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Childbirth

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

Original poster

When you gave birth,and was In Labour was the midwife in with you the whole time ?

83 replies

LardLizard · 22/03/2018 23:06

As when I had my dd
Went into hospital at about 4cm dilated

The midwife was looking after several people, and only popped in what felt like for five mins once an hour
That went on for 8-9 hours till I was fully dilated then she stayed with me for the Pushkng part which was probably 20-30 mins I guess
Tbh I was expecting a midwife to be with me more

OP posts:
DinoSn0re · 22/03/2018 23:10

I had a similar experience, it was what I had expected really. I think that the midwives are often pushed to the limit with lots of mums and babies to look after.

Lastoftheusernames · 22/03/2018 23:11

But what could she usefully have been doing? Unfortunately the NHS can't stretch to one to one care 24/7.

I had a slightly unusual labour but only had a midwife with me at all when I was pushing.

SpaceDinosaur · 22/03/2018 23:12

Nope

They didn't think I was in labour and so only came skidding onto the ward in time to hit the emergency bell and catch the baby.

They're massively overstretched. Each midwife has far too many mum's to care for. It's not their fault.

marzipancustard · 22/03/2018 23:13

Yes because I was 10cm 45mins after arriving. When we first arrived she said she'd pop in and out but after being examined she realised I was further along than she'd thought and less than 2hrs later DD arrived!

AndromedaPerseus · 22/03/2018 23:13

No with hospital birth MW looked after on average 3 other women. Yes with Homebirth had 1 MW for 1st half then 2 MWs during second half

NickyNora · 22/03/2018 23:15

6dc here. Never had a mw with me at all times.

With dc5 mw was running between me & another lady whilst I was pushing!

gamerchick · 22/03/2018 23:16

No that sounds about right. They have other woman to care for.

What would you have wanted her to do during the first stage of labour?

NutellaFitzgerald · 22/03/2018 23:17

I hate that during my first labour I was left alone right after she broke my waters. Id been in labour 50 hours by then, was 14 days overdue, had been told to stay in the hospital because a scan showed low fluid and they were worried.
After she left me I had the. Most. Horrendous pain imaginable (I went on to have two more babies after that one, drug free for both and no gas and air for the last as midwives were delayed) and no part of their birth could come even remotely close to the pain I experienced in that early labour on my own. I was hallucinating it was so bad.

She fucked off for four hours until I thought I must be being sawn in half.

Shift change brought in a different midwife and she stayed with me for the entire 13 hours of her shift. Didn't even eat. Shift change again and the next midwife didn't leave my side either and was with me during 2nd stage. (I was in labour for 71 hours with a 10lbs 7 oz first baby).

MagnaWiles · 22/03/2018 23:17

Had a home birth last year and the midwife was with me the whole time. There was also a second one there towards the end.

overduemamma · 22/03/2018 23:18

My 2nd was the same. In and out all the time but they ended up being with me for about 2 hours after as I had a bleed. X

PrincessScarlett · 22/03/2018 23:18

With my first DC I was left on my own with husband for 7-8 hours. I think I was forgotten. As it was my first I had no idea what to expect and didn't want to make a fuss. My contractions were intense and it was pretty scary. When it came to the pushing stage I was suddenly inundated with midwives!

With my second I had a lovely junior midwife who stayed with me pretty much the whole time and apologised when she had to pop out the room for a couple of minutes.

I don't think it's normal to have a midwife in with you the whole time.

vampirina · 22/03/2018 23:18

I was consultant led so yes

StylishDuck · 22/03/2018 23:19

I had a MW with me the whole time. Even when she went for a break another one came in to cover for her. I was induced with both of mine so maybe that's why?

VioletteValentia · 22/03/2018 23:20

I had a cesarean so I wasn’t alone.

NutellaFitzgerald · 22/03/2018 23:20

I should add that it is a known that breaking waters (and intervention) causes pain to increase and can speed labour along.

She should not have left me right after an intervention.

I suffered nerve shock which lasted months as the baby's head crushed nerves in my pelvis. Not a run of the mill labour by any means.

I opted for an epidural eventually and the bastard thing failed. Don't know how I ever braved having two more but their labours were textbook.

Original poster
LardLizard · 22/03/2018 23:23

I was expecting a midwife to be with me more
I think it’s mad how you get better care at home and tbh a big part of me wishes I’d had had dd at home as I would have had better care I’m sure
Although I also ended up getting a 4th degree tear and having a huge PPH
So perhaps I could have actually bled out f this happend at home and I’d be dead now
Or perhaps the 4th degree year wouldn’t have happened ...

Will never know, but I do think the nhs care and lack of staff horrendous

OP posts:
TheVanguardSix · 22/03/2018 23:23

No. I wouldn't expect them to be there the whole time, just at the crucial time.

Original poster
LardLizard · 22/03/2018 23:23

I’ve also had a c section too which was amazing

OP posts:
Pinkbedsheets · 22/03/2018 23:23

I had amazing care while I was pregnant. I had three midwifes in my duration of my Labour, one from about 4pm - 8pm when they did handover then another till 8am, then another till I had my baby, she pushed me bed to the postnatal ward after the birth. Throughout it all, they left the room maybe a few times to get things but most of the time I had one on one care. 10/10 service.

dinosaurkisses · 22/03/2018 23:26

I had DD in Autumn 2017. MW was with me the entire time I was in the delivery room (6 hours) - after about three hours another came in and she was in and out intermittently until DD was being delivered when both midwives were present.

I was low risk in an NHS hospital, first baby, straightforward birth. It must have been a quiet night going by the other experiences on this thread!

bassackwards · 22/03/2018 23:30

I had 2 midwives with me for the majority of my labour - from about 8 cms onwards. That seemed to be the norm at my hospital even during the 'September rush'. So much so that they delayed my induction by 8 hours to ensure that the lady who was already giving birth in the ward before I got there had the attention of 2 midwives until she gave birth and could turn to me. That's what they told me anyway!

Yvest · 22/03/2018 23:34

Yes but that’s because I went private as there was no way I wanted a midwife to be running between me and a load of other people.

NoSwsForYou · 22/03/2018 23:34

DS was born in 2016 in Wales. I was induced at midday and was begging for pain relief at 11pm, and in those 11 hours I was pretty much left to my own devices. However, once I was moved to the delivery room I had one midwife with me until shift change at 8am and then a midwife and a third year student with me until he was born at 9.10am. Apparently at one point while I was pushing (only for 20 minutes) DS was in a bit of trouble and according to DM ‘the room filled with people’ but I don’t remember.

I do remember that all three women in the room with me at whatever point were amazing. I was pretty out of it, I still can’t sequence the events of tell you evtlh what happened even though the community midwife came out to go through my notes with me, but both DM and DP said the midwives were outstanding.

Ohyesiam · 22/03/2018 23:34

Presented at 10 cm with first, so midwife stayed all the time tillshe was out 45 minutes later.
Got there at I think 4 cmwith second, so she came and went more, but stayed once I was pushing.
I don’t think she could have done much before transition.

fruitbrewhaha · 22/03/2018 23:38

Yes I did. At a midwife led birth centre.

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