Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Childbirth

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

Flip

Original poster

Would you allow a student midwife you knew attend your birth?

24 replies

bumpsoon · 30/09/2009 15:00

Just curious really , a girl i know is doing her midwifery training and her mentor is my midwife ,so there is a good chance if i get the home birth i want she will probably attend . I dont have any issues with this myself ,as im on to my third child now ,so plenty of people have seen my fanjo ,and im fairly sure it isnt super memorable

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

notnowbernard · 30/09/2009 15:01

Of course I wouldn't mind, not at all

That's how they are going to learn...

notnowbernard · 30/09/2009 15:02

Sorry, didn't read thread title properly!

Might feel a bit different if I knew them personally

Deeeja · 30/09/2009 15:24

Personally, I don't cope very well, when there are too many people around when I am in labour,most of the time I just want to be alone.
But if you know her really well, and you are comfortable with her, then I don't see that it would be a problem.
I would just make sure to brief her first just how much you want or don't want her to intervene.

minervaitalica · 30/09/2009 16:21

No, definitely not! And it's a pair of extra eyes after all

browntrout · 30/09/2009 16:35

I would let her - don't have any issue with this as an idea. So long as you are happy that she's there as a student midwife and not an onlooker - ie that she will be professional in her approach

Yorky · 30/09/2009 16:41

Why not? They've got to get the experience somewhere

I had a student midwife as my 2nd midwife and it was her first home birth and her first waterbirth. There wasn't time to call for 2nd qualified MW. She was lovely.
I didn't care at the time!

Stayingsunnygirl · 30/09/2009 16:45

A friend of mine was doing her NCT antenatal class teacher training when I was expecting ds3. She had to observe a birth, and I was planning to give birth, so it seemed like a perfect fit - and she was there when I had ds3 at home. It didn't bother me at all having her there - in fact, I think it enhanced the experience for me.

minervaitalica · 30/09/2009 16:47

Sorry I meant yes, definitely yes. It is an extra pair of eyes after all

reikizen · 30/09/2009 16:48

I delivered a friend's baby when I was a student and it was lovely. A real honour but I made sure we were all comfortable with it before the day. I can assure you the only lasting memories are off the beauty and miracle of birth, not of her unmentionables!

plantwoman · 30/09/2009 17:00

I've had student midwives attend all three of mine, and I found them to be better in terms of support than the midwives, as they tend to stay with you all the time and aren't under the same pressure of tending to lots of differnt people at the same time.

slushy06 · 30/09/2009 17:37

I would mw will defo be on the ball and do everything by the book if she is mentoring.

boundarybabe · 06/10/2009 18:56

A student midwife attended my birth who I had previously worked with - when she walked in I slurred 'I know you' - everyone thought it was the pethidine talking but luckily she remembered me too! Didn't bother me at all, in fact it was nice to have someone else there who I knew so DH could go home and get a couple of hours kip in the middle. She did have to give me an internal though at one point and we both commented we never thought we'd be in that position.

benjysmum · 11/10/2009 11:07

It's my first child but I'd happily let a student midwife attend regardless of whether I knew her or not. It's a two-way process after all. They learn to be good midwives and we as women benefit from a better level of care. As long as she's a student midwife and not some onlooker (childbirth is not a spectator sport)

IneedacleanerIamalazyslattern · 11/10/2009 11:12

I definately wouldn't mind.
When I had dd my friend was with me (not a mw but obv not my partner) and I was with her 11 months later when she gave birth and I can honestly say I have no recollection of what her fanjo looks like and she can't remember mine and we were both down the business end at the important moment.
So going by that I would actually be very honoured to have a friend who was a student mw present, my friend and I shared something special both those times and that would be extra special.

choufleur · 11/10/2009 11:17

i wouldn't mind. A whole brass, marching band could have been in the labour room with DS and i wouldn't have cared

jeee · 11/10/2009 11:18

Normally I'm very happy to have students (a medical student delivered my first child), and they've been there for all 4 of my births. But I would not feel happy if I knew them - and that goes for qualified people as well.

PfftTheMagicDragon · 11/10/2009 11:19

I did, I was worried there would be too many people but it was only her and the midwife. She was very nice.

TotallyAndUtterlyPaninied · 11/10/2009 11:23

I've requested a student this time as the one in with DS was just bloody brilliant. She is now a fully fledged mdiwife so I want her in there, too.

Amapoleon · 11/10/2009 11:24

I wouldn't have a problem with it. I had a student midwife at dd's birth and she was far kinder than the cow that was fully qualified.

I have been my friends birth partner and I can't remember her fanjo.

Dominique07 · 11/10/2009 11:27

I think it could be awkward?

ThingOneofYourNightmares · 11/10/2009 11:33

I had a student midwife at the birth of DS1. I had already met her a couple of times so I was relaxed about it.

Fluffypoms · 11/10/2009 11:33

I had student midwife with ds1, except i didnt Know this till she was congratulated on delivering my baby would of said ok anyhow but would have been nice if we were asked first, dont ya think?

Jennylee · 11/10/2009 12:05

No, I had one with my first 10 years ago, they insited I needed an episiotomy, which I refused and then I didn't even have a tear, nothing, so they just wanted to show her how to do it. she then fainted at the moment of birth and there was I like an idiot saying are you all right? to her, she was very young and I hate the memory of saying don't cut me let me see your hands as I was scared of an episiotomy, and lucky i said no as I was not teared, did not need a stitch at all. don't let them use you for practice.

also I'd said no to students on my birth plan adn still they asked me again when I was in labour and didn't want to say no.

lal123 · 11/10/2009 16:59

my neice has just qualified as a midwife - and there is no way I owuld have let her attend - there are some things that an aunt should kep private!

Flip

Swipe left for the next trending thread