Maternity services. Volume II, Minutes of evidence.

  • Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Health Committee
Date:
1992
Catalogue details

Licence: Open Government Licence

Credit: Maternity services. Volume II, Minutes of evidence. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    16 January 1992] [Continued [Chairman Cont] a lot of privacy. She left me and my husband alone without us having even asked for that. She just left. She obviously could sense that we were coping fine and so I ended up having in some ways the sort of labour I would have hoped to have at home, which was completely drug-free and gas and air- free. The only problem there was was that I tore very badly and I believe that was because I was encouraged too early to get up on to the bed, because I was told at a particular stage, ““You are getting tired, dear, you must rest. Get up on to the bed and lie back between contractions.” So I immediately did what I was told, though in my fact all my instincts told me to keep on doing what I was doing, which was remaining upright as much as I could and moving with the contractions. But again somebody said how difficult it is to follow your own instincts and feel you are in control when you are under somebody. else’s care when they are professionals in their own territory. So when I delivered Benedict I was lying back with my legs strapped up in the stirrups and they said it was one of the worst tears they had ever seen and the midwife wanted to do an episiotomy and I made it quite clear I did not want an episiotomy because I felt if I tore I just had this feeling that at least I would tear where my body wanted me to tear; it was not going to hurt the baby, it was just me. I thought, to hell with it, I will tear if I am going to tear, and I did and in fact, having thought afterwards, why was I so stupid. In fact, it healed a lot quicker than the episiotomies that had been done for friends of mine who had only had, say, four stitches where I had, I believe, 40 stitches, and my huge tear healed much more quickly than their small cuts. So that is just an indication that even when you are getting excellent care and very sensitive midwifery it is still, when you are on somebody else’s patch, very difficult really to stick out for what you feel your whole body is telling you. I think it is a time in your life, one of the few times, I think, in our society, where we still can get in touch with—it is something about primitive instincts that I think we have lost to a large extent and need to hang on to in order to go through this really very extraordinary process of giving birth. So that really is why the second time round my husband also was quite encouraging. He did not even question the risk factor next time, but, of course, we read very widely on both sides and again I had a very similar interview with my GP the second time round, who again gave me a long interview about why did I really want a home birth and gave me all the same arguments about the risk and I worried to the same extent but I had done a lot more reading and had also been through one birth and felt that if I tried to take a sensible view and, if necessary, was prepared to go into hospital, then. ! was giving my baby as good a chance of a good birth as possible. So I said, “Yes, we have thought through the arguments but still want a home birth. Who can you refer me to in this area so that my care can be taken on by a GP in the area?”’ and my doctor said, “I’m afraid I can’t. There is not any GP that I can recommend in this area but I will give you Dr Zander’s telephone number and perhaps you can contact him and he will take you on, even though he is in Lambeth, which is a different area in London,” which is what happened. I was very delighted to be under Dr Zander but the problem in not being under a GP who is in your own area and in the area of the hospital where you will go if any complications arise and, of course, as the hospital where the community midwives operate from, is one of communication between the hospital and the midwives and the GP. That has been frustrating, I think, for everyone concerned, I think mainly frustrating for me, for my GP, Dr Zander, and the main problem seems to have been that St George’s do not hand over full medical notes to women at all during antenatal care unless you are having a home birth when you get them three weeks before the birth, and that does not make communication very easy. We do have something called a co-op card but that is not your full medical records and it is obviously not very easy for the GP concerned not to be working from your full medical records, and I think it would be helpful for women. I believe we are entitled by law to have our notes. 1574. You are, yes, that is correct. (Ms Nash) Again it is something maybe if I was not somebody who was worried underneath about authority and what it does to you when you stick your neck out too far, perhaps I should have just gone ahead and said, “Look, I’m sorry, I want them anyway.” I do not know. So that has been a bit of a problem, but otherwise so far antenatally it has experience. Chairman: Thank you very much indeed, Ms Nash. My colleagues have been very patient and have been listening with equal fascination to me. Do my colleagues wish to put any points? I know Ruth Unwin wants to come back with one or two observations on what Mrs Bottomley said and obviously if any ofour other witnesses would like to do that, please do so. Mr Hinchliffe 1575. Can I ask a general point which is related to the letter that I received in respect of Ruth Unwin’s case when I raised it with the Minister, to have a response both from Ruth and from our other witnesses. The Minister stated quite clearly that women are encouraged to discuss the options of place of delivery with their GP and midwives. Was that your experience? (Ms Gartland) No, (Ms Unwin) No. I think everyone felt as I did really. You go and they say ““Where do you want to have a baby?” and they mean in which hospital; they do not mean, do you want to have it at home or ina birthing pool or wherever—it is not a choice really. (Ms Hedderwick) | think probably I am the only different one. I was lucky because I belonged the clinic where Dr Zander practised, although my GP is a different GP. So when I said “I want a home birth”’ they said ‘Right, fine’. That was that. That was just by luck because of where my GP was practising. Audrey Wise 1576. Do you think that fear of childbirth is increased by the way that women are first told about the issues? (Ms Robinson) Yes. Everybody talks about risk and everything. There is nothing about how natural