Contrasting style of midwifery

Contrasting my experiences with labour 1 & 2

Labour 1 - Midwives staring at monitor.
Labour 2 - Midwives sitting in the next room, giving us space.

I say I can't do it:
Midwife 1 - Do you want an epidural? What about some gas?
Midwife 2 - You're doing wonderfully. Your baby is going to be born today.

I'm distressed:
Midwife 1 - Are you sure you don't want an epidural?
Midwife 2 - Just breathe through it, that's the way. You're doing brilliantly.

My baby's heartrate shows signs of distress:
Midwife 1 - Just lie still and wait for the doctor [getting the forceps]
Midwife 2 - [Takes me by the hand, looks me in the eye] MadB, you need to breathe through it and calm down. You're distressed and that's making your baby distressed.

OB wants to intervene with instrument delivery:
Midwife 1 - see above
Midwife 2 - The heartrate's stabilising, I think we can give it a bit more time. What do you think MadB? Can you give it a bit more?

Your support team is so pivotal aren't they? First labour I had a couple of unsupportive midwives. Rolling their eyes, wanting to hurry things along. I was glad to have my OB on my side telling the midwives what I wanted. And i am fortunate enough to be able to speak my mind.
Second time around I made sure I told them very clearly I wanted an intervention free birth and they assigned two gorgeous supportive midwives.

Fingers crossed I manage to get good midwives this time. :)

That's the main reason we have an IM. We were assigned great hospital midwives but it was a bit of pot luck. I respect the need for good OBs when necessary, but it's the midwives that set the environment and hopefully provide most of the support. Having our own means I dont have to worry much about that side of things.

It certainly was a learning experienced. Unfortunately speaking up for yourself doesn't always work. We'll probably have to go to hospital in future, but I will definitely be looking to take my own middie with me too :)

Oh wow. What a brilliant illustration of why the people around you are so important.