Home births,midwifes Cambridgeshire area?

[lucy2204]

Hello wondering if anyone can help, midwife or anyone that is due to give birth Cambridgeshire area...
Are they still going ahead? If not not sure what to do I'm 29 weeks 3days 3rd child first labour was 48 mins at home
2nd was 8mins also at home
Hospital is 45mins-1 hour away defo won't make it what will be my other options?

My waters etc don't break till babies basically here so no warning of labour and contractions come on very fast so d9nt have time to prepare *

Hi, have you looked on Facebook for a group?
There’s a Norfolk and Norwich one that is keeping us updated regularly. HB are ok currently but can’t be guaranteed- I’m 33wks so keeping 🤞🏼🤞🏼

@lucy2204 I have no update about home births as of yet when I spoke to my midwife 2 weeks ago she said they have no idea as of yet as watching to be told not to attend them :( I'm praying they can if not I'm going to have to beg for an induction , :(

Every trust is different - ours is still offering home births at the moment but can’t guarantee that they will be by the time I give birth and at 34 weeks I’m further on than you. Hopefully in a month or two you’ll know more. Would you consider a private midwife? I’m more or less resigned to having to spend ££ on one...

@flissity no idea why it tagged me -.-

@DeadbeatDescendant
Hadn't thought of of private did check and t pretty expensive :( I'd have no choice but to ask for induction if I can have a home birth..

Will a MW even make it to your house in time if your last labour was eight minutes? You say you won’t make it to the hospital either. You’d end up giving birth in the car which is way more traumatic than simply staying at home.

@flissity thank you very much for mentioning the fb group - I was totally unaware of it! (Also Norfolk and 32 weeks here ). Feel less in the dark now

@BlueCookieMonster most probably not :( my partner delivered our other two children the ambulance arrived once babies were basically here... if it's during the day they should do the midwife centre is a 3mins car ride to my house if it's at night again it'll be just us again .. I'd just rather have the option of help if ya know what I mean "/ we do have a midwife that live 5mins from the house but not sure what hospital she works for and don't want to look weird and ask-.-

I’d give the midwife down the road a knock and a heads up. Even if it’s just the knowledge that someone is there is helpful sometimes.

So, nine weeks takes us to June time. Hopefully by then, a lot of this covid stuff will have been ironed out, or the most likely scenario is that maternity services won’t be as on high alert as they currently are and services like home birth will be fine.

However, if it’s getting closer to the date and you’re not happy, have a frank discussion with your MW and make a plan. It could be that it involves induction, or that they send out the on call MW when the time comes. It might be that you make all these plans, and baby still surprises you.

I wouldn’t worry about it to the point of overwhelming yourself at the moment, but I would perhaps mention it at your next appointment.

@Twitwooo did you find the one I mean? I have screen shot 2 I’ve found really helpful!!

@flissity ooh the one I found is a different one (nnuh bumps and babies), but anything with official info is good so I've joined and liked the two you shared as well. Thanks very much again!

Yes definitely all for the official ones!! Don’t want any scaremongering or incorrect info !
I’ll look that one up too

Hi OP, I am also in Cambridgeshire.
Given that your second labour was just 8 minutes, and the ambulance didn't make it in time, I think it's very likely that the same will happen again.
I don't think there's any point in paying for a private midwife as she won't get there in time.
The only exception would be the midwife who lives near you - you might as well ask her, I don't think it's weird! I guess she could make it if she was at home but not if she was at work or anywhere else.
I understand that for a home birth the midwife would usually leave a bag of kit at your home in advance? Perhaps you could ask for that, at least, even if a midwife won't be able to get there.

What's your nearest maternity hospital, is it the Rosie or a different one? There is a Facebook page called "Rosie Maternity Voices" which has helpful updates on the current situation, and I think other Cambs hospitals have similar.

There is a collective of Cambridgeshire doulas who are giving lots of advice and support, their website is www.cambsdoulas.co.uk/ and they are offering remote support for women in labour: developingdoulas.co.uk/emergency-early-labour-doula/

The doulas also run a group called Cambridge Birth Choices, there were meetings in Cambridge but they are online now (via Zoom) - if you search on Facebook you should find the next date and they'll publish the link there.

I don't know so much about support further away from Cambridge but the Cambs doulas might, if you contact them.

@NameChange30 hello will pop and give her a knock at some point or try catch her when I actually go out, scary times atm!and I'm with Peterborough hospital ... they haven't listened to me for my last pregnancy or this one about having a home birth because of how fast it is they just say to call an ambulance or every labour is different which is true. Don't really want to call an ambulance unless there's no other choice as they are stretched enough atm :(

Just pop a note through her door with your name and number on it, then she can respond in her own time.

The midwife who lived 5 mins ago moved house around 1 month ago so I'm guessing it's an induction I'm going to have to ask for is a home birth is completely shut down.