Student midwife during labour & childbirth?

[Poppins2016]

One of the prompts on the birth plan template provided by my midwife is:

"Can a student (usually a midwifery student) work with their mentor to provide you care?"

I have really conflicting feelings about whether I want to give permission or not.

1. My overwhelming instinct is that I'd like be to left alone during labour to get on with it by myself. If the rational side of me thought it would be safe, I'd happily have a home birth/unassisted birth. But my sensible side rules and I'm planning to have a water birth in my local midwifery led unit (plan b is standard delivery unit). I'm planning to use hypnobirthing techniques and I'm very much on board with the philosophy of a 'calm, gentle birth' (as it fits with my natural instinct). It was emphasised by the midwife who ran our course that we should tell the MLU midwives that we'd be using hypnobirthing techniques and we should emphasise that we'd like to aim for a calm, quiet environment with a minimum of conversation. Allowing a student midwife to be present seems to go against my natural instincts... It would (surely?) involve double the conversation, checking, observation and examinations.

However...

2. I strongly believe that students need to be allowed to gain experience. In the past I have always allowed student doctors, nurses, gynaecologists and midwives to give me care. How is anyone going to learn if people like me say 'no'? My instinct is to want an experienced midwife who will be as hands off as possible... But how does anyone learn how to do that without practice?

So:

Has anyone said yes to a student midwife being present? Was it ok? Did you regret it or was it a positive experience? Any pros/cons you wish had been mentioned?

I'm going to speak to my community midwife about what I should expect (if I say yes) when I next see her, but thought I'd ask for your experiences in the meantime.

When dd2 popped out the midwife said "you are my xx delivery, I am officially a midwife." To be fair she didn't do much, dd2 was in a hurry. But during labour I couldn't give a toss who was there.

I had one. She was phenomenal. Final year so had some experience. It meant I ended up with someone in attendance 1:1 for the whole birth (qualified mw looking after multiple ladies so in and out). Must admit I was a teeny bit disappointed there wasn’t one for DS2

I was looked after by two wonderful student midwives during my labour (not at the same time). Both were supervised by experienced midwives, with the experienced midwives just quietly guiding them if there was something they'd missed. They were under the constant observation of their mentor which meant it didn't really cause any additional conversation, just the occasional 'and make sure you... xyz'. My birth was complex and resulted in an emergency section, once things started going off track for me my care was taken over by the consultant and matron (although the students both came to see me the next day, despite not being on post-natal - lovely girls).

That said, do what you feel is best for you. If you would rather not have students looking after you, then don't. They will be getting plenty of experience either way, so don't do something you don't feel comfortable with. Very best wishes to you

I had a long labour first time round and had a few student midwifes come in, I saw more of the student midwifes than fully qualified ones.

I couldn't fault them, they were all very kind but it was a bit un Nerving at times. I look back at my labour now and I should have seen more of the fully qualified midwife, turns out my waters hadn't fully broken and they had to pop them after 35 hours of them slowly leaking. If the fully qualified midwifes had checked on me a bit more and preformed more exams then they would have popped them a lot sooner and baby would have been born quicker.
I was also left to give birth on uncomfortable bean bags and wasn't offered any pain relief but that's another story!!

So yes student midwifes are great and I'm more than willing for them to be there in my next labour (march 2019) but I am worried about the over all care just being handed over to them again like last time

I had a homebirth with my first and a student midwife attended. She did all my monitoring throughout labour and I genuinely liked her better than the qualified midwife!
I did refuse her permission to check me after as I wanted someone qualified (a friend had a terrible experience with being checked my a student and I couldn't get past it) which she was fine with.
They do have to learn and it's not like they aren't closely monitored, so would happily allow a student again.

I had student midwives with both births - at nct they said all London hospitals are teaching hospitals so to expect it. The benefit of it was having constant monitoring. The experienced midwives only came in every so often but the students were a constant. For my second birth I only saw the student have a cereal bar and a few sips of water in 12 hours! For me it was a nice distraction to have someone else to talk to during the earlier stages,with my second I went to the hospital alone in the early hours until dh could get there so it was definitely appreciated.

I was asked before she did any procedure but I was ok with it. She had a few goes at breaking my waters and was unable to so the experienced midwife took over and did it. I'd had an epidural by that time though so I didn't feel any of it.

I was asked if I would agree to a student midwife when I had my second DC because I was an older mother, into my 40's. I happily agreed. She was absolutely fantastic. Took time to get to know us, accompanied me to all my appointments, listened to my worries (large age gap between children due to a very traumatic first birth 13 years previously). When I went into labour at 6 am, she was at the hospital before me! She was fantastic during birth (but supervised) and I had a very positive, easy delivery. Her kindness and positive attitude really helped. We have stayed in touch, that DC is now 7

I was cautious about having student midwives attending because I work with them and I wasn’t sure how I would feel about someone I knew professionally turning up. As it was I gave birth during the academic assessment period when there were no students on placement!

