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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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cat64 · 04/10/2008 20:18

This reply has been deleted

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ScottishMummy · 04/10/2008 20:29

you need to consent to students present,but as many trained staff as necessary will pile on in

if it makes you uncomfortavble decline.you don't need to feel pressured. the students will get other experiences

ilovemydog · 04/10/2008 20:29

I didn't have a revolving door, fortunately.

But have allergies - latex in particular, so the room had to be monitored. Big sign on door saying 'latex allergy' seemed to keep people from wandering in

SqueakyPop · 04/10/2008 20:34

I had a student midwife at my first homebirth. It was her first week on the job, and she cried. It was very emotional. I don't recall her actually doing anything but I was glad that she got to witness a physiological birth under the care of a champion midwife.

mollysmummy77 · 04/10/2008 20:35

I don't think it selfish not to have one in there. As a nurse myself, I understand that students are in a learning environment, but they should be in an environment with someone who is comfortable to have them there. I told my midwife that under no circumstances was there to be students in with me when I had my DD, and she told me the same as your midwife, and implied that I should understand more, being as I had been a student myself. But I stuck to my guns, even when they tried to sneak one in. It's your birth, you do what you want, and the student is switched on, they'll understand that as the patient, your needs should be more important than them being present at a birth.
Good Luck!

lovelysongbirdanotheryearolder · 04/10/2008 20:37

hi i felt like you do. didn;t want an student in with me, but never did a birth plan, when it came to the day, i was very glad to see anyone.
i would of been happy to see the cleaner i think!

seriously though my midwife had one student with her and the midwife wasn;t with me the whole time, just kept popping back every 15 mins.
so the more helpers the better imo.

good luck and try and keep an open mind

Umlellala · 04/10/2008 20:40

I loved having students (in the first where I was aware - second too quick to notice/care!) as IME as a teacher who mentors student teachers, I always 'show off' and demonstrate being extra fab and good at my job! IME/O, having students means you get to listen to long explanations and the mw mentor is extra careful and professional.

In my first (a v effective epidural and long, relaxed labour), I couldn't feel the internal examinations so told the student mw to have a good old rummage for the experience

IdrisTheDragon · 04/10/2008 20:41

I had a student doctor at DD's birth. I was asked if I minded, and I didn't at all.

It was the first birth she had seen, and she was very good. Poor her had to put in the tube for my IV antibiotics (I was GBS positive when I had DS) and then was very helpful with tying my hair back and for holding onto at some important part of labour. DH was very involved too, but she was better at the hair tying back part .

She came to see DD and me in the ward afterwards and said she had phoned her mum and told her how amazing it had been. I felt quite special to have been a part of it .

Will now read the rest of the thread.

notnowbernard · 04/10/2008 20:44

Umlellalla - agree, if you are the qualified person carrying out care in presence of a student, you do your job properly...

Keeps me on my toes, anyway

ScottishMummy · 04/10/2008 20:54

oh it depends on the student some are a delight, others you think how did you get on course

then you revert to being a head shaking gumper "not like that in my day....

kiddiz · 04/10/2008 20:58

I had a student midwife with ds2 who was absolutely fantastic. I was her final delivery before she qualified. She stayed with me throughout labour unlike ds1 where I was left on my own for long periods (different hospital, horribe midwife who banned dh from room because he was "keeping me awake" so I was literally on my own). Ds2 was posterior and at one point I did have a roomful of student doctors who came to observe a posterior delivery. They did ask my permission although I couldn't have cared less tbh! I do, though, appreciate that for some this wouldn't be acceptable and of course you have the right to refuse. Would be a good idea to make sure your birthing partner is aware of your wishes just in case your not in a position to refuse.

Simplysally · 04/10/2008 20:59

I had a student in with me which didn't phase me at all. I think by the time you get that stage, you don't really care but that doesn't invalidate your feelings in anyway as someone else said (sorry, too lazy to scroll back up).

When I gave birth I had 2 mws (one was covering the lunch of the first mw who was recalled and the second decided to stay anyway), the student mw, a paeditrician and about 3 more people who ran in just before dd was born to turn me over support me as she was being born plus my Mum and sisrer .

It's up to you but you can always ask them to leave if you feel uncomfy. I just wanted people to intro themselves to me before they started doing things to me. That did happen so I was quite happy.

KateF · 04/10/2008 21:11

I was incredibly grateful to the women and their partners who allowed me to be present at their babies births when I was a med student but I always made the effort to meet them fairly early in the labour rather than just getting there for the delivery. I also went to see them on the postnatal ward to thank them. However, if it is not right for you that is entirely your choice and you should not be made to feel guilty.

vizbizz · 05/10/2008 02:52

It is up to you, and you have every right to refuse, though after labouring for hours I found I didn't care who was in there. It's something I had been told about and found hard to believe until I lived it. I actually had only a few people in, but it really didn't matter if there had been dozens. I was too damn tired to care by that stage

vizbizz · 05/10/2008 02:55

LOL at Umlell - "a good old rummage"

he he he

TinkerBellesMum · 05/10/2008 03:01

Louisexox it's your choice.

