I will post properly when I can see through the tears, but basically after fairly smooth sailing regarding my request for a home birth we seem to have hit a bit of a brick wall due to staffing shortages at the local midwife led unit which means they get the on call midwives and I am expected to go there if there isn't a midwife for me.
I can't just sit on my hands and wait and hope for the best once the time arrives because that isn't good for my stress levels so it seems that my only option is to fight which is really not what I should have to do at all and is definitely not what I need or want to be doing with six weeks to go!
(((((((((((((Rach)))))))))))) at this stage you can do without the stress of not knowing whether or not you will get your homebirth or not. I know how much you want this but the not knowing if you will or not is an awful position to be in.
ReplyDeleteI guess you could just refuse to go in so they have to send somebody out on the day, but that is going to be stressful. I don't know a lot about homebirths but are there any guidelines whereby they have to give you one if you want one that you can cite at them?
I know you don't want to think about it yet but have you had chance to visit the MLU at either Solihull or Heartlands. The one at Heartlands really is lovely and I am guessing the Solihull one is too. It's not home but not like the labour ward. It is lovely and peaceful and the midwives I had (2 plus a student as I was the only one in there!) were all really lovely and just left us alone unless I buzzed for them. Even when they did monitoring it wasn't the strapped round your dummy one it was that they just held so that you could stay upright.
I really don't think it is fair that they can put your through this stress.
Yvette x
Thanks for the comments hun. Have since calmed down and done my homework (Did you see the time that I posted that post, ha ha was so cross I couldn't sleep!)
DeleteAIMS has lots of great info on it as do a few other individuals and sites. I have drawn up a letter using one of their samples to send to few different individuals, but have held off for now as my CMW is coming out on Tuesday to go through all the homebirth stuff so can talk to her properly then. Had A&D with me Wednesday and you know how limited time can be at clinic so didn't really have opportunity for it to register or to speak to her about it. I also have some links through my volunteering so am following that up too.
Its not the actual unit as such that I have a problem with its the fact that I won't be at home in my own space and it seems there is a pecking order with home births at the bottom and also that given the low number of births at the MLU the likelihood is that I will go in and be the only woman there anyway so there really is no reason for them not to send midwives to me.
Anyway have agreed with my lovely DH that we will have a nice stress free weekend and not think about it until Tuesday when I see the midwife and then do whatever we need to do after that.
Yes, I did spot the time!
DeleteYou sound much calmer about it now and seem to have a plan of action in place. I agree that you probably would be the only lady giving birth at Solihull so it does seem a bit ridiculous that they can't send the midwife to you.
Have a lovely weekend - you've certainly got fantastic weather for it and i'm sure you will all have a great time.
Yvette