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Childbirth

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

Giving Birth in the U.K.

16 replies

LjPowers · 14/09/2018 21:04

Hi Ladies!

I am in the process of relocating from South Africa to the U.K. and will be living in the Cheltenham area. DH and I are wanting to start the process of ttc for #3 in the next couple of months when we are more settled, etc., but here's the thing....I'm a planner and a researcher and although I have had two dds already, I have never had one in the U.K.!!

I know when we do fall pregnant I will see my local GP and they will fill me in on the process, but in the meantime I would love to be a bit more prepared. Have any of the ladies on here had a baby in Cheltenham, if so what is the process, how does it work in the U.K??

I have so many questions that I would love answered, so if anyone is willing to chat with me and fill me in, I would LOVE that!

Thanks in advance. :):)

OP posts:
RoboticSealpup · 14/09/2018 21:21

Actually my GP surgery just told me to contact the hospital directly. Which means I have to choose one. All the Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection results are online so you can compare. When I had my first baby, my DH wasn't allowed to stay and I hated being in the postnatal ward with just a flimsy curtain between me and a bunch of strangers. I'm now pregnant with #2 and planning to pay for a private room, but not all hospitals have these, although some will let partners stay regardless. Make sure you look into things that matter to you before choosing a hospital!

AssassinatedBeauty · 14/09/2018 22:02

How you sign up to maternity service can vary, some places you can self refer, others you go through the GP. If you ask you GP they will be able to tell you what to do.

Once you're signed up you'll have a booking in appointment with a midwife, where they ask you lots of questions about your medical history etc and issue you with your maternity notes file, which you take to all subsequent appointments. You'll be booked in for a 12 week scan after that. If you're categorised as low risk then your regular checks will be with a midwife, and you'll have a 20 week scan and possibly a test for gestational diabetes. You can choose to plan to give birth in hospital, a midwife led birthing unit or at home depending on what's available in your area.

If you're classed as high risk then as well as seeing the midwives you'll also have appointments with a consultant to oversee any additional issues. You may have additional scans. Usually you won't be able to use a midwife led birthing unit if you're high risk, and the consultant will be reluctant to support a home birth.

LjPowers · 14/09/2018 22:22

Thank you ladies so much!

In South Africa, the gynaes/obgyn (we don't have midwives) are very big advocates of csecs. What is the general take on natural and vbac/vbamcs in the UK? I have heard that in the UK they will let you go past due and do not believe really in inducing before then, is this true?

OP posts:
AssassinatedBeauty · 14/09/2018 22:32

Yes, due date is just an approximate. I went a week past due date, and then was induced. C section wouldn't be typically offered just for being overdue. You wouldn't be induced before or around due date for no reason.

timeisnotaline · 14/09/2018 22:41

You will not even see a doctor , just midwives unless there is something wrong. You may not even see the same midwife twice. You will get roughly an 8 week booking in appt, 12 & 20 week scans, and I think 16 and 32 week appts , then appts from 36 weeks onwards as needed.
Honestly I would find out as much as you can yourself about the schedule and what you can expect / your rights , it varies so much. I had to refuse to leave the hospital with my first until they gave me a whooping cough vaccine because appt after appt no one knew their policy, just that you were supposed to get it in the hospital until at 37 weeks she said I should go to my gp so I said no. You have the right to request a csection, your average midwife will strongly push back against this. You have the right to have the baby in hospital (when I said I wanted to have the baby in the labour ward as opposed to the birthing centre the midwife told me I was selfish and taking a bed from people who needed it). After care will be miserable and you will be sent home ASAP which might be same day.

timeisnotaline · 14/09/2018 22:42

My hospital didn’t want to induce until 12 days overdue.

AssassinatedBeauty · 14/09/2018 22:49

Oh, also afterwards when you're home the midwife will visit a couple of times, then if all is well, sign you off from the midwives and hand you over to the Health Visitor team. They will visit a couple of times to weigh baby and check how things are going. They will normally then leave you to it. You can usually then make an appointment/drop in to see a HV at a family centre or other similar place to have further weigh ins or ask questions if you want to. You can actually decline the HV service altogether if you wish, but that would mean opting out of the standard checks (usually 9 months or 12 months, and around 2 years).

LjPowers · 14/09/2018 22:52

I have had 2 previous csecs, the first was a emc at 35 weeks due to pre-e and the second was ecs at 38w5d.

I wish I had pushed for a vbac on the second but unfortunately circumstances did not allow. With dd2, I had absolutely NO complications. I was treated with caution as a high risk patient because of the previous pre-e but otherwise everything was good and I have no problem whatsoever when it comes to bp now.

I am hoping that the stance on birthing here in the U.K. is a little bit stronger when it comes to vbacs because I would still like to have one... (obviously only if it's in the best interested of both myself and my baby).

I am just trying to arm myself with as much information so that when the time comes I can make a more informed decision and not just walk blindly into it all Hmm. Unfortunately I do not know any on in the U.K. who can answer all my questions :(

In South Africa I have had my fair share of nonsense. I dropped my gynae at 35 weeks and got a new one because I did not believe she was looking out for my best interested, the list goes on...

