Maternity Services
Mar 2nd 2008 | 7:53 am
#31
NS covern member #1
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 968
From: Halifax, Nova Scotia
Re: Maternity Services
I havent worked as either a midwife or an obstetric nurse in Canada, as yet, however I do understand that in some areas where midwives work, they are not welcome to care for clients in hospital, even as a support person. Clearly they are not allowed to *care* for their client in the hospital context unless there is a contract between hospital and midwife, which I think would be unusual.
As with in the UK, from my experience, as many as 50% of first time labours will end up transfered to hospital care (from a homebirth or a birthing unit context). That is a large sounding number and hard to really be accurate about when homebirth and birthing units are rare in the UK relatively speaking. But if you were in that situation, and had some lovely team of midwives caring for you, whom you felt very comfortable with, it could be very traumatising to be transfered in an emergency into hospital care. Personally, and I can only speak for myself, I would have a first child in the existing hospital system, so that I knew that a normal vaginal birth was possible and then have the confidence of having a homebirth/birth unit delivery of subsiquent children. Sometimes just having a positive mental attitude, a bean bag and some yoga moves just doesnt bring you the birth outcome that you hope for first time around, and if having some continuity of carer is important, then I would go with the Canadian hospital system first time round. Unless there is an attached birth unit, which I havent heard of personally.
Anyway, it all rather depends where you live, midwives per capita of women are still rare as hens teeth, unless you live on the West coast or in the bigger centres.
........ASS delivery..................
I have never heard of that!!
As with in the UK, from my experience, as many as 50% of first time labours will end up transfered to hospital care (from a homebirth or a birthing unit context). That is a large sounding number and hard to really be accurate about when homebirth and birthing units are rare in the UK relatively speaking. But if you were in that situation, and had some lovely team of midwives caring for you, whom you felt very comfortable with, it could be very traumatising to be transfered in an emergency into hospital care. Personally, and I can only speak for myself, I would have a first child in the existing hospital system, so that I knew that a normal vaginal birth was possible and then have the confidence of having a homebirth/birth unit delivery of subsiquent children. Sometimes just having a positive mental attitude, a bean bag and some yoga moves just doesnt bring you the birth outcome that you hope for first time around, and if having some continuity of carer is important, then I would go with the Canadian hospital system first time round. Unless there is an attached birth unit, which I havent heard of personally.
Anyway, it all rather depends where you live, midwives per capita of women are still rare as hens teeth, unless you live on the West coast or in the bigger centres.
........ASS delivery..................
I have never heard of that!!
Mar 2nd 2008 | 1:18 pm
#32
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Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 2,710
Re: Maternity Services
I think maybe it's just the area I'm in. Last time I walked by the community hall at the top of the street, I stopped to read the posters and the only parent and toddler group they run is for mothers under 19! 
And all the mothers I see walking by seem to be significantly younger than me. Seems people in my neck of Leeds aren't encouraged to have kids after they turn 20. 
And all the mothers I see walking by seem to be significantly younger than me. Seems people in my neck of Leeds aren't encouraged to have kids after they turn 20.
Mar 2nd 2008 | 1:22 pm
#33
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Posts: 2,710
Re: Maternity Services
Both my kids were born by C-section, owing to transverse presentations. Because the first was a planned C-section, it was timed for a week before my due date, and was done before I was expected to go into labour. In the case of the second delivery, I went into labour a month before my due date. I ended up having a C-section, but experienced some labour beforehand.
The reason I mention this is to clarify that I haven't had any personal experience of natural childbirth in a Canadian hospital or any other hospital. However, in the case of my second delivery, I was in the labour ward for some time before my C-section.
But, from what friends have told me of their experiences and from what I learned in prenatal classes, obstetric nurses in Canada don't deliver babies. Well, it does happen sometimes that a baby pops out more quickly than expected, the doctor hasn't yet arrived, and a nurse is the only staff member in the room. But, as I understand it, it is never planned that way in a Canadian hospital.
Postscript. I take your point that your experience of delivery in a UK hospital wouldn't be hugely different from the experience in a Canadian hospital. But I'm guessing that the Canadian system is a bit less user-friendly than the UK system. I'm guessing that it would feel more comforting to the mother who is giving birth to have the same midwife with her throughout the process than to have a doctor step in and take over near the end. Whether or not that makes any difference to a woman by the time she's reached the advanced stages of labour and is about to give birth, I can't say from personal experience.
x
The reason I mention this is to clarify that I haven't had any personal experience of natural childbirth in a Canadian hospital or any other hospital. However, in the case of my second delivery, I was in the labour ward for some time before my C-section.
