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• Zoe Bremer commented  ·  February 14, 2012 6:38 a.m.  ·  Flag as inappropriateFlag as inappropriate  ·  Delete

  We need to reduce the birth rate and the only way I can see to do this is stop all policies that effectively pay people to breed. The last thing I want to see is more midwives, most of whom are incompetent anyway (my neighbour helps to train them and is horrified at their lack of medical knowledge now that so many start their midwifery training from school and not as very experienced obstetric or paediatric nurses). As for birth being "medicalised" what is wrong with that? At least it saves lives. One in 10,000 pregnant women in the UK will die as a result of that pregnancy if it is continued to term. If I were pregnant I would want to be sure of being delivered in a clean hospital by an obstetrician and an anaesthetist, with a plentiful supply of hyoscine and a suitable opiate (or the hyoscine and an epidural). Women got this treatment 80 years ago so why not now? I'd even be prepared to buy my own hyoscine.

• elizabeth wood commented  ·  April 18, 2011 7:16 a.m.  ·  Flag as inappropriateFlag as inappropriate  ·  Delete

  I trained as a midwife and wanted to return to it after having my own children, however Lincolnshire cancelled all its refresher courses years ago to save money. I was told sorry but you will have to requalify. There are plenty of trained midwives out there who can't get back into work. We don't need more and more new ones, we need to keep the ones we have already trained.

• Vivienne commented  ·  March 29, 2011 10:09 a.m.  ·  Flag as inappropriateFlag as inappropriate  ·  Delete

  A reduction in the number of midwifes will result in a dramatic rise in the cost for pre and post natal hospital. Simple. A hospital is often a more stressful environment with wires and beeping instruments. Stress produces adrenaline which cancels out oxytocin - this is the hormone nescessary for giving birth naturally! Midwives are specially trained for helping women to have an easy birth. It's SO SO important! birth affects EVERYONE! More midwives = more cost effective.

• Vivienne commented  ·  March 29, 2011 10:07 a.m.  ·  Flag as inappropriateFlag as inappropriate  ·  Delete

  A reduction in the number of midwifes will result in a dramatic rise in the cost for pre and post natal hospital. Simple. A hospital is often a more stressful environment with wires and beeping instruments. Stress produces adrenaline which cancels out oxytocin - this is the hormone nescessary for giving birth naturally! Midwives are specially trained for helping women to have an easy birth. It's SO SO important! birth affects EVERYONE! More midwives = more cost effective.

• Rosie commented  ·  February 14, 2011 3:47 a.m.  ·  Flag as inappropriateFlag as inappropriate  ·  Delete

  this is a cut in finance that we can not afford- midwives are needed. With a high amount of people retiring from midwifery due to the baby boom in the 60's we need to train more midwives because in the long run it will save money as more midwives can reduce the need to have c-sections due to their expertise in normality. Cutting midwives and the amount we train in this country is just not an option

• Jacqueline Braid commented  ·  February 14, 2011 1:39 a.m.  ·  Flag as inappropriateFlag as inappropriate  ·  Delete

  Midwives are essential to the care of women and there new borns - cutting back on this area is not the answer.

• Kay commented  ·  February 13, 2011 2:29 a.m.  ·  Flag as inappropriateFlag as inappropriate  ·  Delete

  Midwives are an essential part of our health care system. Cutting their numbers is not an option.

• libby ruth commented  ·  February 13, 2011 1:21 a.m.  ·  Flag as inappropriateFlag as inappropriate  ·  Delete

  The government are shooting themselves in the foot as any savings made in traning less midwives will have to be spent on more medicalised births!

• Julia commented  ·  February 11, 2011 1:49 a.m.  ·  Flag as inappropriateFlag as inappropriate  ·  Delete

  In order to maintain the governments commitment to offering all women 'choice' for the place of birth, it is essential that there are enough midwives to maintain and expand birth centres and home birth community services.

• sonia theilen commented  ·  February 10, 2011 10:42 a.m.  ·  Flag as inappropriateFlag as inappropriate  ·  Delete

  as mother and paediatricians i completely agree: cuts would be detremential- we do need independent midwifes out there in the community!

• Denise Stanford-Bell commented  ·  February 10, 2011 8:32 a.m.  ·  Flag as inappropriateFlag as inappropriate  ·  Delete

  Please save our maternity services!

