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Childbirth

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

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Original poster

Having student midwifes and Drs present at your birth?

125 replies

Louisexox · 04/10/2008 14:35

I'm 38 weeks gone with my 1st baby, and I hate the idea of having student midwifes or Drs present at my birth I mentioned this to my midwife and she basically called me selfish saying "why would you do that how else are they meant to learn" I'm claustrophobic and being in small rooms with a lot of people panics me and I also would like as much privacy as possible.

I understand they need to learn but I'm sure there are other womans bits they can look at other than mine.

Does anyone else feel the same, or diff?.

Also do they have to ask your permission before they allow a student to enter the room?.

Thanks.

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loujay · 04/10/2008 15:07

I had a student midwife for DS's birth at home so ended up with 2 qualified and 1 syudent. She was fantastic. They asked before she came and as far as I was concerned the more the merrier. She was the first person to cuddle DS after me and DH and we have a fantasic photo of them together (DS and student)
I felt very relaxed with her there and she helped calm what could have been a tense situation towards the end. Great at cheering me on with DH as well, whilst the qualifieds dealt with the blood and guts IYKWIM

fedupandisolated · 04/10/2008 15:08

Having re-read the posts - I'd say read biggreypants post above - says it all really.

watsthestory · 04/10/2008 15:10

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watsthestory · 04/10/2008 15:12

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PinkTulips · 04/10/2008 15:28

with dd things started to go pear shaped at the end and a trainee doctor asked to come in right when i was about to start pushing a baby out who's heartrate was curently hovering around 30/40. the mw who asked me obviously saw the panic on my face at being asked and very quickly said 'say no if you want to' which i did as the thought of anyone coming in simply to watch my baby possibly die seemed too horrific. i still maintain that if he had asked to come in and witness the birth when things were calm and going well it wouldn't have bothered me one bit but it was ill considered to ask just because my baby was in danger and the mw obviously agreed.

on the other hand with ds i was attended by the most fantastic student mw you could imagine. she stayed with me the whole time, was a great help to both me and dp, went out of her way to amke me comfortable, rubbed my back and fought my corner with the experianced mws when i said i need to push and they didn't believe me. she was fantastic and after he was born she asked me for input on things she had done right or wrong and how i prefered to be treated in labour so that she could better help women in future.

i'd pay her to be at my next birth!

PinkTulips · 04/10/2008 15:35

oh and at the hospital where i had both of them there was invariably either a med student, student nurse or student mw at all ante natal appointments and they were by far the friendliest people in the room

MoonlightMcKenzie · 04/10/2008 15:39

Your mw should be encouraging you to be as relaxed as possible when you go into labour. No student training is more important than that.

cheesesarnie · 04/10/2008 15:40

i liked having the student midwifes as made me feel i was helping them and they were helping me

Mercy · 04/10/2008 15:44

I had one student present at each of my labours.

The first (male) one just observed, the second gave me a terrific massage when I was at the height of contractions!

Ebb · 04/10/2008 16:20

When I did my NNEB I did a placement in the maternity unit and got to see a birth. The Mum didn't mind me being a student. I ended up with her using my hip to push against. ( Twas in the days when women all gave birth on their backs!) I just remember thinking 'hurry up and get that baby out cos you're dislocating my hip!'

I had a student midwife in with me and she was sooo lovely. My Ds was her first 'catch' and she was probably more emotional than me! I found her presence reassuring and to be honest by that stage I wouldn't have cared if they'd have brought the hospital tour group in!

That said - your birth, your choice! You have every right to say you don't want students and your mw is wrong to make you feel otherwise!

notcitrus · 04/10/2008 17:47

One midwife told me to write a birth plan (there was a page for it in my notes), just keep it to a few bullet points.

I put "Happy for students to be present/examine me but if I need any cutting/stitching I want it done by an expert!"

I don't think any students saw me until postnatal home visits, but in theatre a bunch of staff all assured me that the woman assigned to do any cutting/stitching was the one they'd want to do theirs, and three midwives complimented me on the neat stitches. 3 weeks on, I can't feel it at all!

I also had "Get my explicit consent for all monitoring/intervention - unless I'm not in a fit state in which case talk to one of my partners" - which everyone did. Slightly irritating when someone was taking my blood pressure for the hundreth time, but made me a lot happier and relaxed in general.

ephrinedaily · 04/10/2008 19:00

I had a student midwife and a student doctor at the delivery as well as the 'real thing'. . The 'real' doctor, who I'd seen at antenatal appointments, was really nice, but a bit good looking and funny, and I felt like I knew him so I really didn't fancy him doing my internals and stuff...is that weird? Probably. Anyway luckily the student doc was a young woman who I felt totally comfortable with and she ended up doing all the examinations (v v gently). The student midwife was a brilliant extra support too after DP went to sleep (thanks)! So, don't ban them from the room until you've met them I would say.

RustyBear · 04/10/2008 19:06

I went into hospital because I thought my waters had broken, the midwife examined me & then asked if it was ok for a student to examine me too, so I said OK - afterwards the midwife had another look & then said - well, they hadn't actually broken -
but they have now! I don't actually know if it was a co-incidence, or something the student had done, but she disappeared after that & I didn't see her again....

Yorkiegirl · 04/10/2008 19:08

Message withdrawn

MarsLady · 04/10/2008 19:08

You don't have to have them in the room if you don't want them. It is your right and your choice.

