwives (though in most home births the midwife comes just before baby).
Your smell is completely heightened in pregnancy and especially in labour. The smell can cause nausea, if I were you I would put in capitals on your birth plan please make sure NO ONE in my birth space has recently had a cigarette.
That way it will not offend the midwife as it could mean anyone your DH, MIL DM,Doula or Midwife.
Good luck hope you have the birth you wish for!

I wouldn't be able to have her in the house.

I remember a HCA really stank of smoke when I was in hospital just after having my first. She picked up my baby and held her close, I just wanted my baby back from her. She was lovely, but I just didn't want her around me or my baby. I would go with pp suggestion, write what you want in big letters on your birth plan.

You are within your rights to complain about this.

I did part of my midwifery degree and was a smoker at the time. Healthcare professionals, especially midwives, are not supposed to smoke in their uniform due to toxins that are present in clothing following smoking.

You should feel no less guilty requesting a midwife not smoke on shift during your delivery or smoke in different clothing and take every length to prevent transfer of toxins than you should for asking someone to not smoke next to you pregnant or not.

Wouldn't fancy that. Do you think there's any way it might be the smell of a woman she's been caring for, rather than smoking herself? You know sometimes there's a different smell when someone's been around smoke to when they've actually been smoking.

I was giving birth at my local MLU and one of the midwives stunk (that after breath of smoking) and I could smell smoke on her clothes with the smell of perfume trying to mask it. It was after a shift change and I was no longer talking just focusing, but remember clearly thinking, "if you only knew how bad you smelt right now!" And "please don't come any closer to me!!"

My mum and MW went for a calming cigarette together after DS2's scary entrance.

DH went with DS2 to NICU.

I was left alone!

You're unlikely to have a choice as most places will only have two midwives on call for homebirths overnight. And both will need to come for the birth. I suppose if the first one to arrive stinks of fags you could ask she call her second earlier and then get the second to be the main midwife.