But, from what friends have told me of their experiences and from what I learned in prenatal classes, obstetric nurses in Canada don't deliver babies. Well, it does happen sometimes that a baby pops out more quickly than expected, the doctor hasn't yet arrived, and a nurse is the only staff member in the room. But, as I understand it, it is never planned that way in a Canadian hospital.
Postscript. I take your point that your experience of delivery in a UK hospital wouldn't be hugely different from the experience in a Canadian hospital. But I'm guessing that the Canadian system is a bit less user-friendly than the UK system. I'm guessing that it would feel more comforting to the mother who is giving birth to have the same midwife with her throughout the process than to have a doctor step in and take over near the end. Whether or not that makes any difference to a woman by the time she's reached the advanced stages of labour and is about to give birth, I can't say from personal experience.
x
In Uk you may not get same midwife for whole process due to shift changes , midwives having more than one on caseload etc. I had about 5 for my first and then ended up with section anyway!
Two transverse Judy- must be the way you cook them! Very unusual!
Mar 2nd 2008 | 1:25 pm
#34
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Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 2,710
Re: Maternity Services
I think maybe it's just the area I'm in. Last time I walked by the community hall at the top of the street, I stopped to read the posters and the only parent and toddler group they run is for mothers under 19! And all the mothers I see walking by seem to be significantly younger than me. Seems people in my neck of Leeds aren't encouraged to have kids after they turn 20.
And all the mothers I see walking by seem to be significantly younger than me. Seems people in my neck of Leeds aren't encouraged to have kids after they turn 20. Those at LGI get really really poor post natal care. Labour and delvery are good but appaulling care afterwards. They are very short staffed. Loads of friends had their babies there as its considered posher than jimmy's but they all had poor post natal care
Gryph
Mar 5th 2008 | 9:44 am
#35
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Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 636
From: Northants (though hopefully not forever!)
Re: Maternity Services
Interesting thread... we're still debating when to plan our next baby, i.e. whether to wait it out until we get PR (up to another 3 yrs 10 mths!) or have him / her sooner rather than later.
I understand that if you have a vaginal birth then it's covered by medicare and is therefore 'free', but one thing that concerns me is whether or not planned caesareans are also covered or are they charged if they are planned?
I had an emergency c-section with my baby boy after being in labour for several hours (i was 2 wks late, there were complications and basically the c-section saved his life) and i want another caesarean next time (it's personal choice but i personally can't go through another traumatic labour and risk it going wrong again, plus there's a risk my scars may rupture) so obviously if it's not free then this will be a factor in our family planning decision!!
Cheers,
Anita (should really clarify it's me and not Sean - I'm forever hijacking his username and writing 'girlie' stuff!)
I understand that if you have a vaginal birth then it's covered by medicare and is therefore 'free', but one thing that concerns me is whether or not planned caesareans are also covered or are they charged if they are planned?
I had an emergency c-section with my baby boy after being in labour for several hours (i was 2 wks late, there were complications and basically the c-section saved his life) and i want another caesarean next time (it's personal choice but i personally can't go through another traumatic labour and risk it going wrong again, plus there's a risk my scars may rupture) so obviously if it's not free then this will be a factor in our family planning decision!!
Cheers,
Anita (should really clarify it's me and not Sean - I'm forever hijacking his username and writing 'girlie' stuff!)
Mar 5th 2008 | 10:08 am
#36
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Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 3,406
From: NI (back from Toronto)
Re: Maternity Services
Interesting thread... we're still debating when to plan our next baby, i.e. whether to wait it out until we get PR (up to another 3 yrs 10 mths!) or have him / her sooner rather than later.
I understand that if you have a vaginal birth then it's covered by medicare and is therefore 'free', but one thing that concerns me is whether or not planned caesareans are also covered or are they charged if they are planned?
I had an emergency c-section with my baby boy after being in labour for several hours (i was 2 wks late, there were complications and basically the c-section saved his life) and i want another caesarean next time (it's personal choice but i personally can't go through another traumatic labour and risk it going wrong again, plus there's a risk my scars may rupture) so obviously if it's not free then this will be a factor in our family planning decision!!
Cheers,
Anita (should really clarify it's me and not Sean - I'm forever hijacking his username and writing 'girlie' stuff!)
I understand that if you have a vaginal birth then it's covered by medicare and is therefore 'free', but one thing that concerns me is whether or not planned caesareans are also covered or are they charged if they are planned?
I had an emergency c-section with my baby boy after being in labour for several hours (i was 2 wks late, there were complications and basically the c-section saved his life) and i want another caesarean next time (it's personal choice but i personally can't go through another traumatic labour and risk it going wrong again, plus there's a risk my scars may rupture) so obviously if it's not free then this will be a factor in our family planning decision!!
Cheers,
Anita (should really clarify it's me and not Sean - I'm forever hijacking his username and writing 'girlie' stuff!)
