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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

Student Midwife?

51 replies

princesspineapple · 06/12/2015 19:20

Has anyone has a student midwife following them? Or in less stalkerish terms, is anyone a caseholding client?
At my last few midwife appointments, there's been a student with her the last few times checking my BP etc... When I went this week they asked if I was happy for her to be a part of things the rest of the way, coming to my growth scans etc, and eventually come to the birth.
I said yes because everyone has to start somewhere and she's a lovely girl... But just wondered about other people's experiences really?

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MustBeThursday · 07/12/2015 14:35

I had student midwives (different ones though!) at an antenatal appt, in labour and with the community midwife. The ante and post natal ones were lovely, and actually better than some of the qualified ones for putting me at ease! I was only in hospital at the very end of my labour so it was a bit fast and frantic during the birth - the only issue I had was that between the qualified and the student midwife they obviously didn't decide who was doing the documenting as I was discharged with the slip I had to give to the GP only half done. I did feel a little bit like a case study but that was more the way the qualified midwife was talking to the student, not the student herself.

I'd never normally refuse students to come in, but I did specify no medical students at DDs birth - only because DH was a med student there at the time and I had no desire to flash any of his year mates...

Elfishpresley · 07/12/2015 14:45

I had a student midwife with my first and she was brilliant. I loved having her there through my long labour and nightmare birth. She really put me at ease. DH and DM sang her praises too.

She stayed with me long after her shift ended and bought me a lovely gift the following day.

ayria · 07/12/2015 14:48

I had an Adult Nurse with my first birth. She was useless. They didn't tell me she was training. She had the midwife uniform on but not the qualifications. I was also left with her alone sometimes. If I had known she was training I may have allowed it, but then again if I had known she was training and they still left me with her I would have known they were doing something wrong as they were busy. Maybe that's why they didn't ask for my permission.

Consent and patients emotional views are drummed into us.
Are they?

I ended up with PTSD and partially because she was left to take the lead (not very well!) and didn't follow good practice. I felt like a fucking guinea pig when I found out, on top of a bit of a traumatic birth as well.

I will not allow any students sitting in on any of my appts now that I find myself pregnant again after starting therapy. I'm hopefully having a home birth so they can't touch me again!

Buttercup27 · 07/12/2015 14:51

I had a student midwife take my blood once. I was a little nervous but she was the best person to have ever taken my blood. She was very careful and took her time an I can honestly say I didn't feel it.

stubbornstains · 07/12/2015 14:51

I was asked if a medical student could observe DS2's delivery. I agreed, only to have him march in, not introduce himself, and start staring intently at the business end! (I was crowning by then). He was removed, at my request, PDQ.. Hopefully somebody had a word with him re: "establishing a rapport" after that...

beela · 07/12/2015 14:55

Yes, I had a student at the birth of my first DC, she was there all the time with me, not in and out of the room checking on other people like the regular midwife had to be. She was lovely.

I also had a student community midwife at my checks with DC2, she was also lovely and it meant that my very experienced midwife slowed down and explained a bit more about what was going on.

TreadSoftlyOnMyDreams · 07/12/2015 14:56

Everyone has to start somewhere and we keep reading about a national shortage of midwives so I took the view that to refuse was to cut off my nose to spite my face.

Can't say that I would be delighted with a troup of trainee doctors but if memory serves there were a couple at the "live" stage with my consent. Couldn't give a rats ass by then to be honest. Same applies though, we invest by all accounts thousands of tax pounds in training them, seems to be a bit ostrich like to think that it's all going to take place on a anatomical dummy?

chickindude · 07/12/2015 14:59

You will both be amazing! and you will both remember it for the rest of your lives. Good luck to you and your midwife.

madwomanbackintheattic · 07/12/2015 15:12

Hi op - I am firmly in favour of allowing student mw to be present, however these days I would insist that any obs they take are checked by their supervisor. I had a student mw for dd2 (dc3) and it was going to be her first delivery. They had checked with me, I was fine with it, but essentially everything was done by the student, and not checked. She was having obvious problems locating the fhr throughout labour (as vbac2 I should have been on cfm but the machine had broken) and no one was helping, supporting , or checking her actions. The first time the supervisor checked anything was as we were prepping for the delivery, to make sure it was safe for me to start pushing - she touched the top of dd2's head and knew immediately that there was a problem and crashed the paeds. The two senior mws on duty and the crash team worked to save dd2, with the student banished to the back of the room. Dd2 fhr was 28bpm, and checking the charts afterwards there were periods where she was not checked for over 45mins, and even the readings noted were suspiciously text-book accurate (before the machine broke there had been some alarming decels with poor recovery).

