1st baby - midwife led or hospital?

[roarfeckingroar]

Hi everyone,

I'm early on with my first pregnancy. I'm 31, no health conditions or high risk factors, healthy weight and exercise (new to this - apologies if it isn't relevant but I've seen lots of mentions of BMI).

I've been advised to self refer and the options seem to be the hospital or the birthing centre. Where I am, the nearest two are next door so I assume if something went wrong I could be moved to the hospital from the birthing unit? On the flip side, I always thought I would opt for a Caesarian because there seems to be such a prevalence of tearing then poor after care for women in the UK.

Any advice would be hugely welcomed.

Apologies for silly questions - all seems a bit surreal

Well you don't own the thread and not everyone appreciates the initial thoughts or the subsequent replies.

Its an open opinion forum - people give their opinions, people reply with theirs. If anything, its absolutely in the spirit of MN.

We just all agree, its not a pile on.

In my area if you need more than the 2 standard scans (e.g if you need a growth scan and they are very common) then you're not allowed on the birthing centre - even if the scan was a false alarm and everything was fine all along.

Hopefully you'll get to give birth exactly where you want but just wanted to warn you the decision may not be yours even if you're healthy and low risk etc.

^ oh yeah - this. Ive just had a growth scan because its due to be a big baby. Otherwise everything is very healthy and normal. Im now booked in with a consultant - I get the impression the alongside birthing centre is going out the window.

This is exactly why I haven't made a birth plan.

piling on really isn't in the spirit of the thread or Mumsnet.

You must be new here.

Haven't read the full thread, but just in case no one has linked to it:

www.which.co.uk/reviews/birthing-options/article/where-to-give-birth

Answer the questions and it gives you an answer as to which option best suits you based on your answers.

Midwife led all the way! Especially as they are next to eachother, and I had to be transferred to hospital in the end so it wasn't all roses. The environment was so much better though, and I did really enjoy my labour until she got stuck and I needed intervention.

My only comments here are please be aware you can’t really just say I’m opting for a section. You will have to fight to get one if you are having a normal, healthy pregnancy. Technically you should get a choice but it doesn’t really work like that in reality! They do not want to do major abdominal surgery unless necessary. Which is fairly reasonable. Def worth understanding that now. Sections are also a lot more costly to the NHS, so they don’t just hand them out!

My baby is breech & I’ve been told more than once to consider a vaginal delivery as am I sure I want a section etc etc.. no thanks, I’d rather not deliver the feet first as she’s currently presenting! Just today a midwife rolled her eyes at me when I said I’d opted for a section

Well this is fun

To everyone who works in healthcare, would you say opting for a private birth is worth it financially? I could afford it by making some cut backs but does it make a big difference?

Id say look into what is exactly offered for private labouring in your area. It differs depending on the hospital.

I personally think the difference lies in the post natal care if you have to stay for any length of time.

Also, be aware you can pay for a private room on some NHS wards if you need to stay. So is it the privacy you want? The one to one midwife care? I think if you answer these questions you'll find a good plan for you.

Thank you @Letsallscreamatthesistene

@roarfeckingroar I think pp is very wise suggesting that you should identify exactly what you are looking for in order to work out the answer to “is private care worth it”.
Are you looking for a hotel-style environment? One to one continuous midwifery care? Do you want to choose who the midwife is who cares for you? A consultant obstetrician present even if no medical intervention is needed? Do you want a single room rather than sharing a ward after the birth?
There are so many answers to these questions - totally depending on what is important for you. You then need to work out whether you need to look at an actual private hospital (eg Portland) or a perhaps paying for extras whilst at an NHS hospital (eg a private midwife of your choosing with you throughout, or a single room etc) Lots to think about!

From what I've seen at my trust, not really.

Private births are done in the same rooms as NHS patients. All the equipment used and the staff are exactly the same as well. Post natally there's a choice of private rooms ranging from £112-£450 per night (you can only pre-book the £450 room, all others need to be requested post birth, so no guarantee). Otherwise, you see the same consultant antenatally and during labour. I don't know about the midwifery care on the private side.

I wanted to go to the birthing centre for the 1 to 1 support but my contractions were too painful so I went to hospital and had such good care. I had an epidural in the end but the care I got in the hospital was amazing. I would 100% choose hospital next time as everything is there ready for every scenario.

@roarfeckingroar where abouts in London are you and when are you due? Am south London, also wrestled with private/NHS question but I think we’ve chosen NHS at St Thomas’. Am a bit further on than you at 18 weeks, but am the same/similar age (nearly 33) - be nice to have a buddy!

Sorry I also meant to say it’s my first baby too.

@helloviroids did you ever post on the "just shagging" threads?! Your username makes me wonder!

@NameChange30 that’s where I got it from but I think I just lurked on those - I was too obsessed with OPKs etc to be a good “just shag”-er

Ah i haven't seen any posts by just shaggers for AGES! I looked again when TTC DC2 but sadly the threads had died out. I posted back in 2016 (when TTC and pg with DC1). I guess you must have been trying for a while... congrats on your pregnancy.

To everyone who works in healthcare, would you say opting for a private birth is worth it financially?

There's a book out entitled, 'This is going to hurt'. It's the summarised and edited diary of a doctor over about eight years. Within it, he answers this question with a resounding no, both financially and for safety reasons. Worth a read, but if you're suffering from pre-natal anxiety I'd give it a miss for now.

I will be having a ELCS at a NHS hospital or private .

Absolutely zero chance I'd have a vaginal , slight Toko and a lot of research - it's the right choice for me .

www.newscientist.com/article/mg23130813-000-uk-doctors-may-starting-warning-women-of-childbirth-risks/

I had an EMCS (including kidney failure and extremely high blood pressure although I’ve always had low) after 30 hours of labour and was still shoved on a busy award after. Don’t count on a c-section for special treatment. After the emergency section I didn’t even have the strength to hold my baby. I’d always go private if affordable but that will always be out of my reach.

Nevertheless, I’m considering a planned section next time but I’d try and avoid it unless needed.

They are offering home births now. That's something to consider.

I've been through one of each type of delivery. Vaginally and section. My section went perfect but my vaginal didn't, however I struggled more post partum after having a section (that was with my 2nd baby) than I did having vaginal with intervention - ventouse and episiotomy then had a major post partum haemorrhage shortly after birth with my 1st baby. My instrumental delivery wasn't because I was lazy or exhausted it was because he was stuck in the birth canal as he was trying to come out face up.

However if I could promise a vaginal delivery without complications like a pph then I'd go through vaginal every single time now I've experienced a section. No one argued with me about me having a section. But I think ptsd and wanting it to be the safest possible delivery for me was a good enough reason.

Try the Positive Birth Company online course - it is so informative and massively helped me with my second birth (and made me realise all the mistakes I made with my first!). It might help you decide where you'll feel most comfortable giving birth.