Experiences of student midwife

[partyskirt]

My midwife asked if I would be happy to have a student midwife on board for the pregnancy and also at the labour. I said no, but now feel bad. Has anyone agreed to this and had a positive experience?

partyskirt, unless you are with a caseload midwife, you might well end up with a MW that you've never met before either.

Also, I have real sympathy with midwives over the amount of paperwork that they need to fill in. I am pretty sure that they'd rather be supporting the woman instead of filling in endless forms!

Yes you're right - my MW is like the head MW, and extremely unlikely to be there in the birth.

At least you were asked ahead of time party. Not midwives (Obviously...).but ds has a lot of medical appointments and the students are often already in the consulting room or on the doorstep at home visits so saying no is not so easy.

Ah yes in this instance, but I had a student come at a very bad time, when I was at home in the agonies of early labour -- didn't enjoy that. But I must try to be more open minded.

I didn't have a student at my appointments (shared care) but did for delivery and she was LOVELY! Really sweet and she cried when baby arrived. Would really recommend it as then you get true 1-1 care and a qualified midwife as well. Just ask her to read your birth plan before she comes near you... If it says "I want a hands off, quiet labour room" then she will know you don't want chit chat...!

For me at DD's delivery it was a great experience x

I had three students present at the birth of dd they medical students rather than midwifery students. It was fine and they just watched they were very grateful and on a real high afterwards, even if my midwife did tell them off for how they were standing! Apparently they should stand to the side and and kind of bend round round when looking up your foof rather than standing straight on and looking it's less intimidating for the woman she said. I think I was past caring at that point but they were very apologetic they were very sweet I would have no problem with students again everyone has to learn.

I agree, at least you were asked. In principle, I have no problem in allowing students be at the consult. They have to learn. It's more difficult for a patient to say no when they walk into an appointment and the students are there all bright-eyed and keen. My DH chased a band of med students out of the delivery room at the birth of DS1. The MW had apparently told them that it was ok to stand at the end of the bed to watch my episiotomy and forceps delivery. My DH thought otherwise. No one bothered to ask me if it was ok.

I had a student present at my DD's home birth. I hadn't met her (or either of the other two midwives) before. The 'main' MW called me before coming over to ask if the student could come too. They were all lovely but the student was fantastic, spent lots of time helping DH with the pool etc.

starfishmummy - I had one on my door step too. I was frazzled from being up all night and said she can either wait outside or in the kitchen but, like for my pregnancy, I don't want any at post natal appointments. I could tell she was shocked by my answer expecting to just be allowed to sit in but I exhausted and annoyed that they hadn't listen to me. Maybe I'm just a outspoken, straight talking person but I do sometimes worry that they think I'm just rude

Oh, I've remembered, there was a third year student midwife on the postnatal ward. She'd had 3 kids before training and was wonderful, really comforting when I had a baby who just wouldn't sleep at night and blood pressure through the roof. Looking back, she was only about 2 months away from qualifying though, so confident in what she was doing.

I had a student present when ds1 was born. It was a pretty horrific labour and delivery, ending in a 3rd degree tear, I probably put her off for life..

My experience was similar to fairground, they asked me a few days before dd's due date if a student could come, she was apparently very excited as we were planning a home birth and relatively few student midwives get to see a home birth.

I had only just passed my driving test the year before (learnt to drive later in life) and so felt especially sympathetic to 'learners!'. Also figured we wouldn't have the qualified midwives if people hadn't agreed to let them watch and learn.

She was absolutely lovely, made food, kept quiet when I needed it, helped dp with the pool etc, and when dd was born neither myself or dp wanted to cut the cord, so she asked if she could and was overjoyed when we said yes! Was actually quite lovely having someone else there who was as giddy with excitement as we were, the other midwives were a bit business like. I guess they'd seen it a hundred times before!

However, saying that, if you don't feel 100% comfortable with the idea, then don't do it. Labour is hard enough without adding extra stress!