OP posts:
LjPowers · 14/09/2018 22:54

@AssassinatedBeauty I have heard about these home visits. Do they give vaccinations during these visits or do you still need to attend a clinic or your GP.

What are your thoughts on these visits? Are they useful or just annoying?

OP posts:
AssassinatedBeauty · 14/09/2018 23:04

First time round I found them helpful, reassuring and an opportunity to ask questions and organise any extra support. Second time round, less important and much more of a quick check of the baby and not much more. The HV both times were great, lots of experience and quick to assess how I was doing. So I didn't mind and was happy to have them come. Both times I only had 2 or 3 visits before being signed off.

For vaccinations, you arrange them with your GP. Also there is a 6 week check with the GP for the baby. First vaccinations are at 8 weeks. When you are discharged from hospital you get a "red book" which is your baby's notes/records that the midwives/HV/GP records things in. That will have a schedule of vaccinations and check ups printed in it for reference.

AssassinatedBeauty · 14/09/2018 23:07

Oh, also, I had an EMCS first time round. Second time round I had some appointments at a specific VBAC clinic to talk about whether I wanted to aim for a vaginal delivery or whether to opt for a c section. It was not at all to pressure me, but to look at the pros and cons of each, look at my first birth and to decide what I wanted to do. I'm not sure if it's the same in all areas, but it's something you might be offered.

SarahBeeney · 15/09/2018 00:29

With regards to Vbac after 2 c sections it really depends on the hospital.
My hospital (Kings in London) we're supportive of it but I know others aren't as they see it as too high risk.

SoloD · 18/09/2018 11:07

Do bear in mind that in some countries doctors push for c sections so they can book in the birth at a particular time and charge more than for a natural birth. They don't necessarily suggest it because it's in your or the babies best interest.

I was told (private hospital in Turkey) in my second trimester I "had to have a c section because the baby was in a Breech position". I found a different doctor.

Rosesared · 30/09/2018 22:30

I'm from SA and had 1st DS in SA. Just recently (4months ago) had 2nd DD in UK. Very different experiences! I wanted a home vbac and had 1 midwife on my side. Had loads of pressure from consultant to have ELCS/induction after DS (now age 17) was emcs. We had a beautiful hypnobirthing home vbac at 40+11 with said midwife who still comes to visit us (off the books)

BlueBug45 · 01/10/2018 07:31

OP in my area in the antenatal notes they give you at the front is a schedule of antenatal appointments. This schedule is for low risk patients and includes two appointments with a GP if you are a first time mother. If you aren't a first the mother and low risk then no GP appointments are listed and all your care is undertaken by midwives.

If the midwife at booking decides you are high risk, and having 2 previous c-sections and pre-eclampsia would fall into that category, you would be made to see a consultant. (You will likely be told to take baby aspirin as well.) While most areas are into VBACs some are more risk adverse than others so there is no guarantee the consultant will advise you to have one particulary due to your medical history. Be aware that while you may have a named consultant you may see a more jurnior doctor particularly if it is decided your condition while high risk is routine or it is a repeat appointment, or you will see another consultant if yours isn't available.

The consultant will tell you how often you need to see midwives and what ones - community or hospital -, your GP, the consultant again and any other healthcare practitioners plus what tests you need to have each time. Make sure you understand exactly what tests you need and why as your GP receptionist could decide you need a
nurse appointment when you actually need a GP appointment. The consultant will tell you whether you need to see someone every week or 2 weeks.

Beware once you give birth they take the notes away from you. So if there is any important information or things you want to keep take them out/copy them before you go into hospital to give birth.

I was induced due to age and health factors (not pre-eclampsia but genetic blood disorders) and
it is likely you maybe or booked in for an elective c-section after 37 weeks. Make sure you know what your consultant decides you are having and don't let the midwives or registrar on duty change that.

In regards to vaccinations - I had whooping cough and diphtheria at 28 weeks pregnant at hospital after one of my consultants appointments. I am aware other women had to book the vaccination in with their GP or go to a specific midwife clinic between 24 and 32 weeks.

As you are from South Africa you will probably be told to make sure your baby has the BCG vaccination for TB before they are 28 days old. Make sure you ask pointing out your country of origin if no one asks you after giving birth Ideally this should be arranged before you leave hospital after labour, but if not your midwife who visits you at home or health visitor should tell you to make the appointment. They should give you details on who to contact. Again it could be at your maternity hospital, GP or a midwife clinic.

The rest of your appointments for immunisations should be with your GP, though your GP may have health visitors and nurses who run a baby clinic at their practice. You will be given a red book for the baby before you are discharged from hospital after giving birth with a list of the immunisations you need and when your baby should have them, though the BCG one may be missing. For each vaccination you will need to contact your GP practice a few weeks before to arrange the appointment. It is a good idea to go into your GP practice and ask the receptionist asap how long in advance you need to book appointments for antenatal treatment, immunisations and postnatal treatment.

BertieBotts · 01/10/2018 08:03

You can almost definitely have a VBAC if that's what you want. Obviously there are circumstances it wouldn't be advised - but the UK is pretty good on this in general. If it's a safe choice it will be available to you.

Induction would only be done for medical reason, never just because you are fed up of being pregnant. So to induce before term would usually be down to pre eclampsia or something like that.

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