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Childbirth

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

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Original poster

Would it be unreasonable to request no students during labour at teaching hospital?

69 replies

mazzystartled · 19/04/2010 14:43

DC3 is due imminently. To my surprise I am being totally supported and encouraged to have a VBA2C, on a midwife-led unit.

One of the things that I think will help me is if I can have the greatest degree of privacy possible, so I was thinking about requesting not to have students attending, but am I being unreasonable?

I know that if intervention is required or I am transferred to the obs-led part there will inevitably be more people around, and I definitely not want any student doctors forming an audience. But how about student midwives?

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msrisotto · 19/04/2010 14:45

God no, you have a right to as much privacy as possible and I don't think anyone would think any worse of you for demanding just that.

Poledra · 19/04/2010 14:47

I think you are within your rights to refuse to have any students there, whether they are mw or doctor. Yes, I do see that they have to learn somewhere (gave birth to all 3 of my DCs in a teaching hospital) but, in your case, where you feel it might be detrimental to your birth, surely nobody's going to object to your need for privacy?

AddictedtoCrunchies · 19/04/2010 14:48

I had a student midwife for the whole day when i was in labour with and she was just amazing. Perhaps you could limit it to one? She was being supervised by a qualified mw but was really great.

GooseyLoosey · 19/04/2010 14:50

My first labour was left largely to a trainee as they believed it was straightforward. It was not. For my second labour therefore, I clearly said that I did not want any students (IME they always asked anyway).

seaturtle · 19/04/2010 15:30

I requested not to have student doctors or midwives at my birth. Just wanted some privacy and I think you are entitled to that choice.

I was in the position of being a student nurse at the maternity hospital (on the postnatal ward I ended up in ten years later) and during the two days I was with labour ward I witnessed two births and had one refusal. One of the women was 19, on her own and just out of an abusive relationship. Her parents turned up within moments after the birth to see the baby, and I couldn't understand why one of them couldn't be with her. She had to go for a C-Section and I was given the job of sitting beside her and holding her hand (she held mine very tightly). I got to hold the baby up for her to see while they stitched her, and she was very glad to have me there.

HarderToKidnap · 19/04/2010 15:39

You may be really glad of a student midwife on the day as they can be with you one to one. They will participate in decision making but will not ne making the decisions per se and anything they do will be checked with a qualified midwife. Also, most student midwives are not wide eyed teenagers but more mature women, often with children, and can be a lovely presence. The other thing is that often you will be admitted to the ward by a student and not until they read your birth plan will it be obvious you didn't want one, by which time they may have done observations on you, listened to baby, got urine sample etc and may have been with you for half an hour or so - an awkward situation for both you and them when they read the plan! So maybe keep an open mind on the day and don't allow a stude to start off caring for you and then throw her out - get your husband/birth partner to make it obvious as soon as you walk through the door you don't want a student.

Marne · 19/04/2010 15:47

Dd2 was delivered by a student midwife, she was so pleased with herself so i let her dress dd2 .

I'm sure it will be up to you weather there are students present, when i had dd1 i lost count of how many people where in the room but with dd2 it was just the student midwife and another midwife.

potplant · 19/04/2010 15:48

Is it the fact that you don't want a student treating you or do you mean observing?

I think you need to be clear about which one when you put it on your birth plan/notes. I said that I didnt want more people than necessary but had 3 students observing. TBH at the time I didn't really notice (I was off my head on the drugs!) When I mentioned after the event they said that I should have been specific ie: no observers)

I don't really mind now - I have no memory of them being there and they got to see a twin section!

choosyfloosy · 19/04/2010 15:50

Absolutely YANBU, and it shouldn't be a question of waiting until they've read your birth plan! - you should be asked before you enter the room. A friend of mine refused students when she was asked if she would mind having some see the birth - she'd been in labour for 17 hours at this point, and was doing really well; she said she might not have minded someone being with her throughout, but didn't want anyone 'popping in' to see the birth of her daughter without having been a part of the whole experience. There are plenty of births out there, don't worry about it.

beanlet · 19/04/2010 18:38

I think it's basically up to you to say whether or not you are happy to have students there, and they have to respect your wishes. Just make sure you make it clear at the earliest possible opportunity.

We're refusing to have student doctors (but not student nurses) because my husband will have taught them all!

