"No midwife trained in waterbirth"

[Fibilou]

I cannot understand why training in waterbirth is not standard in a midwife's training. I had this old "there might not be a midwife trained" chestnut while touring our local DGH and thought that, given how popular waterbirth is, it is extraordinary that MWs aren't just routinely trained to do it. It leaves me with the impression that while we have choice on paper, the NHS is not actually committed to giving women choice by denying them waterbirth through simple lack of training. To me waterbirth seems a fairly standard midwifery skill.

I cannot imagine that an A&E nurse would not be trained in something central to their job, that they would have to do regularly. Maybe one of the MWs on here can enlighten me as to why training for WB is not routine

the usual money, time, effort, different courses covering different stuff.

Maybe its the ones who have been qualified a while and haven't done the extra bit because of money, time, willingness, etc.

also you can't be trained in everything. It may be that on a certain day there are no midwives working who can do water but they have other skills to offer.

But it's hardly unusual is it ? Look at how many women on here post threads about waterbirth.
It doesn't need an extra course - just needs to be included in their degree. Like everything else is.

Im a mental health nurse, it is a fact (apparently) that CBT delivered by nurses would be a great help, shorten waiting lists to see a Psychologist etc - valuable resource blah blah blah- Do you think any of us can get on a CBT training course???

Not a chance.
(not unless we want to fund it ourselves of course........)

is is unusual in some places.

waterbirth is now included in degree but i was thinking more of those already qualified over the past 40 years when it wasn't included. they'd all have to do additional training. and everyone has to do updates (needing time, money, effort.....)

There also seems to be a distinction between midwifes who are qualified to supervise you labouring in water (but you have to get out to deliver), and midwives who are trained to actually deliver in the birthing pool - which seems bizarre to me

I bet there are plenty of training courses in washing your hands, not letting experienced mothers walk around the ward carrying their own babies, and not changing babies on the bed as they could get fluff in their eyes!! When I had my 2 dc, there was always a midwife /nurse to butt in advise us about pointless helpful stuff, but no one who could properly help the young mum in the next bed breast feed her baby!

It would appear they are far more interested in training how to carry out intervention such as ventouse and forceps to be bothered by little things like water births and pain free births, doesn't look as good on the CV I guess.

Juris I'm sooo with you on that one! When I has DD1 I waited over 24 hours for someone to get around to helping me breast feeding.......there was a midwife who had time to lecture me about why I shouldn't use babywipes though!!

when they hand you that old chestnut remind them that you have given them notice of your intention of a water birth since xxxx and you expect that they will seek necessary training for their home birth midwives in time to cover your water birth.

would be interested to see their written response.

I thought that there was a huge shortage of midwives in general-maybe this adds to the problem-simply not the time or resources.

I had a morning's theory lesson on waterbirth in my last year of training. Only saw one waterbirth while training as at the time we didn't have a pool at the hospital.

We do have a pool now and in the last 2 years I've looked after one woman labouring in the pool but she didn't deliver in it. That was 2 years ago. I wouldn't feel overly confident in facilitating a waterbirth at the minute. We don't have any update training on waterbirths in place at present although an email has just gone round asking who wants some update training and I've said yes. Looks like it will have to be in our own time though - typical.

I suppose if tomorrow I was looking after a woman who desperatly wanted a waterbirth I could have a quick read of the protocols to refresh and would probably do it. There isn't really that much to it, more regular temp checks of mum and also water temp checks, don't touch the baby as it comes out. I don't remember it being much more complicated than that.

Our hospital doesn't have many waterbirths and I think that the midwives lose confidence as we're not getting the experience.

I find the book WaterBirth by Janet Balaskas very good on describing what the midwife, mother and any supporters ought to do for water births. From what you describe spottyknickers reading this book is about all the additional training a midwife needs.

In my case, it was all I and dh needed as we had a water birth with dd2 before the midwives arrived and it crossed neither of our minds to worry or panic that they hadn't arrived.