how do I get the birthplace I want?

[fao]

I am consultant led, for no reason other than bmi and age. 4th baby and have had previous deliveries naturally and with no complications. I really really want a water birth in the midwife unit, but I suspect the Hosp are going to refuse me, and force me to give birth on the labour ward. Just because they have labeled me as high risk, just based on age and weight. I'm not a whale ffs. I'm fit and healthy and have had no pregnancy problems.

I am concerned that the labour rooms don't have floor mats or flexible facilities, that will mean I have to be on my back in bed. I was forced to do this for my first baby, and NEVER again. I know from experience that I need to be mobile to manage pain and not stuck on my back. If this happens, then it's more likely I will have intervention, instruments and maybe even CS. There is no reason so far in this pregnancy to justify anything other than a natural birth with minimum interference.

I feel like telling the Hosp that I will have a home birth if they prevent me access to the midwife unit. I feel so strongly about this, that I would turn around and go back home if I arrived in labour and they said this.

My house is not big enough for a birth pool, and I don't fancy the mess, otherwise I would plan a homebirth now.

I am so cross with being labeled, and having my birth choices limited, just because of statistics rather than individual clinical decisions. Stupid consultant also told me I would be routinely induced at 38 weeks. Not bloody likely I said, not without a clinically justified reason. She quoted gov guidelines, and I looked them up. They said the opposite, ie don't induce unless absolutely necessary. She wrote all over my notes that I could have a stillbirth, just because I won't do it her way and I pissed her off by arguing with her. If I was induced without good reason, again there is more chance labour would be too rapid, more intervention, cut me open etc. I hate this consultant and dreading seeing her next week.

Any ideas how I should deal with this? I don't want to appear stubborn or irrational, I just want a natural birth in a pool with midwives, not doctors and their forceps and knives. Why is this so much to ask?

Surely, so long as doctors are on hand if something goes wrong, then I don't need them involved if all ok, or telling me where I can give birth in the building, and what facilities I can use? This is really stressing me out now.

 

[JoeyClare]

Is your birth centre attached to your hospital? If it's stand alone then there won't be doctors on hand. I know the feeling about not being able to give birth where you wanted. I was down for a water birth at my local centre when I got preeclampsia and was consultant led.

From what I've read there it isn't just the consultant that's the problem. Many birth centres will refuse to treat you if you're a certain age, so even if you can get your consultant to agree, there's a good chance the birth centre would refuse you anyway. Maybe ring the centre and ask if they have guidelines on age and see where they stand. I have heard about people who have been consultant led from the word go, had a problem free pregnancy and changed to low risk. Maybe something you could discuss with your consultant. Good luck!

 

[fao]

Yes, the birth centre is actually in the hospital, literally down the corridor from the labour ward.

I will try and persuade them to reassess me as low risk, but since I'm only high risk due to two factors, age and weight, those haven't changed! I have lost a little weight during the pregnancy but i have heard that they won't consider this, only my booking bmi. From the attitude of the consultant at my first appointment, I am just really pessimistic about them changing their mind about anything. I know I can refuse anything I want, eg induction, but I cannot insist on the birthing unit. Or can I? So frustrating!

 

[kanga86]

Hey fao, I was high risk due to my bmi when pregnant with my son, no other reason. I was under consultant care and had extra growth scans. When it came to my last consultant appts I said would there be any problems with me going on the midwife keep unit, and I had my midwives backing, because I had had no complications what so ever during the pregnancy (other than Hypermesis and spd). He said it was ultimately my choice, and didn't see the problem.

Unfortunately I ended up on the labour ward due to being diagnosed with Group B Strep at 39 weeks, and had an emergency c section, but not because of my weight xx

 

[Jojo84]

i wrote a reply to tis last night but it got eaten up before it posted but ill try to recreate it

i HATE being put in boxes.

Im high risk due to my bmi and nothing else. Im healthy, with near perfect BP and i passed both GTT tests with flying colours - my first consaultant appointment left me in tears for about two weeks as all the registrar went on about was my weight and the fact id put my baby at risk, would get blood clots, preeclampsia and GD. they said my baby would be induced at 37 weeks as it would be too big or small!

i have none of these issues!

I have strepB - diagnsoed at week 14 and have now been diagnosed with oligohydramnios (posh name for too little fluid) and so may end up ebign induced next week if its not gone up and even then its not out of the question.

I dont think they would allow you to have a home birth due to high risk status. its not right buit its the way policy is.

I dont see why you cant have a water birth though! theyre allowing me tp use water for relaxation but i cant give birth in the water which i didbnt want to anyway.

I was told they advise against boirthing on your back. i intend to birth either standing or on my knees and i have been told this is no problem at all! they dont have a birthing ball but if i have time to arange it (i.e if i get an induction date) im considering taking my own ball...

write yourself a wish-list birthing plan and discuss it with your consultant and ask them to be hoinest about what you cant have and why and ask them to fully explain why it is you are being denied a choice in how you are cared for. ask them why they do not work in a person centred way as that is where all of the health care and support policies are outlining as important factors to a biopsychosocial way of caring.

it should tonguetie them a bit but they need to give you answers.

