Midwife led unit

[JE87]

I'm 19 weeks with my first child so a while to go yet but my midwife was discussing where I will be giving birth. They are advising me to go to a midwife led unit, I'd have my own room in a quieter, small hospital and it does seem a much nicer environment than a ward. However, there are no doctors there and if there is any sort of emergency you get sent to hospital via ambulance.

Just wondering if many people gave birth in midwife only unit and what your experience was like? I've spoken with a few friends and they all ended up needed a doctor at some point which has really put me off the midwife only unit.

I had dd at an MLU and would totally do it again. Unfortunately the MLU is closed due to building work and they are not sure if they will reopen as an MLU because so few people go there.

For me it was first choice by far. Every room had a birthing pool, you could stay for up to 24 hours after birth and your partner could stay with you, in a double bed, in your own room.
I had to go to hospital due to a tear that needed surgery but it was a 30 min ambulance ride (no blue lights) and if blue lights are required it was 15-20mins. The midwives are super alert at MLUs because they need to be aware of that transfer time.
We have a new MLU attached to the hospital now (which I expect reduces people at the standalone MLU even more) so I'm hoping to go there although I'm not sure if it will give me the birth I want as I expect it is a popular choice and don't know if all rooms have pools etc.
From the research I've read, if you have a straightforward birth an MLU is actually the safest option as there is less likely to be intervention compared to a hospital so there tends to be a better birth experience and outcome.
However, it's about what you feel is best and where you would be most relaxed and conformable. Do a tour of each option and then decide what is best for you.

Everyone is different, to me I want all the bells and whistles. Midwives are not bells and whistles

MLU all the way for me. For my first, the stand alone MLU shut as the hospital was busy and needed the midwife, so I ended up at the busy hospital. I believe my labour would have progressed much better if I’d have had the proper care and attention rather than an occasional head round the door check in. I felt like I’d handed my body over to someone else and let them do whatever they wanted, unnecessary examinations, bright lights. I feel I would have coped better in the calm. Plus the after care was rubbish due to it being so busy.
2nd labour was a home birth. In comparison, it was a lovely, calming experience. Very hands off from the midwives who just watched and let things progress perfectly, telling me what would happen next purely from this stepped back observation and my body knew what to do. I’d also gone to the home birth class and knowing I was low risk with 100% attention, if the worst had happened and I needed a transfer it would have been picked up much sooner than if in hospital as they were rushed off their feet!
Now I’m expecting my 3rd and currently planning the new mlu attached to the labour suite for purely selfish reasons of having my other two at home in their own space and getting one to one time with this one. However, after a visit for monitoring yesterday to check babies movements (all fine and no problems) it’s really made me consider a home birth again as the crowded wards, people, lights, noises and over stretched staff on triage is not the environment I want to be back in.