Can I refuse consultant led care?

[MissPepper8]

I'll try be quick,

DS was delivered by c-section after my back waters went a week early (mw sent me home said I'd weed myself). Week later I was due for scan and they found out, so induced me.

In the end Consultant said I probably wouldn't of laboured myself as I wasn't induced when waters initially went.

I initially saw a consultant for my thyroid, pregnancy was problem free, baby was lovely size and I wasn't high risk until this.

So today I've gone and she said ill need to be consultant led, I do not want to be at all. I just want to go on the midwife led unit, have things as stress free as possible with no monitors or needles (a big stress during DS labour was all the needles and not being able to move).

Can I ask for this? Thing is the MW led unit is downstairs from the Consultant led ward, so it's not a big ask but its making me really upset and anxious knowing I'll be back without a lovely water birth and restricted.

Thank you

Ask to meet the head of Midwifery and or consultant midwife to discuss.

Have you seen the notes from your previous birth - I would advise getting them. If they insist on consultant led it doesn't automatically involve CFM/intervention/stress - just a room that looks more like a hospital room than a travelodge.

You can, technically, but if they consider this pregnancy high risk then you need to be under consultant lead care for the sake of your baby. YOU will remember the experience of their birth but they will not. As hard it as it might be for you, you really ned to get more expert guidance on this. I advise you to have a chat with your midwife and see what she says.

What is it that is making you high risk? The previous section?

I had a emcs with DS1 when discussing the DS2's birth (I opted for an elcs) the issue with a vbac was generally around them wanting to monitor me/baby pretty much constantly due to the increased risk of a uterine rupture. Is that the issue? I just wonder if you can identify what the particular issue is perhaps you can discuss it with them further/discuss options.

Discuss with your team what this actually means. I've been classed as 'high risk' and 'consultant lead' since booking in. I've been told now at 28 weeks that if I don't have any other complications between now and delivery I can have a water birth!

You can refuse to be on the consultant led ward but you can't insist on being on the midwife let unit unfortunately. I had the same problem with my now 8 year old and ended up with a very relaxing birth on the consultant unit. I didn't get the pool or the nice rooms that the midwife unit had but everything else was the same. I never saw any Drs and I was able to move around etc. It depends on how high risk you are. With my youngest I was an induced attempted vbac with an infection so I had loads of monitoring, drs, midwives and I wasn't allowed to move.

Consultant led doesn't mean you can't use the midwifery unit. It may be that you see the consultant a few times and they are happy that you are no longer high risk towards the end anyway.

I was consultant led for both of mine. First one I got discharged from the consultant as all was fine.

Second I was consultant led due to baby size till the end but he was happy for me to use the midwife unit if no complications as labour started. In the end I didn't make it to the hospital in time to choose I gave birth as soon as I got the the labour ward!

You can chose not to be consultant led but I'd not worry, see how things go and decide closer to the end what you want to do.

Sorry, yes consultant led because of the previous section (which I get). I'm mad cause of what happened previously (the Labour ward has now been shut down since DS birth due to many deaths of newborns and mothers).

My reason I guess is, I don't deal well being in hospital, I was in hospital a lot as a child due to cancer and as soon as I got there it set me on edge and I feel very panicky.

I had a very traumatic birth experience, I guess if I have to be there I want to feel like I'm at home in a sense? But I don't mind at all if I have to be transfered to consultant ward, atleast I can say I tried and it's upstairs.

I've read all comments, it fills me with a bit of hope so thank you :). Its going to be complicated, I have to be transfered at 20 weeks to another hosital because of my hospital shutting its unit down.

I was consultant led and high risk until 36 weeks, at which point the consultant signed me back to midwife care and they decided that I was now low risk and could use the MLU which I did. So consultant led doesn't automatically cancel out the MLU, it just depends on the reasons

@annlee3817

Ah I see, that's really positive outcome.

So when I talked to this mw today, I said I wanted mw led unit and I was gutted, she just said oh you'll get the best care now.

Maybe it's just best to talk to the consultant when I get my appointment then.

Its AFAIK just the vbac after a section as a issue. I was low risk with the thyroid with DS as it was all good.

Talk to a different midwife I would go to see your consultant and tell them about your anxieties around medicalised situations (which seem completely reasonable) and that you strongly feel - unless there are mechanical or medical issues that you're unaware of that increase risk.

Protocol with a VBAC is often consultant led CFM etc but if it's just because of a c/s for bad luck as opposed to anything else if you speak to a more senior m/w who can make decisions, and esp if your consultant agrees, you may be in luck MLU. (they let me after 2 sections, combo of being very clear that I would refuse CFM anyway, and then finding a progressive consultant midwife.)