Mar 6th 2008 | 6:20 am
#37
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Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 636
From: Northants (though hopefully not forever!)
Re: Maternity Services
oh that's good to know 
yeah most people i know who've had c-sections would opt for another one next time round because of both mine and your reasons... the only thing I'm not looking forward to it being cut whilst 'sober', iykwim! (i was high on pethidine, gas & air and adrenalin last time and didn't have a clue what was happening)... 
anita
yeah most people i know who've had c-sections would opt for another one next time round because of both mine and your reasons... the only thing I'm not looking forward to it being cut whilst 'sober', iykwim! (i was high on pethidine, gas & air and adrenalin last time and didn't have a clue what was happening)... anita
Mar 6th 2008 | 7:38 am
#38
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Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 3,406
From: NI (back from Toronto)
Re: Maternity Services
oh that's good to know yeah most people i know who've had c-sections would opt for another one next time round because of both mine and your reasons... the only thing I'm not looking forward to it being cut whilst 'sober', iykwim! (i was high on pethidine, gas & air and adrenalin last time and didn't have a clue what was happening)...
anita
yeah most people i know who've had c-sections would opt for another one next time round because of both mine and your reasons... the only thing I'm not looking forward to it being cut whilst 'sober', iykwim! (i was high on pethidine, gas & air and adrenalin last time and didn't have a clue what was happening)... anita
Mar 7th 2008 | 6:13 am
#39
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Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 636
From: Northants (though hopefully not forever!)
Re: Maternity Services
yeah but do they give you painkillers BEFORE you have the epidural?? I'm not looking forward to being lucid and sober when they stick that big knitting needle in my back!
Mar 7th 2008 | 6:57 am
#40
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Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 3,406
From: NI (back from Toronto)
Re: Maternity Services
Mar 9th 2008 | 7:39 am
#41
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 102
Re: Maternity Services
I havent worked as either a midwife or an obstetric nurse in Canada, as yet, however I do understand that in some areas where midwives work, they are not welcome to care for clients in hospital, even as a support person. Clearly they are not allowed to *care* for their client in the hospital context unless there is a contract between hospital and midwife, which I think would be unusual.
As with in the UK, from my experience, as many as 50% of first time labours will end up transfered to hospital care (from a homebirth or a birthing unit context). That is a large sounding number and hard to really be accurate about when homebirth and birthing units are rare in the UK relatively speaking. But if you were in that situation, and had some lovely team of midwives caring for you, whom you felt very comfortable with, it could be very traumatising to be transfered in an emergency into hospital care. Personally, and I can only speak for myself, I would have a first child in the existing hospital system, so that I knew that a normal vaginal birth was possible and then have the confidence of having a homebirth/birth unit delivery of subsiquent children. Sometimes just having a positive mental attitude, a bean bag and some yoga moves just doesnt bring you the birth outcome that you hope for first time around, and if having some continuity of carer is important, then I would go with the Canadian hospital system first time round. Unless there is an attached birth unit, which I havent heard of personally.
Anyway, it all rather depends where you live, midwives per capita of women are still rare as hens teeth, unless you live on the West coast or in the bigger centres.
........ASS delivery.................. I have never heard of that!!
As with in the UK, from my experience, as many as 50% of first time labours will end up transfered to hospital care (from a homebirth or a birthing unit context). That is a large sounding number and hard to really be accurate about when homebirth and birthing units are rare in the UK relatively speaking. But if you were in that situation, and had some lovely team of midwives caring for you, whom you felt very comfortable with, it could be very traumatising to be transfered in an emergency into hospital care. Personally, and I can only speak for myself, I would have a first child in the existing hospital system, so that I knew that a normal vaginal birth was possible and then have the confidence of having a homebirth/birth unit delivery of subsiquent children. Sometimes just having a positive mental attitude, a bean bag and some yoga moves just doesnt bring you the birth outcome that you hope for first time around, and if having some continuity of carer is important, then I would go with the Canadian hospital system first time round. Unless there is an attached birth unit, which I havent heard of personally.
Anyway, it all rather depends where you live, midwives per capita of women are still rare as hens teeth, unless you live on the West coast or in the bigger centres.
........ASS delivery..................
I have never heard of that!!It was patently obvious that the obstetric nurses and obstetricians had absolutely no time for midwives and were downright rude to them on some occasions. They seemed to think they were a bunch of hippies and the women using their services were putting their babies at risk! The midwives certainly did not seems to have a good relationship with the hospital staff at all. ( it might have changed in the last 12 years). However most UK midwives would have to admit to some spats with their medical colleagues during their career. A favourite joke amongst obtetricians is "how do you tell the difference between a rottweiller and a midwife......the midwife is wearing lipstick!
