:d

[corban's mum]

:d

[Plaid Leopard]

I didn't have time to read everything, but maybe you will find some helpful information or resources here

I would definitely call around and speak to other midwives to find out your real options.

hope everything works out and congratulations on your pregnancy!

[MittensKittens]

I'm not in the UK, but I am able to tell you that UC is not illegal. In some states in the US, it is illegal for midwives to attend homebirths, especially for VBACS, or for any person without a medical license to practice "medicine", which translates to catching the baby in this case. However, there could never be any checks and balances when it comes to UC. Making UC illegal, anywhere, would be pointless - like making breathing illegal.

If you want to have a UC, but are uncomfortable with stating so openly, you can always have an "oops, it happened so fast!" birth at home, then transfer to hospital. If your current care providers are so unreliable and unethical, I'd also transfer to another GP group ASAP, and then not say anything about any UC plans to them.

Congratulations on your pregnancy! I hope you get the birth you want! (And if you do opt for a UC, there is a wonderful UC forum here on MDC!)

[calpurnia]

The bit about UC being illegal is, if I remember correctly, that it is illegal for anyone to act as a birth professional when they are not a midwife or doctor, so technically anyone attending you at your baby's UC birth could be prosecuted. If anyone knows more they can correct me! The best way to play it in the UK would be to attend your antenatal appointments etc & then have an "oops, baby came too fast!" birth.

Also, while your GP can't refer you to a hospital outside of his catchment area, you can turn up there in labour if you wanted to be in a different hospital to your previous birth. They wouldn't be able to turn you away (as long as you were far enough gone...).

I would look up the NICE guidelines on VBAC/HBAC &, assuming they support you which I am pretty sure they do, write a polite but firmly worded letter to the head midwife & consultant ob at the hospital quoting them.

[summermay]

Please contact the www.aims.org.uk for help.
They have a dedicated helpline and support you with any issues from pregnancy to infants' health.

There is also a link to "radical midwives" on their website, you might want to check this out. Many midwives in the UK are willing to negotiate the costs, for example extended payment options or discounts etc.

[corban's mum]

thank you all for your replies! havent been on the uk part of MDC in aaages so sorry for being so late in thanking you all!

[rubyhatespets]

You can insist on having a HBAC. If you really dig your heels in they can't stop you and will have to send the midwives to support you. Just ring 999 when you're in labour and refuse to go in.

If you want to do it in a less confrontational and less stressful way then you could always hire an independent midwife.

UC is perfectly legal as long as no-one is acting in the role of midwife/doctor.