Would you give birth in a midwifery led unit?

[Devon]

To be honest, I feel much more comfortable having an obstetrician and being in a hospital. I tend to worry excessively about worst case scenarios, so I want to know that if things do go wrong, my baby and I will have the best possible care.

That's just my personal feeling at the moment, and having never given birth it's not based on experience. I am concerned about unnecessary intervention, but am hoping to engage a doula as support, hopefully to provide some kind of balance to the disadvantages of the hospital system.

[Mumma2three]

I went through team midwives last time and was SOOOOOOOO happy. I would've done it again in a heart beat except the hospital (only one close to me ) has decided a) I live out of area... (this is ridiculous) but they will still "let " me go there but I have to be out of hospital by no later than 24 hours after bub arrives, with NO follow on midwife support or visits. b) they aren't doing "team" anymore, just one midwife per person. I personally LOVED getting to know the 6 different midwives and c) the hospital has had a fair bit of bad press about the maternity unit, so Im over it. The ONLY other place I can find is private. I tried the two other public hospitals and I was out of area for both.
Very disappointed.
The team midwife program was truly awesome. I am hoping my Ob misses the birth and I get a lovely midwife instead!!!!!!!!

[Shanti]

YES! Midwife care for me too....

[The hawk]

Speaking as the DH of someone who have had two CS both classed as "emergency" the birthing centre is pretty much out the window.

For others who have been there and done that, it may be a very reasonable option, but scare tatics aside, "what if". Sure you can't live in "what if" world, but I think it needs to at least be a consideration in your plans.

Do you consider how far the hospital and full medical assistance is away from the birthing centre?
How close is close enough?

Is their on standby emergency transport available or are you waiting for an ambulance?

Is the hospital notified of upcoming births so they are aware of what is happening? (or could become an emergency, however unlikely it may be)

[Smoke Jaguar]

I want to go a step further next time and have midwives at home
Having done the FBC at Angliss, I can recommend them...one of them does homebirths
As for the 24 hr discharge - if you listen carefully, they don't spell it out but it IS there...if you insist that you need more time in the FBC, they can organise either an extra night or two if they have space, or they'll transfer you to the maternity ward for lodgings. Generally, I find that women who go to the FBC just want to get the hell home anyway. I know I did. In fact, I didn't want to leave home to birth and next time, I won't!

[Nelle]

I had my first in the Angliss FBC (DD, it's brilliant), my second was born at home (not planned!) and I would have a midwife led birth again without a second thought! I felt so confident and was able to focus without interruptions. I go into a 'zone' when birthing and the midwives just let me be. Brilliant.

I am devastated that I'm not allowed to return to the FBC because of haemorrhaging, and am very very apprehensive about having an obstetrician involved in any future births. I will be looking for an ob who respects my decisions, and won't dictate my birth and care to me.

ETA:

one of them does homebirths

Really? Who?!

[~me~]

I voted undecided. I have two boys and both through and O&G who took fantastic care of me. I have yet to go into labour myself and have both times been induced as I have been 10days over. I am a bit of wimp when it comes to the pain and had an epidural for both boys, I nearly made it all the way with my second but just couldn't . I would choose a midwife if I had pain relief options such as epidural as gas just makes me sick and pethidine (only had it for my first one) makes me feel light headed and not in control.
I would love to have a third and would at this stage would still go through my O&G. The midwives in Frances Perry were fantastic during the births of both my boys(one of the midwives was there for my first and second!) so I suppose I had the best of both worlds really anwyay.


Heather

[Phteven]

I voted no. I would like to see government funded homebirth for those who want it but for myself after 2 crappy births (one of which ended in a c-section despite having an active labour with totally supportive midwives), if I were to birth again, I would want a surgeon on hand just in case.
We have no plans for number 3 so hopefully I'll never have to go through it again lol.

[LotusFlower]

We paid for an OB and he missed the birth!

Ditto!
And because I had such extensive tearing from the first birth (required reconstructive surgery) I'll now have to have a c-section next time. If that wasn't the case, I'd happily to midwife led care as long as there was a hospital nearby if needed.

[TreeTops]

I'm going public because I want to avoid the high intervention rates with Obs (amongst other reasons). I'm crossing my fingers that I'll get into the Birth Centre which is attached to the hospital....and be able to birth there (ie not too early, too late, and no high risk problems developed in the meantime).

[~kaos~]

YES YES YES to midwifery care.....

I find it very interesting that the quote came from an OB. I'd be interested to read that study, see what their sample size was and how they were chosen for the study and what information they were provided with. If it was just "would you rather a midwife or OB?" and the participants had no knowledge of what it means to be given pregnancy and birth care by midwives, of course they are going to choose an OB because that is unfortunately the social norm....

[Haydies]

How many women did they poll? 10? Where did they do it? Woop woop?

After my first experience in a hospital environment, they're going to have to chase me from out in the fields before I go back for a second try. Course, that probably wouldn't surprise you Kelly. I don't remember any Midwives giving me guilt trips that my baby would die because I wasn't doing what the Dr's wanted...

[Wrys]

I chose undecided. I woul love to have just the midwife present and skip the whole dr bit, but both my pregnancies have had their complications that went totally out of the midwives control. So Id still like the dr to be part aswell... thats a tricky one

[silkymist]

I wouldn't even consider a midwife, in my circumstances. Ob and hospital all the way.

However, for people who have trouble free pregnancies, it must be a wonderful, feeling more in control option.

Julz

[erinlynda]

Midwives are amazing! Wouldn't have it any other way. Saw a doctor (GP) only once during my pregnancy to confirm that I was pregnant. That was it!

[rosehannah]

I picked midwife care, if I had been asked this question when I was having my first bub then the answer would have been different, now with more confidence in my own ability to give birth,( having done it three times) I know that in my birthing room an OB would only be permitted to watch and learn.

[La pachamama]

I think it is in the interests of obstetricians that women aren't told they have a choice when it comes to birthing!

Midwifery led birthing all the way for me. I also believe independent midwifes should be included in Medicare, similar to the UK and NZ systems!

[BellyBelly]

The Angliss is the best birth centre in Melbourne, several independent midwives work there and they have the lowest transfer rate of all three birth centres (and what was four, thanks RWH). At the Angliss FBC, they know how to work it. They also offer waterbirth.