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Pregnancy

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

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Original poster

Midwifery staffing crisis

55 replies

Madwife123 · 30/10/2021 21:17

For those of you who are not aware there is currently a huge midwifery staffing crisis in the U.K.

We are losing staff faster than we can train them and almost half of midwives currently in practice are looking for ways out. Sadly myself included.

This means pregnant women are simply not getting the care they deserve. We are desperately trying to fix this and are calling on the government to help tackle this issue before services become completely unsafe.

Please have a look on Facebook for a group called March with Midwives U.K.

Don’t think I’m allowed to post the link sorry. There is a vigil planned which would be great if we can get as many people to join as possible. Or if not then it helps sharing your story of poor care you’ve received, delays in appointments etc. any adverse outcome you have had so we can evidence the effect this is having on women.

Please help us make maternity services safer!

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8dpwoah · 30/10/2021 21:21

I would definitely share my concerns about my care from this time round (NOT the fault of any HCP I had any interaction with-well, maybe one or two but I wouldn't single anyone out anyway- just the circumstances, admin, structure of the care etc). What would you say would be the best avenue to do that to be supportive? It can be hard to get it across to people who don't 'get' it without it sounding like midwife-bashing but I'm sure there's a way to help.

Original poster

Madwife123 · 30/10/2021 21:25

@8dpwoah Go on the Facebook page and there is a thread where they are asking people to share experiences or there is an email address if you would prefer to do it anonymously.

Midwives are well aware that the ‘midwife bashing’ isn’t personal and we are also fed up of the service and having to give substandard care.

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OverByYer · 30/10/2021 21:28

Why are you leaving?

Original poster

Madwife123 · 30/10/2021 21:47

@OverByYer

Why are you leaving?

I’m not YET but I am looking for a way out.

I simply can’t cope anymore. My mental health is shot to pieces.

My children are regularly left waiting at after school club (after it’s closed) as I’ve finished late yet again.

I’m forever having to say I’m sorry but I’ve been called in and have to leave to my partner who is desperate to just spend some time with me.

I hate providing substandard care and knowing I’ve not done a good enough job as it was impossible. Knowing I should have spent more time helping that new mum breastfeed rather than saying just give a top up but I’ve got 11 more visits to get through and I’m already running an hour behind. Plus I promised my child I wouldn’t miss her parents evening again.

And I’m regularly working 10+ hours of unpaid overtime a week so I would actually be earning more working in a job without these expectations.

OP posts:

sleepinglionsroar · 30/10/2021 21:49

The government should allow people to train for free as their second degree too ( is midwifery still a sponsored first degree ?) I think many people after having children would be interested in a career change to become a midwife once their children are older.

And maybe midwifery should be more realistic instead, why do they not advise things like how bloody painful an induction is 😬 and let you have an epidural when you ask for one. Rant over 😂

OverByYer · 30/10/2021 21:52

Sounds dreadful OP

TillyDevon · 30/10/2021 21:54

That sounds so hard OP. I feel for you with it impacting your DC. It’s helpful to know about as I had no idea . A friend of mine trained as a midwife before an injury and has offered to be a doula so maybe I should gratefully ask if she’s really up for it. You do an invaluable job

Original poster

Madwife123 · 30/10/2021 21:56

@sleepinglionsroar The issue isn’t training new midwives. We are training new midwives but did you know to gain 1 midwife in the NHS we have to train 30? As so many leave just after qualifying and existing midwives leave faster than we can train them.

Denying epidurals is linked to the anaesthetist shortage. They are often too busy in A&E, theatre or ICU to come and do it so it’s our jobs to put women off having one. Say it’s fine you can do it. Deny them their choices. I’ve even before been told to ‘pretend’ I’ve called them and hope the patient births before wondering where they are. Again NOT acceptable and not the way we want to be working. It’s time for change!

OP posts:

Original poster

Madwife123 · 30/10/2021 21:58

@TillyDevon Doula’s are worth their weight in gold as they advocate for you when you are too tired and in pain to do so. It’s wrong that women need an advocate or need to fight to get the care they deserve but sadly that’s becoming more normal.

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TillyDevon · 30/10/2021 22:00

This is so enlightening as I wasn’t offered an epidural and helped myself to gas and air as despite inducing me I was left on my own to manage. DS was nearly born in the toilet as I held on for so long hoping someone would come .
That ratio is terrible, what a waste of resources too to lose so many . You must ge so frustrated OP knowing there is such a fundamental problem in working conditions

PeachesPumpkin · 30/10/2021 22:01

I feel for all NHS staff at the moment, GPs are having a terrible time too, it’s not their fault - it’s this rubbish government who don’t provide enough staff for the NHS to function.
They are trying to privatise the NHS but stealth by outsourcing services because the NHS is too understaffed to provide them themselves.

TillyDevon · 30/10/2021 22:02

Thank you, I will be most grateful to my friend If she does want to be doula as she seems passionate about it and misses midwifery I think . It makes such a diffeence to feel safe with someone there

Original poster

Madwife123 · 30/10/2021 22:03

@TillyDevon We have kept quiet for far too long for fear of scaring patients etc. and hoped our union would campaign for us but enough is enough now and midwives are speaking out.