 

[fao]

Thanks Kanga for sharing your experience, and Jo for your advice. You are right, and I may have to stick to my guns. Lets hope the rest of my pregnancy is trouble free, or all my good arguments go out the window.

Actually, I am allowed a home birth, partly because they cannot stop me, and also my mw said it is my choice where I give birth, unless I am using NHS facilities on an nhs site! Basically they cannot refuse to send a mw out to me if I call them whilst in labour, that would be negligent, but I can imagine the emotional blackmail they would try on me. The mws are ok with me choosing, it is just the damn consultant, and the mws can't go against the consultant, because as we all know, doctors are gods

I will try to get the word biopsychosocial in to my appointment somehow, lol. Off to find a dictionary......

 

[Jojo84]

Look up biopsychosocial model on a health psychology site. Also interesting read for childbirth is the gate control theory to pain

Biopsychosocial is all about the theory that treating a person taking sociological psychological and biological factors is the best way to get a person the best treatment for contentment

I once nlecn Managed to bring up Maslows hierarchy if need into it too... They hate me lol

 

[Sproglett]

Fao it's horrendous isn't it! I totally understand where you are coming from with birthing on your back, completely monitored, as you know my DS was early so that was a good enough reason for them to do this for his birth, also my waters were far from clear as they were full of blood.

I ideally wanted a water birth for this one and my hospital have birthing pools on the midwife led unit as well as the consultant led unit, but my chances of that are very slim. The reasons for staying under consultant and potentially not having a water birth are...
Previous losses
Premmie son
Son had ABO incompatibility which caused severe jaundice and he had intense phototherapy to stop him having a blood transfusion
Sons heart disease
Group b strep
Think they're the main ones, although as long as this one is not early and my waters are clear none of the other things would be any more dangerous in or out of water as either way if I need intervention, I need intervention!

 

[fao]

I see what you mean,Sprog. The thing is, you should not be prevented from having a water birth if that is what you want, because as you say, if they need to step in to assist in any way, then that is what they will do, whether it means getting you out of the birth pool or not. I think they just like the convenience of access to your nether bits on a bed, without any thought about the risks of longer more difficult labour and higher chance of unnecessary intervention.

so long as all is going well, and you are healthy etc, they should let you do what you want in labour. Of course a serious concern or problem needs to be dealt with, but let's hope nothing like that happens.

Update however, I got +2 sugar in my urine today and now freaking out about GD, so all my hopes about natural labour are fast diminishing. I posted a thread about it. So frustrated and worried now, not about me and baby, I know we will be fine, but more stressing about medicalisation and unnecessary intervention. GTT test next week will shed more light.

 

[kanga86]

I got sugars in my urine on and off, especially if I had eaten something sweet the night before the test, like chocolate cake lol I passed my GTT with flying colours still though xx

 

[Sproglett]

Fingers crossed for your GTT. I had it with my DS (I gained loads of weight etc) but it came back clear. Everything crossed for you x


Oh yeah another thing I have got to be in antibiotics in labour which is another reason for not being allowed a water birth (this is due to having group b strep earlier on in pregnancy as I mentioned)

 

[fao]

thanks sprog. just out of interest how come were you diagnosed with the infection if they don't routinely test for it? (I looked it up) I had never heard of it before. bummer about being on a drip during labour though. should I be worried about having this too, or should I stop being ridiculous? I hope you don't experience the same traumas this time round.

thanks Kanga too. I think I need some reassurance!

I hope I don't come across as a bit selfish, wanting the labour I know I can cope with, as obviously it is the baby's health that is the most important thing. I just feel that I need some control during the process and not having doctors tell me what to do and blackmailing me with horrible consequences if I don't do what they say. if what they say is for the genuine best for baby, then of course I will follow the advice, but if it is for statistics and their convenience and protocols, without them thinking about how it directly applies to me, then no. I think I may just have a problem with authority and being put in a box, lol. I feel like I have done this a few times before (given birth), and they should just trust me to know what is right for me and my baby.

I realise I am still ranting.... i think i need to get over myself

 

[Sproglett]

I don't have a clue lol, I think they found something in my urine at 12w, so sent it off for testing and that's what came back, could be wrong though, I hair got told lol. The Issue is even though I got treated for it etc, it's contagious to baby during labour.

I feel like at times a section would be so much safer for baby and me than anything else...

No birth plan disappointments (not getting what I expect on the day)

Not so many heart worries for baby (my DS was scanned for heart disease during pregnancy and it wasn't picked up till he was here)

No passing of group b strep/no need for antibiotics in labour (or for baby to be put in 48hrs of antibiotics if I don't have a Lon enough labour)

Set a birthing date (if I get far enough this time lol)

 

[kanga86]

I plan on having a group b strep test done privately at 38-39weeks as it's a bacteria that can come and go. I think the antibiotics I had in labour for it was the cause of Harry becoming distressed as everything was fine before they started it. So I may not even be infected with it now or at the time of birth.

Sproglett have you thought about being retested for it? If it comes back clear, then that's one less worry for labour? xx

 

[Sproglett]

I will definitely ask kanga thanks hunny x