Anyhoo, dd2 is brain damaged for life, the poor student was traumatised, and I am left wondering whether I should ever have agreed. So, yes, students are great and it is important they learn their jobs, but please do confirm that any obs etc are verified by the supervisor. For everyone's sake.

originalusernamefail · 07/12/2015 15:26

I had a third year student MW for the birth of DS1. She was the 'main' person managing me although the qualified MW did pop in and out to check progress and double check any v.es. She was phenomenal! She explained every step / what we could expect next and really helped to stop me from losing it as things got more intense. The only concerns I had were from the qualified side tbh, during the stitching the MW asked the student for PR (per rectum) analgesia and was going to administer them without so much as a heads up . As I am an ICU nurse I knew what she was on about and was not pleased as my mouth was working just fine ( no prob see with the PR route as such would have just preferred a choice!), but could not fault the student in any way and would gladly have another for DC2.

Ariya I'm at your experience, I have been an adult nurse for 10 years and know diddly squat about labour/ babies apart from my own experience. She shouldn't have been left alone with you any more than I would expect to leave a MW in charge of looking after someone on a ventilator, she shouldn't have accepted it either.

ayria · 07/12/2015 16:49

original My therapist is a nurse as well. She told me that she probably isn't even training to be a midwife but doing the rounds before being qualified. She said she had to do a bit of time in the gyno department and the maternity unit first.
I searched her name on the register and she was registered 6 months before I gave birth and still, 3 years on, isn't qualified as a midwife. So it's likely that she was doing the same training as my therapist had to do, but she said she wasn't left on her own.
It's like they left it all to her to explain and sort out whilst the proper midwife wandered off and the doctor disappeared. She didn't give any warning before the internal exam, the stitches, or the rectal exam and suppository. They, the doctor as well, were talking about "me" without actually talking to me! It was horrible. I didn't know what happened, what they were dong to me or what injuries I had until 3 years later.

Hence my fear of getting pregnant. Now... having to beg for a home birth so stop it happening again.

madamginger · 07/12/2015 18:27

I had a student at my ds2 home birth, she was lovely and I was her 5th home birth and she was only 2 weeks into her placement.
My only issue is I used to work with her in a shop when we were A-Level students and she had to clean me up after I'd pooed Saying that though my ds1 teacher also used to work in the same shop!
Oh the joys of living in a small town!

Paperblank · 07/12/2015 19:00

I had student MW's looking after me in hospital last weekend and they were fabulous, I couldn't fault them.

I wouldn't have any problems with having student MW's present at the birth, but I am a bit unsure about having student Dr's there - my mum used to have student Dr's out on placement with her (DM was a district nurse) and she rarely had a good one! I think she put me off

Like others have said everyone has to start somewhere, and as long as they are supervised I'll be happy to have students present

theimpossibledream · 07/12/2015 20:25

Had a student Dr at DD's forceps birth 7 years ago.

She came and hugged me and thanked me afterwards. She was sweet. I wonder where she is now..

tiggy2610 · 07/12/2015 21:35

I had a student midwife on the postnatal ward after having DS. He had severe jaundice and we were kept in for a week while he underwent phototherapy, he was a bad feeder and I remember spending hours in tears trying to get him to latch. I was in a private room and would go hours without seeing anyone - the student MW would call on every time DS was due to feed and just sit with me while I tried to get him to latch.
Sometimes she helped with my positioning, other times she just talked to me so I didn't get too upset that it hadn't worked. After three days she ran me a bath with lavender oil and took DS for me while I had the most amazing bath of my life, she has no idea how much that simple little thing meant to me. 6 weeks after being discharge we were readmitted to the postnatal ward when DS started loosing weight due to not feeding well, at this point I was a mess. For 6 weeks I had had midwives telling me a million different ways to breastfeed and techniques to try but nothing was working. After being in hospital for 5 days the same student midwife came into my room during feeding time (as she always did) and did something I can never thank her enough for. She took my hand, looked at me and said "You've done enough. There is absolutely no shame in giving him a bottle" and i did. I know she probably would have been in trouble should one of her seniors have heard her given the drive to promote BF but for me, she probably stopped my PND from developing into something far worse than it was.

leaningtoweroflego · 07/12/2015 22:24

I was surprised in both my births how little actual supportive interaction I had with my midwives.

