"High Risk" birth in a birthing centre??

[kbf2plus2]

Hi

Just wondering if there is anyone out there who has been classed as a "high risk" pregnancy but still been allowed to birth in a birthing centre.

I'm currently pregnant with my fourth baby and am looking at birthing this baby in a hospital (my other 3 were born at home). My second baby got stuck with shoulder dystocia (distracted labour -- NOT because she wouldn't fit) and third bub died two days after he was born. Because of those things, the medical world are going to view me as "high risk" but I don't view me as "high risk" -- my health has been good throughout all three previous pregnancies (and this one to date) and my babies have been healthy.
If I have to birth in hospital, I will be doing it MY way -- not in a room full of doctors or any other medical staff for that matter. Us and a midwife would suit me fine and in a birthing centre would be ideal. So I'm just wondering if there is anyone out there who has already blazed the trail for me or if I'm going to have to blaze the trail for myself?

[Mahjong]

Hiya,

The birth centre I went to wouldnt allow it sorry, you have to be low risk without any complications previously, that also includes previous c sections. You can give it a shot tho, cant hurt! Good luck!

[BigRedV]

Not all hospital rooms are packed with doctors, midwives and students. My daughter was delivered by a lovely male midwife :) and that's it!

[DQ]

Good luck, but it seems these days that if you have had any more than a headache during pregnancy that you are classified as "high risk" :rolleyes:

I doubt very much you will be "allowed" (I hate that term because we shouldn't need to be "allowed" to do anything) to give birth in a birth centre as normally they are for low/no risk women.

I had my last 2 babies at home due to the ridiculous policies they placed on me where I wasn't "allowed" to do anything :rolleyes:

I wish you the best of luck!! Make sure you put on your battle attire though :laughing:

[bellalika]

My local hospital wouldn't "allow" me to give birth in their purpose built birthing centre due to my epilepsy. I was told i would have to give birth in what she described as "one of the drab old labour wards". You could tell she thought that it was a silly rule given my history but had to follow hospital policy. The midwife also noticed that we have private health insurance and suggested we use it.

We found a fantastic ob who has a private in-house midwife that we saw at all appointments aling with the ob. He will intervene as much or as little as a patient wants unless medically necessary. At DS1s birth there were 2 mids, my ob and a peadiatrician. (premmie). At my DS2s birth there were two mids and my ob. The mid was the same one I had at my first birth so it was nice.

Being allowed is just to cover themselves from law suits. I heamoraged with both births (which a birth centre can handle) and didn't fit. They could have handled it.

[trishalishous]

I am high risk, (based on my first pregnancy) and cant even deliver at our regional hospital. Ill be going to the specialist maternity hospital in the city 400km away

[bellalika]

I am high risk, (based on my first pregnancy) and cant even deliver at our regional hospital. Ill be going to the specialist maternity hospital in the city 400km away

Sheesh. My 30 minute drive was nothing. Good luck.

[kbf2plus2]

Thank you ladies for your responses.

I don't really like my chances either but I'm going to ask and put forth my argument for why I should be "allowed". I just don't know how much of a fight I'm willing to put up though. My last pregnancy was one battle after another and I was battle weary by the end of it. I don't want that again this time around. But I'm not going to take their "rot" laying down either. Birth is birth and not rocket science. I get fed up with their fear and their scare-tactics.