Good, Better, Best

Another part of our requirements is following 40 women through their pregnancy and birth which is a great way of building rapport and advocating for women. As well as this, it assists with our birth numbers but unfortunately has resulted in picking and choosing of follow throughs who are more likely to have a normal birth.

In my opinion, any woman that is happy to have me follow her through is a blessing and I would not, not follow them through if their intention was to have a caesarean or there was an increased risk of having one because I believe all women should be supported. It does not mean that I advocate for caesareans that may not be needed or do not attempt to suggest to the woman that a Vaginal Birth After Caesarean (VBAC) is a possibility, but I do not feel that a woman should be denied support and continuity just because there is a 30% chance they may end up in theatre.

It does not teach us anything about 'being with women'; it ignores the true meaning of midwifery. It may seem contradictory to my advocacy of homebirth but where training remains limited to the system and the highly likely result of a caesarean or assisted birth, I don't believe it should be treated as any less significant particularly because it seems that of all women, these are provided with the least choice of all.