Midwife Led Unit

[storminabuttercup]

In this area we have access to a midwife led unit and a 'normal' maternity ward, both within minutes of each other. I am currently under consultant care due to health issues, but these are anemia and i have suffered hyperemisis, so nothing that effects the birth IYSWIM

So anyway, i understand that i get to choose with the agreement of consultant tomorrow where i give birth.

So i'm pretty healthy (except for the 9 months of sickness) I want my birth to be as active as poss, ie i do not want to be confined to a bed, and i want to be relaxed, if poss i only want gas and air unless completely nessesary.

So i'm thinking the midwife led unit is the place for me, however i've been told i'm mad to consider this, what if something goes wrong etc etc....?

But surely midwife led units are perfectly safe.

what can i expect from being on a ml unit?

any advice and experience would be greatly appreciated.

thanks

wow - so much advice.

think i will ask to have a look around tomorrow.

stripey - its pernicious anemia which the midwife said she didnt know that much about hence being referred to consultant. doesnt get effected by pregnancy or birth as far as i know...

my first two births were at an MLU that was down the coridoor from the main delivery suite. THis suited me fine and I had 2 very straight forward labours. This time, I have moved to another part of the country and have been torn between the MLU in the hospital or one that is 15 mins drive by ambulance from the hospital and is entirely midwife led.....so far the standalone unit is winning as I have heard nothing but praise for it. Whereas the MLU in the hospital, I have heard can suffer from a shortage of midwives (this happened during my second labour and I did feel a bit abandoned at times - especially as I was quite aneamic and had lost a lot of bllod, yet was left alone with baby after she was born for what seemed like hours before I was even wheeled to the ward).

Having just been through a nightmare birth (after 2 very normal births) and also being in the profession I'll give you my opinion.

Go to the hospital. There is not a doctor/anaesthetist/nurse I know that would recommend a MLU (espevially a stand alone one).
In fact one locally is being closed due to the amount of trouble its had.
If your baby gets into trouble, they have approx 9 minutes to get that baby out.
If the wait for an ambulance, transfer and theatre prep would be less than 9 minutes from the MLU then fine, but I doubt it is.

Despite all the shit I went through, and the damage done to me by the hospital I am still glad I was there as maybe me and ds2 wouldnt be here now

Do remember that you'll be looked after by midwives in the normal ward too, won't even see a doctor unless something goes wrong, and won't necessarily end up with any difference in treatment other than the peace of mind that might help you relax into the labour.

I started in a midwife led unit within the hospital building first time, but only because the normal ward was full! Ended up being transferred down for an epidural because it was taking too long, and in the end it was distressed baby leading to forceps delivery so I was v lucky to be in the hospital.

Second time I actually booked into the midwife led unit, but was in so much pain on way over I checked into the normal ward instead. However the midwife was great, gave me the confidence to have meptid/pethidine instead of epidural, and that got me through to the end. It's the midwives that matter - all else fades into the background when you're in pain.

One thing that would hugely improve the post-birth experience though, is to book a private room if you have the option, as you're unlikely to get any rest on a ward.

It might be worth checking if there are any other difference between both units.

At my local hospital the 'normal' maternity ward has no ensuite toilet, ensuite baths or water pool access. Whereas the midwife led unit has all these options.

Our midwife unit is like a hotel!!
I started there but as DS wasn't shifting after being in all night and morning I got taken down to the hospital about 25 mins away (ambulance ran out of gas and air). I found it quite exciting if honest and took my mind of the pain.The hospital was vey nice though. I had never considered it really but it was great and let me move around and stand up to give birth etc. This was down to ending up with the head midwife which was just lucky I guess.
Just managed to get out by 10pm cut off and go back up to the unit for a good nights sleep in my private room.Also got to meet other mums from the town (5 of us in that night) which probably wouldn't have happened in a big hospital.
The only thing is my boy is down as a different area to where we live on his birth certificate.

Hmm, just checked with my midwife today at my appointment. Basically the way it works in my city is everyone is in the midwife ward unless there are problems and then you are wheeled down the hall to the labour ward, which has doctors. So I don't really have a choice but I guess because it is not a stand alone unit and doctors are down the hall it doesn't matter.

I wouldn't go to a standalone unit but that's just me. I am cautious when it comes to things medical. I like to have specialists and doctors around (not that midwifes aren't specialists, but they aren't surgeons IYSWIM).

Honestly the MW led centres are normally a walk across the hall or up a floor from the labour unit so if there is a problem you will be transferred.

well ladies - been for a visit today to the midwife led unit, it is as others have mentioned within the grounds of the same hospital as the consultant led bit

the consultant agreed that i can go to the ml unit - and i had a look round - and it was so nice, was like someones living room.

i asked about complications and was assured i would be in a bed in the consultant led unit within five mins

my mind is made up

thanks to all who replied - really appreciated

I'm going for our local midwife led unit as I am bog standard low risk. And it is a lovely unit, I have met the midwives, there are built in birthing pools etc. BUT, I do know that the surgical hospital is only 7 mins away under blue lights if it went wrong.