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.

We had a student midwife there throughout labour, and she was LOVELY. When the time came, the senior midwife asked if we’d mind if the student delivered the baby. I asked how many babies she’d delivered, and she said “this would be my first”. I said “that’s ok, it’s mine too!” And we got on with it! She was wonderful. Even when they said one last big push and I did, and DS shot out so hard he went right off the table - she managed to rugby catch him! It’s just a shame DS was a DS, as her name was actually the one we’d chosen for a girl......

I always thought student midwives were already registered general nurses who have gone on to do extra training as a midwife.

No you can go solely onto a midwifery course. It's 3 years just like the nursing course.

I had a male student Dr with my first he was brilliant (and it turned out was his birthday bless him) and a student mid-wife with my second she was great.

To be honest I viewed both as another pair of hands and also someone to do any running that might need doing.
It didn't feel intrusive at all.

I had several students at my births and they were all brilliant. It was not presented in a way where everything was done twice at all...they just supported me and were overseen by a qualified midwife. The one who delivered my 1st baby was on her own most of the time as ours was her last delivery before qualifying, another one joined her for the end stages.

The students who have attended my first birth were brilliant, couldn't fault them. At the second birth the student midwife who accompanied the more senior one wasn't anything to write home about (neither of them were) but by the time I decided this I had been in labour for 60 hours and had been pushing for over 4 (back to back labour, 10lb 3oz baby) so that could have been the reason I wanted to see the back of them - labour clouds your judgement somewhat! At the end of the day the most important thing is getting you and baby through the birth, if you're not happy with someone on the day you can say!

I had 2 students at my second birth and they were lovely - fetching me tea, my husband food and generally entertaining him (it wasn't a riveting experience for him so talking baseball helped). My actual midwife was in attendance, they just assisted then afterwards, one nipped to subway for me as I had missed lunch on account of giving birth at 12.29pm.

I had a student midwife come to all my prenatal appointments and "practise" on me throughout most of my pregnancy (I was one of her case studies - twins!!) She was there for the birth (elective section so different from your situation) but she was absolutely wonderful and kept checking in on me afterwards which I really appreciated. I had the option to stop having her at any point if I so wished, but she was fab!

I had a student dr deliver Dd. He got the short straw with my delivery.

I had 2 lovely students with Ds. Didn't know til afterwards that the one who helped deliver him was actually at her first birth. I would never have known as she was so calm and supportive and really helped when ds's heart rate dropped. Didn't feel she interfered in any way and she chatted to dh when I was out of it.

There was a student midwife at ds3's birth. Her first experience of home birth, of drug free birth- and apparently of birth where the labouring woman lost the plot and screamed and swore and sobbed! I really liked her and hope I didn't give her a bad impression of home birth. I generally like students and am happy to have then involved in my care, not least because today's students are tomorrow's HCPs and need to learn how to be good HCPs. But I don't think anyone who doesn't want a student involved should feel pressured to allow it.

I did, it was fine, neither of them bothered me too much.

Wow, I didn't expect to come back to over 100 messages. Your responses are really encouraging and im now feeling confident about saying yes to students attending.

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@Mamaryllis, I'm sorry you went through that, I can't imagine how you must have felt. Thank you for sharing your experience, I'll definitely keep your advice in mind.

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@Heratnumber7
I'm very much on board with the philosophy of a 'calm, gentle birth'

I know how that sounds... I rolled my eyes when reading about the hypnobirthing philosophy at first and thought that it was a ridiculous concept. I'm not so naive as to believe it's going to be easy, pain free or 'gentle' in the true sense of the word (I'll be pushing a small human out of my vagina... Logically, gentle doesn't spring to mind!). But I do want the environment/DH/me to be as calm as possible and for the birth to be as non-invasive/non-traumatic/"gentle" as possible.

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My birth plan is very simple... I've written just a few short sentences revolving around aiming for a water birth, using hypnobirthing skills, going with the flow and keeping all options (mostly pain relief) open!
I know that with the best will in the world, plans can and do change.

I didn't actually want to write a birth plan to begin with (because at the end of the day, I think the birth/my body will dictate what happens to me, rather than the other way around!), but my midwife persuaded me that it would be nice to write some aims and preferences. I guess I can get on board with that!

Had a student midwife in some of my antenatal appointments. Would have been happy to have a student during my labour and birth but there wasn't any around.
Had a student midwife come to talk to me about contraception afterwards who was really nice and one accompanied the midwife on her post delivery checks.
Of course it is your decision whether to allow students. I would happily have a student in a future pregnancy.