OP posts:

Original poster

Madwife123 · 30/10/2021 22:06

@PeachesPumpkin Agreed. Many of my colleagues in other areas are having the same problems. An 8 hour wait in A&E is now normal. If we don’t stand and fight now we won’t have an NHS to fight for anymore.

Maternity is a ‘loss leader’ in health care also and so we seem to be the bottom of the pecking order. Plus the feminist in me says the men making the decisions don’t care as it doesn’t affect them. The other issue we have is people have crap care, crap births but then they move on and don’t complain as they are busy being a new mum and the experience is over and no longer affecting them. This means the bosses can pretend the patients are happy and everything is just fine. We are well aware it’s not. That’s why we are asking women to share their stories on the Facebook group so we can evidence the impact.

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TillyDevon · 30/10/2021 22:10

I saw the impact as all the other mums on my ward seemed so scarred by their experience and weren’t responding to their babies / one was being told off for not feeding hers as simply traumatised I think . I only kept my head and believed in myself as I’d had a very positive midwife experience abroad with my first who told me to embrace the pain etc (‘like a ship in a storm as waves of pain were carrying me to a safe destination..,!‘ It honestly stayed with me when I needed it again

I am glad you are speaking up .

RT65 · 30/10/2021 22:17

Thank you for sharing, I've been hearing rumblings of concerns around stretching people too far but also the covid vaccine mandate worries me as people are walking out in other countries as a result of that and it look a like it's coming to the UK too.

It makes me wonder what private healthcare options exist, although it's not a long term solution and not everyone can afford it, it may allow those who can't afford it access to care via the NHS by taking some of the pressure off? There don't seem to be many options for private either though. If the midwives you work with banded together to provide private care, I expect there would be demand and maybe you'd have more control over your hours? It's terrible to think of all the skills that are being wasted when there is such a great need (but also understand the need to prioritise your own health... That has to come first).

Hope you find a happier path going forward.

sleepinglionsroar · 30/10/2021 22:18

@Madwife123 that's a crazy amount, but why is that then? Attracting the wrong people for the role ? Just the conditions ? Poor money / family work balance with the shifts ? That's why I was suggesting they open it up more to people with older children to train.

I can't say I was particularly stunned by any of my midwifes, but they did their jobs and I have two children. It could of been better, but I understand it's hard.

Howshouldibehave · 30/10/2021 22:24

It’s dreadful, I agree. I am friends with teachers, nurses, medics and dentists and all are desperate to leave-I can imagine midwifery is no different.

I can’t imagine the government will give much of a shit and will use the NHS ‘failing’ as a reason to privatise it.

Flowersintheattic2021 · 30/10/2021 22:39

Doesn't help when they only take 30.per year group for each uni

custardcream1000 · 30/10/2021 22:45

I lost my perfectly healthy baby boy at 16 weeks. They think it was caused due to a silent uti. I had struggled to recieve any care due to no one answering the community midwife number for 4 weeks and had still not had a scan at the point i lost my son due to staff shortages. If I had, maybe the uti would have been picked up and I would have a newborn baby in my arms now. There is so much more, but I'm just not mentally able to discuss it all.

I don't blame the midwives for this at all. I left the NHS earlier this year for mental health issues caused by the job too, so I have complete empathy for the position you all find yourselves in. I am not on Facebook, but really hope someone takes notice and things improve.

Original poster

Madwife123 · 30/10/2021 22:54

@custardcream1000 I am so so sorry. There are no words 😢

@RT65 The government sneakily got rid of almost all private midwives by making it impossible for them to get insurance to practice. It’s not easy to get private maternity care and it’s generally only those home birthing who can. Almost all women will have to enter an NHS maternity unit at some point. That’s why we need to fight for it.

@Flowersintheattic2021 The problem with taking more student midwives per class is who is going to train them? They need to work alongside qualified midwives for most of their training. There isn’t enough midwives to supervise them! I’ve been on shift where there has been more students than midwives. They are not getting a proper education as it is without adding more!

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NotRainingToday · 30/10/2021 23:27

Wow! Just wow!
My DD is about to apply for a midwifery degree, I'm not sure whether I should show her this thread....
She has great A levels, so could have lots of other options, if it's as bad as it sounds, maybe she should think again.

SouthwestSis · 30/10/2021 23:48

It's the same for all NHS careers at the moment @NotRainingToday,
I'm not sure I could recommend it to anyone if they had great A levels and the world at their feet.

ThisMustBeMyDream · 31/10/2021 00:06

I was invited to that Facebook group. I declined the invite as they are wanting to police language around biological sex/gender.
It's a shame, as otherwise I'd have been behind this as an overworked, overstressed and underpaid midwife.

Original poster

Madwife123 · 31/10/2021 00:27

@ThisMustBeMyDream Yes that annoys me also but I’m biting my tongue in the name of the bigger issue.

Then I’ll scream woman is not a bloody swear word at the top of my lungs!

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