LittleSilver · 19/04/2010 18:44

YANBU at all. You are udner no kind of requirement to have any kind of student. Just say no, job done. And don't feel guilty, your birth, your way.

Original poster

mazzystartled · 19/04/2010 18:45

I guess I sort of don't think there is any room for passengers in the process. I am somewhat daunted, and feel a strong need for privacy. I will have DH as a birth partner, and a doula, who is someone who I have known for several years.

I just worry a bit about being the 2 previous C/S woman and people thinking it would be interesting to pop in and have a gander.

If there is a need for assisted delivery or C/S I cannot think of anything worse than having a gaggle of student doctors watch my distress, so I am quite able to be clear about that.

OP posts:

EccentricaGallumbits · 19/04/2010 18:45

YANBU - it is your birth and you haveto be comfortable and in cntrol.

However - you need to be specific.

Do you not want 3 or 4 observers - people standing and watching?

Would you mind someone (usually junior doctor or paramedic just popping in and observing your actal birth? (I have a bit of a about this)

Do you mind one student midwife, supervised by one qualified midwife, being there throughout your labour, able to hang around ater shift change looking after only you and not 2 other women at the same time?

I'm a student midwife (and qualified nurse)

I've had women not want students at all and that is absolutely fine - really no probem at all. it is your choice.

Original poster

mazzystartled · 19/04/2010 18:49

EG
I am horrified at the idea of being observed by anyone
Popping in to see the birth - that would be awful
Someone who was there throughout who might actually be of some help - well that would be ok, so long as I wasn't treated to double the number of VEs etc - but tbh, I'd rather not include anyone extra at all

OP posts:

edam · 19/04/2010 18:52

You have every right to decide who you want to be there. BUT student midwives can be brilliant - my sister and several friends had ones who stayed with them through the whole labour, well after their shifts had ended, because they are really keen to see the whole thing. And it was a student midwife who picked up my sister's gestational diabetes (ante-natally) when the doctors and qualified midwives hadn't bothered to read the results properly.

LittleSilver · 19/04/2010 18:52

mazzy, on my birth plan I wrote something like this:

"I am happy to have ONE female student midwife present (by being present I mean attending my entire labour and birth, NOT just popping in to catch)"

I would be surprised if it were deemed acceptable by your hospital to "pop in" for the birth; it would not be at mine. Be under no illusion, it is entirely YOUR choice as to who is present, they cannot just sneak them in. Don't feel pressured.

EccentricaGallumbits · 19/04/2010 18:54

Also make sure your birth partner and doula knw your wishes so nothing is sprung on you in the throws of labour when you'd propably agree to the milkman having a look.

MumNWLondon · 19/04/2010 18:54

totally reasonable, although personally i would have been happy with a student midwife who might have time to give one to one care that a qualified midwife might not have time too.... but its your choice.

Tyson86 · 19/04/2010 18:57

The student mw who assisted the birth of ds was the best out of anyone else there, so friendly and still knowledgable. Maybe having one would not be a bad idea

EccentricaGallumbits · 19/04/2010 19:01

I am bloody good tyson bu cnnot guarantee hey all are.

Tyson86 · 19/04/2010 19:02

pmsl Eccentrica

madwomanintheattic · 19/04/2010 19:03

i had a student mw for vbac2. i was very laissez faire about the whole thing, after all, they do have to get some experience etc etc.

dd2 suffered birth hypoxia, and there are ongoing (legal) questions about the role of the supervising mw. i'd do it again, but i'd want every single obs double checked. and i'd be asking lots of questions about supervision.

the student was left utterly traumatised. it was supposed to be her first delivery.

said · 19/04/2010 19:05

I had a student doctor observe my first birth. I, too, would have described myself as hung-up on privacy beforehand but I honestly completely forgot she was there. No problem saying you don't want it but you may be too distracted by labour to really care when the time comes.

LittleSilver · 19/04/2010 19:11

OP, you mentioned about privacy being very important to you. If you feel that way
pre-labour I would say go with it and stick "NO STUDENTS PLEASE" on your birth plan. You shouldn't be stressing about outsiders at any point.

piscesmoon · 19/04/2010 19:12

I think you are entitled to do whatever you like but I find it weird-there is no privacy in childbirth! I have this funny notion of people in the medical profession never learning anything because it all has to be 'other people'.

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