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Childbirth

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

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Original poster

Students present at birth..

77 replies

SheWillBeLoved · 25/07/2009 14:22

Has anybody refused to have students present during their labour?

Part of me wants to put in my birth plan that I only want necessary people present. I don't want to feel like some sort of spectator sport during my first labour but I also know that they have to learn and experience these things as part of their course, and have no idea about whether I'm being completely unreasonable to ask for only qualified midwives to be present.

In fact, I know I'm being unreasonable I suppose I'm just looking for someone other than DP to tell me that it's okay to request the labour that I want, even if when it comes down to it I suppose you don't give a crap if you have the England football team stood in the room watching!

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Trikken · 26/07/2009 13:11

I had a student MW there too, I was asked and said i didnt mind if she was there. she was brilliant, she stayed longer than her shift to see ds's birth. Katherine was lovely, stayed there the whole time, and felt priviledged really as ds was her 40th baby to have delivered.

tostaky · 26/07/2009 13:39

i had a student and she was great - lots of support when things got wrong (well she couldnt do anything else) and she even forgot to go home and stayed during my emcs (good thing because lots of doctors and she was the only familiar face apart from DP).

piscesmoon · 26/07/2009 13:53

I had a student. How will they learn if they can't be present? I never had a birth plan-it sounds a dreadful idea to me. I had lovely births and just went with the flow.

funtimewincies · 26/07/2009 19:01

I think mumofmaniacs as hit it spot on - a student midwife stays put during the birth (and in my case afterwards too) and are perhaps more gentle and careful in some things, less brusque about the whole business.

SoupDragon · 26/07/2009 19:03

IIRC, I said I was happy to have a student present but did not want hoards of people traipsing in and out.

MovingOutOfBlighty · 26/07/2009 19:07

Had 2 visiting foreign student doctors present during my elect CS. So they had a good old look at my fanjo, and probably my liver, intestines and everything to boot.

Did I care? No. I just hope by letting them see how things go with a sucessful CS I will be helping future mums.
Ah, I have a virtuous feeling coming over me right now...

IfIhadamilliondollars · 26/07/2009 19:08

I requested in my birth plan that I wanted no students.

There are plenty of people who are happy to have them there. I am not one of them.

piscesmoon · 26/07/2009 19:14

I really don't know how people can know in advance to write it down-I would wait and see.

funtimewincies · 26/07/2009 19:55

Erm, if you really don't want them there I wouldn't rely on your birth plan. I'm not entirely convinced that anyone reads them in most cases .

Waswondering · 26/07/2009 19:58

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

scottishmummy · 26/07/2009 20:00

i declined to have students.no one made anything of it

up to you really

MuppetsMuggle · 26/07/2009 20:00

I had a student at DD birth and she was wonderful, and I looked at it how else are they supposed to learn.

kathyis6incheshigh · 26/07/2009 20:00

We had a midwifery student at dd's birth, which was great - she was actually already a nurse so very calm and experienced, as well as very nice, and it meant we were able to have someone to stay with us when the proper midwife was running around from one woman to the next.
HOWEVER, if you don't fancy it, that's absolutely your choice, and I don't think you need to feel guilty about saying no. Lots of cultures would be horrified at the idea of having random strangers in the room when you're in labour. If it makes you the teeniest bit uncomfortable, then do say no - you're not being the slightest bit unreasonable, you're just making sure your birth will be as relaxed as possible, which will help to make it as smooth as possible.

januarysnowdrop · 26/07/2009 20:13

I had a student midwife present when dd1 was born and a student doctor with dd2 - one thing you might want to bear in mind about students is they're much more likely to stay with you while you're in labour. Sure, they're not qualified, but they still almost certainly know a lot more about labour and birth than you or I do! Midwives tend to pop in and out, & mostly they leave you alone (in my experience), whereas the two students I had were with me for most of the time. They were both lovely and I was really glad to have them there.

CommonNortherner · 26/07/2009 21:18

I had a student, she was lovely and could stay the whole time! And she massaged my back. The only downside is that at one point I got so carried away chatting about home made bread with her and dh that I kept forgetting to suck on the gas and air in time and lost control a bit! I decided just to listen after that ;)

I always say yes to students because they have to learn somehow, and my mum was a nurse.

But it's YOUR birth, you can have or not have who you want there.

bumpsoon · 27/07/2009 15:06

OP you are not being unreasonable at all ,it is your right to refuse. They should ask your permission anyway ,so it might be worth waiting until the time and see how you feel then. I saw three births during my nurse training and it was a fantastic experience ,but i wouldnt have been in the least offended if the women had said no .

piscesmoon · 27/07/2009 22:40

It is a good job that most people don't insist on their 'rights' otherwise no one would get any experience! I can't see why it matters.

GodzillasBumcheek · 27/07/2009 22:44

YANBU, but it's true - you probably won't notice them. If you do feel self concious(sp?) you could always say so and get them to leave later.

MrsTittleMouse · 28/07/2009 08:38

Of course it's OK to ask for no students! My labours are very sensitive to environment - my labour with DD2 all but switched off when I was with DD1 and when we were driving to the hospital. So there was no way that I was going to do anything that would risk a good strong labour when I was in the birthing unit. The student midwife was lovely, but I almost didn't get DD2 out on my own, and if she had been present and inhibited me at all then I would have risked a transfer to the regular delivery suite. There was no way that I was going to risk messing up on of the most important events in my life for the sake of one minor experience for the student.

Most students are completely lovely and I know lots of women who have had good experiences where they had extra support that wouldn't have been available from a fully qualified midwife. But it really is horses for courses and it is your labour.

kathyis6incheshigh · 28/07/2009 09:15

Piscesmoon - true, but since most people don't seem to mind, those that do mind ought to be able to opt out with a clear conscience!

ChopsTheDuck · 28/07/2009 09:26

mumofmaniacs - the exact thing happened to me! Midwife was chatting away when we bumped into her in a hospital corridor and I was wondering where the hell I was supposed to know her from!

I felt a bit like a spectator sport, but can't say it bothered me. I think I had abt 5 in the room when dd was born. The only one that actually made me feel slightly uncomfortable was the paed that sat on the floor leaning against the wall so her head was directly opposite my spread legs, looking bored to death!

lal123 · 28/07/2009 09:31

when I had DD1 I said NO students, and it'll be the same with DD2. I know they have to learn - but I don't want anyone there who doesn't need to be. My neice is currently a student midwife - she qualifies before I'm due - my greatest worry is that she'll be delivering my baby!

piscesmoon · 28/07/2009 10:49

The student will very soon be in sole charge-I would feel happier if they had got the maximum amount of experience!

BikeRunSki · 28/07/2009 10:56

I had a student MW and i think she was what saved everything from going tits up. She was the one who suggested that things may not be progressing normally because DS might have been a footling breech. She then got a scan machine and prove herself right. Meanwhile real MW said "Oh no, that's very unlikely" (Yes, but still possible!).

Ten minutes later I had a student doc helping out on my em CS. She was useless, she panic-ed, made me panic (and I was actually very calm otherwise), made me sign the wrong bit of paper and was generally not very good under pressure.

BikeRunSki · 28/07/2009 10:58

Even though by birth plan said that I didn't want any students.

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