I had a student MW present at both my DDs' births (in two different countries). I would thoroughly recommend it - as others have said, lots of attention, and also because the MW was explaining to the student what she was doing and why, it was very reassuring. I never felt there was any danger of being left with a student who didn't know what she was doing or anything like that. It was a very positive experience in both cases.

I feel awful now cos I've actually said "No students please" on my birth plan.

And I'm a nurse who actually had to attend births as part of my training! But I think thats why - cos I was clueless when I was a student and felt hugely awkward. Its amazing, looking back that I didn't upset someone with an inappropriate comment!

So I would be empathising with the student too much and it would make me cringe!

I also don't exactly adore medical students from having them on the wards. A couple of times I've had to tell them off for sniggering at private jokes when in the same cublicle as a patient. Not risking that at my birth!

I will always fondly remember the student mw who was present at birth of ds. I had a forceps delivery so a doctor delivered ds but I had the mw and student in the room as well as dp so I had one of them up at the top end holding my hand and reassuring me. When ds was born the student helped me give first feed, measured weighed and checked him, showed dp how to dress ds and do nappies, helped me hand express later, and sang to my ds a polish lullaby to mention a few things. The care and attention she gave us was amazing.

I also had several students assist my community mw during my pregnancy due to their rotation overlapping and they were all really lovely.

I had a student midwife during birth of DS3. She was so incredibly apologetic doing internal exams and was really gentle in comparison to more experienced midwives.

She was fine, the only negative was that she was very talkative, probably nervous chit chat and I just wanted to get on.

A student LED my birth with DD1! I did have a third degree tear but that'll teach me to push too hard when I've been told not to and to let DD be born with her hand up beside her head .

She was fab. I've also had student MWs attend appointments and never had a problem with it.

My student midwife was lovely. She stayed with me the whole time while the other midwife went in and out. She talked me through everything (it was my first baby) and reassured me. She even stayed past the end of her shift just to make sure I coped with the first nappy change as I had never changed a nappy before.

starfishmummy
At least you were asked ahead of time party. Not midwives (Obviously...).but ds has a lot of medical appointments and the students are often already in the consulting room or on the doorstep at home visits so saying no is not so easy.

DD had similar for a gastroenterology appointment. She saw a group of students striding into the consulting room then coming out to demand DD's notes off the secretary. DD waited until they were out of the way then went to the secretary and said that she didnt want the students there. Secretary went in and students slunk out!

It was the arrogant assumption. The students were going to be already sat in the room when DD got there which would have made it far harder for DD to say 'no'

gnome, I think it is a bit unfair to say that it was an "arrogant assumption".

Any hospital I've worked in (10+) has had a sign up asking patients to let the receptionists know if they don't want students.

I often have the students in with me at the start of clinic, teaching them about the sort of thing we are going to be seeing. I'll also send the student to go and get the notes for the next patient for me while I'm dictating the letter for the last patient or dealing with a GP's phone call etc.

I'll always ask patients outside the room if they are ok with students and kick them out if the patient isn't happy. I know that this doesn't always happen (it's happened to me as well although I'm generally fine with students) but in a teaching hospital, patients do need to let people know if they don't want students as well.

I had a student at ds birth and she was fantastic- saw her on the postnatal ward for the rest of the week as well. Our trust has a policy always have a mw with you at all times and due to 2 emergencies overnight she was with me alone for a lot of the time.

This time had different students at routine mw appts and at my debrief for ds. As a rule I'm fine with having students and always asked if ok in advance. My only thought is that my mh issues are starting to rise again and I'm only comfortable speaking honestly in front of 1 particular community mw who I trust a lot so it might limit my openness.

Could have done without the one who got me and the mw spooked into thinking ds was breech at 39 weeks and sending me for an immediate scan.

My sister said the student midwife who did her first birth was way better than the experienced midwife who did her second.

I don't remember being asked?

I had a student midwife at one appointment. She was a (very) mature student and quite rough.

I then had a student midwife who delivered DD. I don't think I was asked about her being in the room, I'd never met her before but she was fine. I didn't really care who was in the room at that point!