Women give birth in different places: at home, in a midwife-led unit either on or off a hospital site, or in hospital on a doctor/consultant-led unit. Each location has its own benefits and risks. Most care during labour is given by midwives but certain things are only available from doctors, for example epidural, instrumental vaginal birth, caesarean birth, management of infection and other urgent surgical interventions. Your midwife or doctor may recommend a specific place for your birth based on risk factors or previous complications. Sometimes you may be asked to move location if it becomes necessary. Please discuss your individual circumstances with your clinical team.

During labour, you will have the freedom to eat and drink. There's no advantage to consuming more fluids than usual, isotonic drinks might be preferable to water. However, personal medical conditions need to be considered, so please talk to your midwives and doctors. An example of an isotonic drink is a Lucozade sport. There are other varieties available, but these drinks are unlikely to be provided by your place of birth. If you receive opioids or have risk factors that make it more likely you will have a caesarean, it may be recommended to have a light diet as you may feel unwell or need anaesthetic. It is important that your care is personal to you and suits any medical conditions you may have. It is important to speak to your midwives or doctors if a medical condition may impact what you can eat during labour. References: 1. Intrapartum care. NICE guidelines Published September 29, 2023. Accessed October 18, 2023. https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng235/chapter/Recommendations#planning-place-of-birth  2. Eating and drinking in labour. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD003930.pub3 

There are different people you will need to support your labour, each with a different purpose and role to play. You can choose who you would present to support you and if you would prefer if a student not to be present.