I had a student midwife with my DC3, she was absolutely amazing! Throughout the Labour she was holding and rubbing my hand and just lovely.
After baby was born she got him into his clothes and even took my stuff into the shower and helped me to the shower. Whilst I had a shower she looked after baby
Was amazing to have her there along with the main midwife.

I had a student midwife for part of it who was mostly there to observe. She was lovely and sat quietly or chatted depending on what I wanted. When I needed a catheter, the midwife asked if the student could do it - I never thought I would see someone so excited to collect urine 😂

I also had two student sonographers who were seeing one of my scans as their very first ever scan. One of them was so excited she jumped up and down shouting "I can hear the heart beat, THE HEARTBEAT!" It was very sweet!

The three student midwives from Robert Gordon Uni who attended my second birth nine weeks ago were absolutely exceptional. The first coached me through the early induction, the second delivered baby, scraped me off the bathroom floor when my blood pressure plummeted after the birth and gave me a bed bath because I couldn't stand up to shower and a third stitched me up so she could finish a module. No pain, in fact, I don't even know where the stitches were. Won't forget a single one of them.

I came round after a shot of diamorphine to find several student doctors studying my nethers in great detail. Briefly thought something must have gone wrong and passed out again. Wonderful, wonderful birth and I am really sad I probably won't have another baby. Labour is my favourite bit!

Student midwife who helped with my second labour was amazing.

A student midwife delivered my baby. Under supervision obviously but she was absolutely incredible.

She was fantastic when the Doctor was stitching me up as I tore. She had my back totally. I'd had a failed epidural but the Doctor didn't want to give me a local anaesthetic injection to numb me down there when he stitched as I'd had the epidural. Had to tell him several times that the epidural hadn't worked and if he began stitching without numbing the area I would feel it. She had my back. I had other concerns which she spoke to the Doctor about for me and wouldn't let him touch me with injecting me first.

My DP was looking after the baby while I was being stitched so I had no moral support. I asked the student midwife if she would stay with my and hold my hand and she did.

She showed me how to breast feed my baby afterwards too when I asked for help.

She was incredible.

@thereinmadnesslies @Mayhemmumma

Totally agree about not letting a student doctor or midwife stitch you up, but observation would be fine.

A student OB/GYN stitched me up with DD, who was a large baby and I was badly torn. Took her 1.5 hours under supervision, during which time I was hemorrhaging...it resulted in me staying in hospital for nearly a week to recover. I know people have to learn, but that was ridiculous!

I had 2 students as my labour went for so long that the first one had to go home as it was the end of her day. My only problem was that I ended up in theatre so they didn’t assist me in the actual delivery so to them it doesn’t count for the numbers they need to reach in their degree, not only they need to help with the labour but also with the delivery so I felt sorry for them as they were amazing but I was a waste of time in that sense for them :(

I had several students in. It didn't bother me.

I had a student midwife present. She asked my permission as she’d read my notes and I’d said no students (I meant medical). When I was transferred from the birth centre to the labour ward (meconium) she came with me - the other midwives couldn’t - provided some continuity and stayed with me till the end of her shift. She was lovely at a really awful time. I also had incredible support from an (older) student MW doing her NICU rotation when my DD was in NICU after birth and I struggled to bf. She stayed with me through the night and coached me and calmed me down. I’ll never forget either of them.

I had a student midwife, she was lovely and I think my DD's birth was the last one she needed to attend to be signed off for that stage of her training. She was never on her own with me so I didn't feel at any risk.

A student midwife delivered my ds1 - first labour and he was back to back so pushing stage was long and hard. She was wonderful, handled everything perfectly and I'm really glad she was my midwife. With my second labour I ended up in theatre and I'm really grateful that the midwife was very experienced and knew instantly when the situation became urgent. Go with what you're comfortable with (there was a qualified midwife in the room most of the time with ds1 delivery, so even though the student midwife is your midwife, there is still a qualified midwife in the room). Congratulations and good luck x

I had a student midwife with dc3. I was meant to be her 1st home water birth. She arrived 1st, then 2 qualified midwives a little later (they lived further away). Unfortunately I ended up being her 1st ambulance transfer (at 10cm) and then I think 1st shoulder dystocia. So she didn't get her home water birth. But it was eventful in other ways!

I don't see any reason why you couldn't have a calm quiet hypnobirthing experience just because you have a student mw. I was certainly never checked on or asked questions twice. The student just did it all, very occasionally checking something with the experienced mw if she wasn't sure about something. They all spent quite a bit of time just chatting with DH letting me get on with it. If I'd asked them to be quiet they would have done so. I would happily have another student, like you say, they have to learn somewhere.

I had one the second time and loved her. She was really nice and agreed, I thought of it as two for one!