Kate - do you know if your MIL found him to be fairly hands off? I am not interested in having him there if he will insist on internal examinations etc... I am very keen to hear anythin your MIL might have mentioned!!

But I get the feeling he will pretty much stand back and let it happen? I just checked his bio, over 5,000 births wow!

Leasha the question re. providing shared care is a really good one. Basically he said that his insurers will not allow him to be part of the shared care if he knowingly then allows the woman to birth without any medical support people (of course, insurers do not recognise midwives!). Basically, he would be liable if anything went wrong at the birth.

He is working hard to change this - he is in full support of midwives in private practice. He is happy for me to go either way - with him or without him.

I am curious as to what the advantages might be of having him there... I think I need to ask him about what he sees as the advantages, and also ask Jan what she sees as the disadvantages. They do work together all the time!