Consultant led pregnancy

[lilmzlisa]

Hi,

I’m 29 weeks with baby number 2. First pregnancy was under Midwife led care and the birth was as absolute dream, however this pregnancy I’m consultant led due to higher BMI (thanks lockdown for the covid stone!). Can you still have an unassisted birth when consultant led or do they push for inductions, forceps etc? I’d really love to have a birth like my first but I’m just worried that because of being consultant led that they are just going to want to jump to an assisted birth straight away.

Does anybody have any experience of being consultant led and still had an unassisted birth?

Thanks!

I was consultant led for a few reasons. Never had any intervention.. Not even any pain relief..

I was consultant led because my first was preterm and had a heart defect. I had no intervention at all. There wouldn't have been time tbf, he popped out 15 minutes after I got there.

My first was super quick and had no time for pain relief etc and it was an absolute dream of a birth in and out with a newborn within 12 hours. Now I know that I can do it without assistance or pain relief then I’d love to be able to do it again, just don’t want to automatically be put on a pain relief plan / have assistance straight away.

Im under consultant this time and her words were that they'll basically leave me alone unless there's something that might need an intervention.

Started my last birth on a midwife led unit and found it horribly overrated

Consultant led just means you'll have a few appointments with a consultant during your pregnancy to make sure alls okay.

They do this for lots of reasons - age, weight, health issues - there's a slightly higher risk of complications so it's just to monitor you a little more closely.

Hoping alls good it'll go just as well as your first. Congratulations btw

It depends on the reasons for consultant led care. For BMI then no they would have no cause to push for any interventions, other than growth scans (depending on what your bmi is).
I’m a midwife and support women with a raised bmi all the time, many of them have lovely, straightforward births (even at home often!) and those that do have intervention isn’t solely down to their bmi.

I’ve been consultant led with all 3 of my pregnancies, it just means that you get extra checkups through pregnancy with the consultants.

They’re only going to push for interventions if something’s not going smoothly and there’s an actual clinical need for it.

On my 4th consultant led pregnancy, 1st was midwife led.
I had natural unassisted births with the 1st 2, both singletons on the large side with polyhydramnios. 3rd were twins that ended up breech so had an elcs. I have the choice to go vbac or elcs this time and the consultants have not put any pressure on me to go either way. Biggest difference is you have appointments at hospital and the waiting can be a killer, I waited over 3 hours to see the doctor last week (my spd hips were not happy about it).

With my last dc I needed an emcs due to 2 blood clots being found and spotting. My consultant pushed my in a wheelchair to theatre.! His driving was diabolical but the staff were impressed he was so diligent with his patient!!

I had one appointment with a registrar when I was referred to the consultant due to BMI. I was discharged back to midwife led care after that appointment. As a PP said, it's really just to keep a closer eye on you and baby as you're slightly at more risk of complications. If your pregnancy is otherwise normal, there's no reason you can't have an unassisted birth.

I’m consultant led due to high BMI this time too. I’m desperate to have the pool in the midwife led unit this time as with my first I was in and out within 6 hours. I’ve only had one telephone appointment with the consultant so far and he said he would be happy for me to have the same as previous should all go well (I weigh 2 stone less now in this pregnancy than I did in my first) but I’m worried they will turn me away!