The Midwives: Tonight BBC1 9pm

[TaggieMandevilleBlack]

Anyone planning to see if BBC can be better for the blood pressure than OBEM?

It's a series. 6 episodes I think.

I didn't like it, i know it was more "warts n all" but i want happy endings, or at least i want to know that there was positive outcomes - i didn't feel there was any real closure on the babies that had problems. I think it is rubbish to have a program where it was all problematic, i think that is horrible and worrying for pregnant women to watch. I am as hard as nails but i wont be watching again as i cried out of worry for the couples not out of joy of the new lives, if that makes sense.

Blimey, scary! I begin my midwifery degree in 6 weeks, the pressure looks intense. I knew it would be hard work and emotionally draining but maybe not that much

I liked this much more than OBEM, as the name says its about the midwives not about the birth. Its about their reality and feelings not just a few brief interviews on how 'amazing' it all is and that they do like a teacake. Its meant to be from their point of view, its called Midwives.

The older blonde midwife (Jill?) is my kind of midwife. She did seem harsh at the triage bit but when the woman told her she really couldn't cope anymore she did admit her, it all turned out alright in the end.

She is the kind of midwife I would of liked, someone upfront, honest and with loads of experience. I like that she seems to encourage the women to test their own capabilities. I think she did a great job.

the blond midwife at the start was nasty to that poor woman she knew what her body was doing and yet she was told to got home ! the same thing happened to me with my 3rd baby i was told to go home and yet i was in so much pain,i threw a strop and they put me in the antenatal ward ,an hour later i was checked and i was 7cm ,they took me to delivery and a 30 minutes later with 2 pushes my son came out with his waters ,good job i didnt listen to them and a good job that lady knew her baby was coming.

although she did redeem herself with the delivery she assisted later on in the programme

I didn't see the start of the programme so missed the triage bit where the midwife told the woman she wasn't in labour.

However just wanted to point out that local policy can be so restrictive its untrue. We have to assess vaginally to see if a woman's in labour, if she's not 4cm dilated she ain't in labour. If she's not in labour she's not allowed to remain on the labour ward and isn't allowed drugs.

The rules are in place due to bed shortages and trying to keep beds available for women in more established labour. I could try to plead with sister that I've got a multip who ought to be allowed to stay, etc. hopefully a lot of the time that would happen, but if we're busy I can't guarantee it.

I would imagine a lot of maternity units are under bed pressure due to the sharp rise in birth numbers. Unfortunately the govt aren't increasing funding, in fact they're decreasing it. Many maternity units are having to make savings running into over £1million per year. If there aren't the beds, the govt aren't building the new, bigger units we need then this is the sort of thing that happens. Women who could do with support are told to go home because they don't tick the textbook box of being in labour and midwives are losing their autonomy to make a judgement call.

I hope all the series is in Manchester - then I can play midwife bingo, I've already spotted a couple of my midwifes from last year as well as my current community midwife, who delivered one of the babies on the programme.

If I wasnt pregnant there would also be bonus drinks everytime they said the word "ladies", but maybe I could substitute a piece of chocolate instead!

An example of what Viva said is this; at the uni I'm starting at there are 300 adult nursing places per year, only 70 for midwifery degrees. I looked at the expected number of midwifery leavers for the nhs trusts we have our placements at (retirement and general other reasons) and the estimate is around100 per year. The birth rate round here is rising higher than the national increases :(

Unfortunately it seems to be standard practice for mws to refer to women as 'ladies', not sure why, I suppose to avoid calling them 'patients'- personally I would prefer 'women' or 'mothers' but some people seem to find 'women' rude- and I have been told they are not 'mothers' until baby is born (st mw here)
regarding the triage and being sent home- unless you have good reason to think you will labour fast (as the woman in the programme had, IMO)- you are better off at home where you can distract yourself, keep rested and fed, than in hospital- the chance of interventions is higher if you are admitted before 4cms.

I say "women". An anaethetist told me off once and said it was rude and I should say "ladies". I told him to shut up and hurry up putting the epidural in and go away.

you are braver than me!
have already been told several times I should keep my opinions to myself, so now I do mostly!

I watched last night. I really liked that it wasn't like obem. Am rather envious of all the mws / student mws on here. Would love to have been a mw if I could have my time over again. Not sure how I would stop myself from crying in front of the mothers tho, that poor baby who had swallowed meconium really made me worry. Can't wait for next week!

Another student mw here, I thought the programme was a lot more realistic than obem. More midwives are desperately needed call I ask you all to sign this petition so the shortage of mws can be debated in parliament it's still needs over 30,000 signatures.
<a class="break-all" href="http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/13716?epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/13716" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/13716?epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/13716

Shalli - when you're a battleaxe senior m/w you can tell the Drs to do one! I don't take kindly to Drs telling me how to talk to women and have no hesitation in telling them not to tell me how to do my job.

looking forward to that, but will have to get a job first
(not to mention qualify )

I'm a student MW too and I say women. I hate ladiiiieez. Sometimes it come across a bit weird though - I refuse to say patients but clients sounds a bit twattish so I end up referring to 'one of my women' or some such thing and sound like I'm the overseer of a harem...

'I would want a midwife who took me seriously when I said I was in pain and didn't send me away to take 2 paracetamol when I was in labour and asking for help hmm'

I agree she is not triage material.

I actually like Ladies, gives me a sense of dignity where being pregnant can rob you of it. especially if you're hoo-ha is being examined, urine samples etc.

I have no problem with 'ladies' whatsoever.Why do people dislike the term?

How do you know though when you're more than 4cm dilated?! (pregnant with first here!) It's all very well saying stay at home until you're ready to pop, but how do you know?!

would like to know having just watched this if any disciplinary action has been taken against triage midwife for neglect of duty.

Careergirl - she examined the mother and at that point the mother didn't appear to be in active labour. As the midwife said - they prioritise safety on the ward, and having no rooms or midwives available because there are too many women admitted in early labour, puts other mothers and babies at risk.

I think it was a reasonable call to refuse to admit the woman, and to offer her two paracetamol. I don't think that midwife was in any way at fault. What is at fault is a system of maternity care where no ROUTINE provision is made to support women in early labour.

I loved the programme. Loved the midwives - in my opinion they were all absolutely fantastic.

Sorry - meant to add, I'm glad the programme talked about bereavement. We don't acknowledge enough that some babies don't make it. OBEM shows babies needing special care, but it always has a happy ending. This program acknowledged that sometimes there is a sad outcome, even if all the births shown ended with a well baby (eventually).

the way in which she spoke to patients was vile.