• Stephanie Ward commented  ·  February 10, 2011 6:34 a.m.  ·  Flag as inappropriateFlag as inappropriate  ·  Delete

  Reducing traning places for midwives is taking a very short term view of savings.

  Without midwives more women will have poorer births and use more drugs and have more interventions we know this from the evidence this will all cost more.

  But much more important than this is the cost to the mental and emotional health of women and from that their children and families. This governemtn says it believes in the importance of Early intervention this is early intervention of the utmost importance.

  a good birth experience makes for the best start for the mother and baby relationship it increases the womens self esteem.

  Please do not cut midwifery places this will be a really backward step.

• Lucy Markes commented  ·  February 10, 2011 5:50 a.m.  ·  Flag as inappropriateFlag as inappropriate  ·  Delete

  This is a very retrograde and short sighted step, midwives play a crucial role in supporting women and their partners during the transition to parenthood. On my area we have one birth centre which has closed and one midwifery led unit which is ready to open but can't because of a shortage of midwives, we desperately need more midwives not fewer.

• Chris commented  ·  February 10, 2011 3:33 a.m.  ·  Flag as inappropriateFlag as inappropriate  ·  Delete

  Midwives are fantastic pillars of strength and knowldge that helped my wife and i get through 2 challenging but wonderful births.. Please help keep this critical care element safe and well trained.. Midwives are wonderful, kind, knowledeable, lets continue to invest not cut this special service.,

• Karen Duignan commented  ·  February 10, 2011 3:11 a.m.  ·  Flag as inappropriateFlag as inappropriate  ·  Delete

  This goes deeper than having fewer midwives, it's womens' mental health that is also at stake, women never forget their birth experience, I realised that when I listened to two 80 yr old ladies saying how they were left alone for their labours in hospital, scared and in pain in a bed and I could see emotions not worked through in all those years. As a birth Doula I see how overstreched midwives are now, how they seem pleased to have me present to share the support role - the very thing that made most midwives want to train in the first place, whilst they continue with they mountain of paperwork(electronic for most now) Can you see the equation -
  too few midwives = more assisted births and c.sections = more poor birth experiences = more post natal depression.

• Dot Parry commented  ·  February 10, 2011 2:33 a.m.  ·  Flag as inappropriateFlag as inappropriate  ·  Delete

  I am a midwife no longer practicing in the NHS because of the appalling stress that working in an under-resourced job caused me. I know many NHS midwives who have left, cut their hours or plan to retire early rather than face the reorganisation currently ripping the heart out of Manchester maternity services. As they leave w are losing wisdom and experience from the profession. Keep under-resourcing and you will continue to lose midwives. You will also continue to subject women to battery style care that drives up the caesarean rate, the long term mental health problems, infant and maternal morbidity and mortality.....Even if you don't care about women and babies this is just poor financial planning. Midwives are excellent value for money -have more not less!

• Wena Evans commented  ·  February 10, 2011 1:39 a.m.  ·  Flag as inappropriateFlag as inappropriate  ·  Delete

  A mother never forgets her midwife or her birthing experience. If this is not a positive experience, and lack of choice / midwives will have a devastating inpact on the countries well being. This decision could be the start of the countries road to ruin.

• Barbara Tansey commented  ·  February 9, 2011 5:13 p.m.  ·  Flag as inappropriateFlag as inappropriate  ·  Delete

  Short sighted, misinformed cuts to midwifery training could have a devastating effect on the birth experience of many new parents in the UK, and have a knock on effect on the next generations health through lack of crucial support with breast feeding, increased incidences of post natal depression, and all the effects on new babies of a medical model of care, and not a social model to welcome them into the world. We must do everything we can to prevent these cuts from happening, and indeed to encourage more midwifery training and steps to retain disenfranchised midwives by improving support for them.

• akiko commented  ·  February 9, 2011 2:59 p.m.  ·  Flag as inappropriateFlag as inappropriate  ·  Delete

  I am a mother totally trust in independent midwives. They are much more skillful than hospital midwives in UK.

• akiko commented  ·  February 9, 2011 2:59 p.m.  ·  Flag as inappropriateFlag as inappropriate  ·  Delete

  I am a mother totally trust in independent midwives. They are much more skillful than hospital midwives in UK.