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Accepting the risks of hospital birth

The issue of risk assessment came up in the Nottingham workshop yesterday. Many midwives in the UK believe that they are required to follow protocols and policies closely or else they will be at legal risk, resulting in women being subjected to unnecessary procedures and risky interventions, just because the policies state that these must be routinely carried out. Inductions, rupturing membranes, applying electronic fetal monitoring routinely and giving syntometrine for third stage as standard procedure are a few examples that spring to mind.

In contrast, women are told that having a home birth is decidedly risky and many are being denied this option for very spurious reasons. This issue was canvassed in a wonderful article in the June issue of MIDIRS, and drew on responses from the ukmidwifery email list to compile a list of “excuses” for denying women their rights to a home birth.

The article also included a list of criteria for accepting a hospital birth that women might want to consider. It was produced by Laura Abbott, a British independent midwife and makes interesting reading. Here is the list - you might want to include this in your prenatal program, so that women can make a truly informed choice about a birth place:

Criteria for eligibility for hospital birth

Must not be scared of needles

Must not be claustrophobic or uncomfortable in confined spaces

Must be able to fast for long periods of time

Must be happy to share one toilet with 30 others

Must accept that said toilet may be a considerable distance from the bed area

Must enjoy sleeping on a mattress covered in plastic

Must not have rebellious or questioning nature

Must fully accept that may contract MRSA [a serious hospital acquired bacterial infection resistant to all antibiotics]

Must fully accept that may contract any infection: uterine or perineal

Must be happy to share one midwife with three other labouring women at the same time

Must also be happy that said midwife has been fasted for many hours

Must like and trust in electric equipment

Must be happy that has a 1:4 chance of having major surgery for no good reason.

This non exhaustive list has been included in your medical records and must be discussed and signed by you (the mother), a registered midwife and a supervisor of midwives. If this has not been discussed or signed by all of the above staff you will not be allowed to have a hospital birth and will unfortunately have to stay at home to have your baby.

Posted by andrea at June 16, 2004 05:33 PM

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