Miggsie · 04/10/2008 19:10

I had 2 midwives, a trainee, 2 obstetricians, the senior ob. plus the senior registrar...I think DH was in there somewhere, it was ridiculous, I said to them that I was going to pass round the hat afterwards...

It was a difficult delivery...and frankly by the time we were at that stage, the London Philharmonic could have walked in and I wouldn't have given a monkey's.

If it bothers you, tell them, and get your DH to back you up...I found the men medics listened more to DH than to me, but I may have been rambling...

ilovemydog · 04/10/2008 19:12

Had a student midwife throughout with DS. She monitored me most of the time, but a midwife was also there. She was corrected a few times, like how stretched my cervix really was, but for the most part, was quite observant and competent. She signed the 'delivered by' in the red book, and was quite excited about it all.

But in the past, I've refused medical students as I felt like a specimen...

artichokes · 04/10/2008 19:15

I have a few friends who are student doctors and their attitude to their obstetric placements has meant I will never let a student doc near my delivery room. Basically a medical student does 6 weeks in obstetrics and during that time they must see X number of "normal" deliveries, X episiotmies, X forceps or ventouse and X c-sections. So they only want to see about 20% normal deliveries.

There is alot of pressure on them to get these numbers and if they do not they must do extra shifts until they do. As a result they are secretly hoping that every birth will end in some sort of intervention.

I don't need that kind of cheer squad at my birth.

I would be fine about a student midwife though. In fact one watched DD1's birth and was a great support to DH. On the whole they need lots of normal, midwife led births.

MrsMattie · 04/10/2008 19:26

I've put on my notes:

'Strictly no student medical staff to be present while I am in labour or for examinations etc afterwards.

Please consult me re: who comes in and out of the room while I'm in labour.'

I had so many different people prodding and poking me last time round - what with shift changes and agency staff and random student midwives/doctors - that it was one of the first things to go on my notes this time.

Yes, I am being selfish - and if givjng birth is the only time in my bloody life that i will be, then so be it.

cupsoftea · 04/10/2008 19:30

How awful that the m/w said that to you - write to complain.

StripeyKnickersSpottySocks · 04/10/2008 19:37

I think if you have a student you are more likely to get support throughout your labour as she will only have you to care for (supervised by a m/w). Chances are that if you have a midwfe she will also be looking after at least one other lady and will have to split her time accordingly.

But at the end of the day its your choice and you shouldn't feel pressured into anything you're not happy with.

And whoever it was who said they only wanted an epis/stitches done by a qualifed m/w - dont assume we have experience just 'cos we're qualified! I've never cut anyone in my life but I know students who have done a couple. If I had to cut someone now I'd have to do it even though I've never even seen one done before! Likewise suturing - I've only done it once (as a student). But I remember as a student one of my (qualifed) mentors was learning to suture and when she started to do them unsupervised, but wasn't very confident and was always asking me for my opinion as she knew I spent a lot of time watching my other mentor doing them. Never done it since been qualified.

notnowbernard · 04/10/2008 19:41

They will have to get your consent

Having been a student (nurse) I am SO grateful for the folk that granted me permission to observe/participate/take the supervised lead in aspects of their care

But I do understand your reticence

I can honestly say the World and His Wife could have been there for the births of my dc... just wanted it Done and Dusted

notnowbernard · 04/10/2008 19:44

I hd a newly qualified MW deliver dd2

She also performed her first 2nd degree stitch-repair on me

But because she was newly qualified, every single stitch was sewn under direct supervision and guidance from the senior MW on duty for the entire unit (ante-, delivery, post- and SCBU wards)

It took bloody ages, but she did a great job!

Theresa · 04/10/2008 20:02

havnt read whole thread but when i had my first child (she's now 10) i was being induced (for various reasons) and they asked my if a male student doctor could be present. It took me only a seconds thought to say yes, they have to learn dont they? He was called patrick, cant remember what he loked like but he was really nice. He'd been on duty all day, they'd been trying ot start me off but nothing started to happen until about 7.30pm. By 3am she still wasnt coming and was getting distressed so they decided on a c section and he stuck with us right thru until dd was born at 4.20am. My main memory was of dh bossing him about and keep telling him to rinse the face cloth under the cold tap and fill up the water spray!

ummadam · 04/10/2008 20:09

I still remember the mum and the first baby I delivered. I had a student midwife in for my ('normal') delivery despite the fact that everything was going wrong and my baby didn't breathe straight away. I knew that they would be supervised and the number of people in the room was last thing I cared about at the time.

At the end of the day it is entirely up to you and noone will put pressure on you to have any students present if you do not want to. You don't have to decided now, you don't even have to decide when you go into labour - you can say yes and then ask them to leave - you can let them come in for the delivery but not the labour if you want or the other way round if you prefer. Yes med students (and midwifery students) do need to see deliveries with interventions (of course they do or how will anyone learn) - but they also need to see normal deliveries and when I was at med school (not that long ago) we had to see far more normal than interventional.

See how you feel on the day - but it is not selfish if you don't feel up to it - any midwife that says that needs her head examining!

However, to all of you who did - a heartfelt thank-you on behalf of me and all the other qualified drs and midwives who couldn't have learned to do what we do without you guys taking that leap of faith, and another thank-you on behalf of me and all the other mums who were only able to have trained staff to help us with our births and babes because you let them learn.

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