I know a lady who gave birth to a breech naturally. She allowed one midwife and the student who had been looking after us on the ward into the room (the student because she had looked after her and she realised how valuable it was for her) she told everyone else (for breech births come with a crowd) to go away (and I can imagine she wasn't polite).

You are not selfish, you need to do what you must to feel comfortable. I highly recommend The Water Birth Book (even if you're not having one) as it goes through the processes of labour and delivery. From what you say it will probably strike a cord with you.

notsoteenagemum · 05/10/2008 03:05

I had a lovely student to deliver DD she bought her a sleepsuit and rattle as it was her first delivery.
One who examined me at around 34 weeks actually said "eww you can really feel the head" was not impressed.

Jenski · 05/10/2008 09:51

I haven't read the whole thread, but thought I would add my penny's worth.

I had a very young, quite possibly fairly newly qualified, midwife for the birth of my second, and a very young female student doctor.

I felt that the midwife became very self conscious and nervous in the presence of the student, whilst the student looked on in absolute horror from the back of the room at the sight of childbirth.

When I arrived at the hospital I was told that I was 3 cms dilated and that I would be checked in 4 hours. My DD was born 35 minutes after being told this.

The midwife seemed unable to cope with childbirth, and maybe (I could be wrong) this was the effect of being observed by a student. Without going into all the details, the birth, although quick, was very traumatic for me as I felt that nobody was in control. It has taken me a long time to get over this and I am now 31 weeks pregnant with No.3 and would not agree to a student being present this time.

The student doctor was very nice, I am sure, but I don't think she will ever have her own children judging by the look of absolute horror on her face during labour!

raindropsonroses · 05/10/2008 19:22

I'm due to give birth in early Dec and wouldn't have them present again.

I went for a scan for a few years ago because of a miscarriage and was surprised to be asked if it was ok for a student sonographer to be present. I said I wasn't sure I was happy because of the nature of my appointment (was traumatic as you'd expect)so she just ignored me introduced the student and began pointing out various things to her on the turned away screen.

For Dc1's birth I did say it was fine for a student mw to be present. I thought it odd that she then disappeared for the whole of the labour and thought they had changed their minds.

I was most surprised that at the point of crowning she came back in the delivery room. Unsmilingly and wordlessly she pulled my baby out, clamped cord etc wrapped in a towel, handed to OH and left again. I wanted to cry then, I always thought the baby was given to the mother first. It was done so horribly.

Most of the time at the hospital they don't even ask, at my last consultant appointment my cons said " student doctor" and nodded towards her without asking if I was fine with her being present.

last one, recently at my consultant ante natal appointment there was a man sat in the corner of the room presumably observing - no explanation given. I got upset about this and it made my blood pressure higher than usual.

I see that I've been a bit of a coward, a more assertive person might have handled it better than I. It's just the lack of manners that is upsetting too.

sorry long.

babypringle · 05/10/2008 20:17

Straight after giving birth, a newly qualified MW arrived and I was told that she would stitch my 2nd degree tear under supervision. Big mistake. The whole process ended up taking almost three hours, the supervising MW kept getting distracted, I could feel the newbie MW's hands shaking the whole time and then when her handiwork was inspected, it turned out she'd stitched too deep so I had to have all the stitches removed. A registrar then turned up to re-do the stitches, and told me that I couldn't have more local anesthetic, just gas and air. The whole process was far worse than giving birth, and I ended up on antibiotics for weeks afterwards. I still have nightmares about it and I think the experience contributed to PND. So next time there is NO way that a trainee or newbie is coming anywhere near me. I know they have to learn, but if not properly supervised they could do sooooo much damage.

ScottishMummy · 05/10/2008 22:58

what a harrowing experience,bad enough you anxious and scared but the student scared too.eugh

Flum · 05/10/2008 23:00

We had a trainee midwife and it was lovely as we had loads of extra attention and she was really careful and REALLY interested in us. It was brilliant!

You can say no though, that is why they alwasy ask you.

jellybeans · 05/10/2008 23:10

I wouldn't mind one or two but I had a whole class/group watching DD1s very traumatic birth (can't rememebr being asked). I never got over that really, makes me angry when I think of it, thank goodness DD1 was OK so I didn't complain, wish I had now.I was begging for pain relief as a large DR was being brutal with the ventouse and I had no epidural/pethedine/gas and air but was desperate

TinkerBellesMum · 05/10/2008 23:51

I think for me I would only let a student who had been looking after me on the ward be involved in the birth (of course things have been so serious both times with me that there were too many people to count in the room and it didn't really matter) because I would want to feel comfortable with her.

JacobsPrincessOfDarkness · 06/10/2008 00:02

Student midwife was fantastic at birth of DS2. Helpful but unobtrusive and well supervised.
One disadvantage though is that she was there to be taught. When consultant same to stitch up 2nd degree tear (old episiotomy scar had torn) he asked if I minded him showing student what he was doing. Whilst I chuffed away on the gas and air I got the most grusome biology lesson of my life. The conversation was so graphic DH had to leave the room. Now I know why they say don't have a student in with you!

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