New midwife v negative about home birth (at 40 weeks!)

[needharibo]

Hello, this is my first post but I've been lurking for a long time! I just felt the need to post as I'm feeling very anxious and upset and don't know what to do.

I have been booked in for a home birth since 37 weeks, my pregnancy has been very straightforward, baby is lying the right way etc. (it's my first). The community midwives have been very encouraging and supportive, and the local maternity hospital is committed to supporting home births (around 6.4% of births are hbs).

However, in the last month we have moved house by about 15 miles, which means I fall under a different community midwifery team. I held out contacting the new team as long as I could since I really got along with the midwives I've been seing all along. The new team is part of the same hospital midwifery team, they are all linked to the same delivery unit.

Yesterday I had my first appointment with the new midwife, at 40 weeks (actually, it was on my due date). She was very negative about home births, and told me that there is a good chance I won't get one on the day due to staff shortages. She also mentioned in passing that in her experience it can take up to 1 hour for an ambulance to arrive when called (I find this hard to believe, there is an ambulance station just down the road, and we are 15 miles from a major hospital. My partner could drive me there in 30 min).

Since she left I've been feeling either very sad, or very anxious. I had carefully thought through the risks, carefully discussed them with my partner, prepared myself for the chance of being transferred etc., but not for the chance of being refused a home birth when the time comes. I don't feel that I can relax, start filling the pool etc. at home if I don't know if I will get to stay here.

It just seems cruel to try to scare someone off a home birth at the last minute! I'm wondering if I should just give up and prepare myself for a hospital birth instead. Since the midwife I saw was so negative, I'm also worried that she may not be very experienced / confident, and that a home birth might be too risky as a result. Of course there is a good chance I will have a different midwife with me during labour, or even one of the midwives from the "old" team.

Sorry for the long post, any advice would be much appreciated!

Ring up the supervisor of midwives, say what happened, say you don't want her near you!

Yes speak to the supervisor. Some MWs bring their own prejudices to the job. Not on.

I had a HB and the ambulance arrived in less than five mins.

They would send out a MW experienced in HB. You cant be denied a HB for lack of staff - you are within your rights to tell them youre having a HB and you look forward to the MW arriving.

If however you do have doubts Id suggest talking them over with someone because you want to put your mind at ease!

needharibo- so sorry to hear that the change hasn't been as good. Itake it that you changed Gp surgery and changed midwifes. I would plan for the homebirth. I have had 2 and it only happened once that they were short staffed but my mw came out to any way to me. I was a lot happier at home as my labours are quick and I worried about having a baby in the car on route to a hospital. Hospitals can be just as busy so I would prepare for it and like others say let the supervisor know. The community team has more than one person so the likely hood of getting this negative woman shouldn't be to likely.

There'll be a huge team she is just one, i had this last week with a very negative MW thankfully she is gone on holidays now so won't be seeing her. Her attitude isn't on but try and forget her and do speak to the supervisor and ask not to see her again, she'll be discreet and swap her.

Have a bag packed anyway in case, I had 4 hours at hoome with a lovely midwife but transferred as by BP was going too high. I still had a lovely labour without any intervention except for a pill to bring BP! I live 25 miles from hospital and Ambulance came in 5 minutes and the transfer was vey relaxed even with the distance.

Thank you so much for the kind words and support - I really appreciate it I wasn't thinking straight and was losing it a bit!!!

I e-mailed the supervisor and head of midwifery, couldn't get them on the phone. Hopefully all will be well. Have also had a call from my lovely old midwife which made me feel much better.

I've talked it through with my partner, and we will try for a home birth if possible, with bags packed in case it doesn't work out. I will also follow this up afterwards as well so that it hopefully doesn't happen to someone else.

Going for a walk now to clear my head :)