I had a student midwife in with my water birth for DC2. She was fantastic. I think it is important for students to see all kinds of birth, including those that require little to no intervention.

She took the notes and did the observation - under the supervision of the midwife. I did not have to have everything done twice. So there were no extra checks over what would have been done anyway. Once I was in the pool the only checks were using the waterproof Doppler and the mirror on a stick!

DD was born quietly and safely with no drama and no tears or stitches required. Hopefully our experience added to her bank of experiences of what birth can be.

A student midwife delivered DC2 - she was one baby from qualifying and she was absolutely brilliant. Positive, engaged and so confident, a qualified midwife of 10 years was there as well of course, she did stitches and delivered the placenta, but the student midwife delivered my baby.

I had a student midwife at the birth of DS2 - she was amazing! I also used hypnobirthing techniques and she fully respected and encouraged it. She actually left another labour to come and look after me as apparently I was going to be quicker (I gave birth in the pool 1 hour after arriving at hospital) and I was her 40th supervised birth which is the last one they need before being qualified! I was really chuffed with that as she said she will always remember her first and last birth :)

I had a student midwife during labour and she was an absolute star! Kind, caring everything you would want of a midwife. Her mentor? Not so much! Unfortunately we ended up in theatre, she stayed beyond her shift to come and check on us.

Student midwife for DC1’s birth was not good. Student wanted me to have the tv on (but don’t you want to watch Corrie?) and was visibly sulky when I said no telly, no music, quiet was better for me; was sent off to find gas and air and eventually came back with a cylinder and the statement ‘I couldn’t find a mouthpiece’, then wanders off. Finally decided to start a nice conversation with me about how she’s not sure midwifery is for her, and do I think she should go back to geriatric care? YES. NOW. Hopeless.

I wasn't even asked if the student midwife could be present during my labour. I assumed she was just a normal midwife.

But she was absolutely amazing (way better than the other experienced lady!) and I would never have guessed she wasn't fully qualified unless the other midwife had mentioned it later (when I said no to several students coming in for the actual birth bit).

I'm very much on board with the philosophy of a 'calm, gentle birth

I had one, she was absolutely amazing and I remember her much more than the qualified midwife! Someone once told me that you should always say yes to student midwives as they only get placed with the most experienced qualified ones, but I have no idea whether that is true.

I echo pp’s who have said you won’t care when the time comes, but remember that if you do it’s up to you who is in the room and you can always ask them to leave.

Good luck

I had a newly qualifies MW with my first who was lovely but all the questions about my stitches while under supervision after were nerve wracking. She did a good job though!

Second time I had a student doctor as it was the day of the MW strike and no planned C-sections were in and hospital was quiet. She was super surprised at the speed and ease of delivery but had a a lovely manner

In all things medical I usually say yes to students. They need to learn somewhere.

Dont let the student stitch you up....I know this from very very bad experience

I had a student and a senior present. Student was fantastic, she was so supportive far more than the ex who later told people I wouldn't have been able to do it without him and it was great to have her by my side.
The senior midwife on the other hand was grumpy, stressed and really didn't listen to me at all, especially when she did my stitches and was adamant that the anaesthetic had worked and I was being dramatic about the pain I couldn't really feel

I has a student midwife assist the delivery of my youngest.

My previous DC had been stillborn and I wax extremely anxious going into the delivery but the student and senior midwife were amazing. Youngest was born with the cord round her neck and they were both so calm. My DC was the first baby the student had seen being born. She was thrilled and it added to the joy of the experience.

I said yes, she was lovely and didn't get involved much (very fast labour only lasted about an hour and a half and I really wasn't aware of much so made no difference having her there).
Talked to her after and she said it was her first day on placement there and the first birth shed seen. Its nice to think she'll remember him being born.

Yes i had a male student midwife. I felt sorry for him as he got refused that many times my oh wasn't too happy but i didn't care. I was his first birth and he thanked me after. So yes always they have to learn.

I couldn’t stand the senior midwife assigned to me but the student was absolutely magical. She just had a calm, authoritative and caring way about her. She’s graduated now, and I’m hoping she can deliver the baby I’m expecting, WITHOUT that nasty senior midwife around. :p

I had a lovely student midwife with DC2 called Lucy. I was labour number 36 of 40 until she was a fully qualified midwife. So it was basically two for one as far as I was concerned 😉 honestly though from the middle of labour with both of mine I really couldn't have given less of a shit how many people were there, the whole world shrank down to around a 1m radius of my body and I was hardly even aware of what was going on outside of that.

I did, she was absolutely lovely.