What is a midwife led unit?
The midwifery led unit (MLU) is a dedicated unit for women with a low risk pregnancy. The unit is run by midwives and offers you a calm environment to deliver your baby with your chosen birth partner(s) and midwife.
What’s the difference between midwife led and consultant led?
Basically midwives are the experts in normal, low-risk pregnancies and birth and consultants (and their junior doctors) are experts in non-standard, high-risk pregnancies and emergency situation births.
What is midwifery led alongside birthing unit?
Alongside midwifery units (AMUs) are within a hospital that provides obstetric care, close to the delivery (birthing) suite, or labour ward, or may be on the same site in a different building. AMUs are close to medical facilities and personnel should the woman need them.
What is a consultant led maternity unit?
The consultant-led unit cares for women who choose to birth in the consultant led unit, who have pre-existing medical conditions, complex pregnancies or require additional monitoring in labour.
Is it safe to give birth in a midwife led unit?
If you’re having your second baby, a planned home birth is as safe as having your baby in hospital or a midwife-led unit.
Can you be induced at a midwife led unit?
Outpatient induction of labour If labour starts whilst at home you may even deliver on the Midwife Led Unit (MLU) or have a pool birth.
Can you have a home birth if consultant led?
All birth-place options will usually be available for you including home birth, midwife led unit or consultant-led unit. These appointments may be provided at home, in the community, at your GP surgery or local maternity hospital but if all remains well, you will not meet a doctor during your pregnancy journey.
What is the difference between midwifery led unit and Labour Ward?
Birth centres – which are also called midwife-led units – have an environment that is more homely than a labour ward setting, and the focus is on birth without medical intervention.
Can you have an epidural in a midwife led unit?
There are some things to think about if you’re considering giving birth in a midwifery unit or birth centre. You may need to be transferred to a hospital if there are any complications. In a unit that’s completely separate from a hospital, you won’t be able to have certain kinds of pain relief, such as an epidural.
Why is my pregnancy consultant led?
If you have certain medical problems or have had complications in a previous pregnancy, your midwife will refer you for Consultant-led care to the Antenatal Clinic for a Doctors’ opinion.
What pain relief can I have in a birth centre?
The main medical pain-relieving options for labour include nitrous oxide (laughing gas), injections for pain (such as pethidine or morphine) and epidural anaesthesia. Nitrous oxide is given as a gas that you breathe in through a mouth piece when you’re having a contraction.
Do you have to scream during labor?
Plenty of women do not scream, per se, during childbirth; but very few are silent.