Independent Midwife in Private Hospital

[nataliew]

Hello,
I would like to have an independent midwife for my next baby (VBAC) and I have a question....
I will be having my baby in a private hospital under an OB's care and I was wondering if the hospital midwives ever get 'put out' when private midwifes are hired?
Do they work together during the birth?

[kitten80]

I'd like to know anyone's opinion on this too (or experiences)???...

[Charlotte91]

Me too, wondering this.
I'm praying for a VBAC and am weighing up my options in regards to doulas/IMs

[LionsandBears]

I've not birthed in a private hospital before but had an IM for both boys, who were born in public hospitals. My understanding is an IM is there as a support person. They are not covered by the hospital insurance. They have no "official" power. I understand that sometimes the hospital midwives can get their noses out of joint when IMs are present. IMO, they can suck it up. I dont want anyone in my birthing space who thinks their ego is more important than me and my baby having the care I need. it's not like we're going to be doing anything radical that may affect insurance policies.

It's likely that next time, we will be in a private hospital, as we've negotiated a shared care between an OB and our IM. I just plan on leaving hospital ASAP and hoping no-one on shift gives me any grief before, during or after birth. I will need to develop a tactful, yet firm birth plan, that states that people leave their egos at the door. Birth is about our family. Anyone who cannot deal with our needs are not wanted anyone near me. The tactful part of that may take some working on.

For us, we will always have our IM as part of our care. I have specific reasons for that and would shop around until I found an OB and hospital prepared to accept that. Obviously, being in a capital city, we have more options than others.

WRT to midwives working together, in the pubic hospital we had midwives whose noses were put out of joint that we had our IM advocating for us. We also had other ones who were fabulous. I dont think the public/private thing is the issue. It's the individual who is on call on the day and that's potluck.

[HotI]

I dont think the public/private thing is the issue. It's the individual who is on call on the day and that's potluck.

I agree.

[HotI]

Also, i don't think i would want to be under the 'care' of medical professionals who had an issue with me bringing an independent support person to my birth. During labour and birth you can be much more vulnerable and you need to feel safe.

[Tegam]

During labour and birth you can be much more vulnerable and you need to feel safe.

Whatever gets you this hun. Go for it.

[Hannahbanana]

I used an IM for my VBA2C and it was a private hospital. I did shared care with my OB and IM.
I mentioned it to my OB at my first visit and also the hospital midwives at booking in so it was in my file and there were no issues when I fronted up in labour because they knew she would be coming in with me.
My IM was also known to most of the midwives at the hospital anyway and we were all clear that she was there in a supporting role only.

[LionsandBears]

Hb - just read your birth story. Very cool i note you had a birth pool at home to labour in. Did you organise that through your IM? Did your labour slow down when you moved to hospital at all? Also, when you said you did shared care, did you split antenatal appointments with the IM & OB? That's what we plan on doing. I hadnt thought of hiring a birth pool for home though. That's a great idea.

[Hannahbanana]

Hb - just read your birth story. Very cool i note you had a birth pool at home to labour in. Did you organise that through your IM? Did your labour slow down when you moved to hospital at all? Also, when you said you did shared care, did you split antenatal appointments with the IM & OB? That's what we plan on doing. I hadnt thought of hiring a birth pool for home though. That's a great idea.

Thanks for reading
Yes I did organise it through my IM, she used to do waterbirth education sessions for hospitals so she had about 3 pools she hires out.
I dont think labour slowed down, we left for the hospital when I was 8cm and it had been a very long labour anyway but I think I was too afraid to realise what the preasure ment and my waters still had not broken, so I think it was me that was just not ready to progress to pushing because things HAD changed as I had gotten to fully dialated, it just felt like, to me, nothing had changed and I couldn't see and end because I was not understanding the feelings as preasure, they were just painful contractions IYKWIM. Until I had no choice but to push I probably would have stayed fully dialated and not acknowledged the presure.
Yep I split my care with my OB and my IM. One with OB, one with IM, one with OB and then one with IM. They both filled out my antenatal stuff so the other could see what was going on with the other.
The birth pool was brilliant and I wouldn't have coaped as well as I did, but I think I was in there too long. I should have stayed out when I got out to eat. Things would have gone a bit quicker but the contractions were so much more intense out of the water I just wasn't ready to switch my brain over to dealing with them when I knew the water helped to take the edge off. It was well worth having at home because my plan the whole way was to stay home as long as possible before going to hospital, and the pool definatley helped there!!