Different hospitals, different midwives. But they both spent the majority of the time with their backs to me, writing notes.

A nurse friend explained that they need to cover their backs and are required to write EVERYTHING down - if it's not recorded it didn't happen basically.

I found it pretty isolating tbh (despite a very supportive DP). A student midwife could have been a very welcome help IMO.

Some friends I've spoken to have had better experiences, but others have actually been left without a midwife for long periods in a busy ward. Again a student midwife could be great in that situation.

If I was doing it again, I'd say yes.

thegiddylimit · 07/12/2015 22:26

I saw various student midwives when I had DD2 and DS. DD2 was a textbook birth and it was lovely having 2 midwives. I get very chatty in labour it's the G&A and they had a good laugh at me bossing DH about.

DS was preemie and I saw a newly qualified MW the day after we were discharged from hospital, only for her to send us back in again (we suspected it was going to happen, he'd gone downhill after discharge). I then saw her in hospital again and she was so lovely but I think my lack of continuity of care shocked her. I did tell her I was fine with no continuity for me (better those services are devoted to more vunerable mothers) but I guess it was a harsh glimpse into the reality of the job.

Dixiechickonhols · 08/12/2015 00:08

The student midwife who was with me in labour is on our photos looking visibly shocked at DD. If I had looked at her face she would have given the game away that DD had been born with a disability before DH was asked to tell me.

I suspect DD was first baby she had seen who was disabled.

VenusRising · 08/12/2015 01:08

It seems student MWs and student Drs are the only ones who have time to be nice.

Most of them are so rushed off their feet they seem to forget how to be human, let alone how to read the woman's emotions or gain consent.

Lindt70Percent · 08/12/2015 09:30

I had a student midwife deliver my first baby - she was great. I had a homebirth with the second baby and the student midwife just missed it (it was a very quick labour).

I've always said yes to students in medical situations as they have to start somewhere.

jellypi3 · 08/12/2015 09:38

I've been asked by the student midwife who attends my ante-natal appointments if she can case load me, i'll be her first case loaded person. She's given me her number and email address to let her know when I am in labour, and she will be at the hospital with me basically 1-1 care for the whole time. I'm absolutly fine with it, she needs to learn and she's been really helpful at my appointments.

queenrollo · 08/12/2015 09:53

I had a nearly qualified student midwife present through all of DS1 labour and birth. I needed an eipisiotomy and consented to let her do it. She popped up to see me in the ward the day after to thank me as it was her first one.
(I have had student nurses and Dr's present at most of my fertility appts, and even consented to let them do vaginal exam during surgery. They have to learn. The only thing I don't let them do is take blood - had too many bad experiences and request a phlebotomist every time)

LBOCS2 · 08/12/2015 09:58

I had two student midwives and a whole cohort of student Drs traipsing through my room when I had DD. The student doctors came in while I was having a break during transition and the consultant and I had a quick chat, and the student midwives were with my for the delivery - which was great, I had one cheerleading and one helping me hold up my leg, while the qualified mw delivered DD.

I've always been absolutely fine having trainees about - I think it's important that they learn in a hands on manner.

zoobaby · 08/12/2015 10:23

I think it would be lovely to have another person along for the ride (as long as you like them of course). I was induced and had a MW and student in the room with me at all times. Very reassuring. After traumatic birth, I stayed in delivery room for the whole of the next day and had a (very lovely and very funny male) student midwife assigned to observe my vitals and get BF started. It was brilliant. Then, on ward for another 6 days, was very lucky to have another student midwife doing the graveyard shift and helping to establish BF. All very positive experiences!

Loft653 · 08/12/2015 10:37

I was asked if I was happy to have a male paramedic with me, he had delivered babies before (not in the hospital obviously!) and had expressed an interest in learning more from the midwives as part of his professional development.
I think quite a few other ladies had said no before I said yes as they seemed surprised he could finally observe a birth! I totally understand why someone would say no, especially as he was male, but I figure that if him been involved will help him do a better job next time he delivers a baby then letting him in was the right answer for me.
He was lovely, unobtrusive and the questions he asked the midwife actually helped me stay calm too. He was due to go home 30mins before baby was born but stayed regardless as he was genuinely interested in learning. As DH wasn't keen on cutting the cord he did this too.

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