Lack of information being given to share care patients

im going to be a first time young mum - im 28 - 29 wks preg and im a high risk preg ( 3 prev misscarriages at various stages ) & in remission from cancer only months prior to falling preg .
I live in tassie and im an hour from the maternity hospital , midwifery and anti natal . ive stated antinatal classes but not getting a lot from them , my 3 pregnancy books havnt already told me weeks ago.
im feeling a little frustrated in regards to the impending birth because i have gd i was told that a c sect will most likly take place . but thats as far as they went . no one has talked about birth and birthing practises at the hospital and what options i have avaliable to me . its a public hospital and i feel like im getting more sence and responce out of my babys foot kicking me when i talk to her & the belly. i deal with my gp not the midwives shared care and wondering if this is half my prob? where can i get the information i want to ease my fears .

Hi. GD is not a reason for a c-section, don't let them force you into that. They will try to tell you that your baby will be huge due to the GD but if your sugar levels are controlled then she will be well within the range of normal. You will probably be pressured to induce at 38 weeks. It is up to you whether you agree to that or decide to wait. Maybe give the midwives a ring and ask everything you want to know.

i do shared care as well due to being an hour away from the hospital where i will have baby

I also have GD. I posted to you in another thread :)

Gd is def not a reason for a c.s yes I am going to be having my 3rd but the last one and this one are elective

I just ask questions when I feel the need to. i did feel a little fobbed off at my last appointment as i saw the head Dr at the hosp. he checked BP my BSL book and then felt baby and listend to heart and that was that.. said good bye and walked out. i wanted to ask more but he was busy I guess.. I have an appointment with my GP next week so will ask her the questions as she is great and always has the time...

anyways.. ask for a scan closer to your due date. around 36 weeks to get an estimate of the baby's size and go from there..

I agree, gestational diabetes is absolutely not a good indication for a caeserean section. You can search on the internet or get some more books to educate yourself regarding the relative risks and benefits of caeserean or induction as opposed to a natural labour and birth, if this is the direction you'd like to go. But as pointed out, if your sugars are well controlled, you can expect a baby that is only slightly larger than normal.

GPs are not pregnancy experts - they are the proverbial "jack of all trades" and while some might take a special interest in pregnancy care, it sounds as if yours does not. The experts on pregnancy care are midwives or obstetricians. Midwives specialise in the normal birth process, and should be your first "port of call", and obstetricians specialise in surgical interventions, and can answer questions specifically related to your "high risk" factors.

If you are having trouble getting the information you would like, call your antenatal clinic at your booking hospital and ask to make an appointment to see the clinic midwives for one of your appointments instead of your GP. This is different to an antenatal class. At a clinic appointment, they will do all of the things your GP would do at an appointment, but hopefully have a lot more time to discuss your questions, concerns, or fears.

Another option might be to seek out an independent midwife. You wouldn't necessarily need to retain an independent midwife for the birth; I know with our practice, we offer antenatal education packages where the midwife gives a thorough, non-biased take on all of your pregnancy, labour, and birth options. Depending on your financial situation, you might be able to arrange for a series of classes, or maybe even a one-off visit with an independent midwife at their casual call rate, to discuss your options.


Hope this helps.

Cheryle, you may also like to ask the midwives if there are any other share care GPs in your local area. The hospital that I go to had a list of available share care doctors - perhaps there is a doctor that is willing to spend a little more time with you.

Don't be afraid to ask many questions about your birth options - the midwives that I've seen (as a low risk patient in a very busy public hospital) have been very generous with their time in answering my specific questions. Antenatal classes are good for getting generic information, but are not very useful for people who don't fit the norm (and can be really boring for those who do other research elsewhere). If you tell them that you'd like to try for a vaginal or natural delivery if possible and ask what can be done to facilitate this, they might be more forthcoming with information.

Wishing you the best of luck!

Have you read my sticky threads in the pregnancy medical conditions thread? Two good articles for you to read there!!! Information from Obs are only going to be biased anyway. Check out mine if you want some real info ;)

I too think it couldn't hurt to look into if there is an independent midwife that you might be able to speak to. Or maybe make an extra appointment with a midwife at the hospital.
Are your education classes run by the hospital? Put your hand up and ask questions.

One very important thing is maybe try and make an appointment with one of the OB's at the hospital. If you are high risk they are the ones who will be making the decisions. Best to suss them out now so you know what their opinion is, then go do some research and make your own informed decision.

Maybe consider a doula to help with the liasing once labor begins. Or your support person should be informed of the options and your wishes too.