Home Birth

[User11011]

Hello
I am considering a home birth. Would anyone be willing to share their stories? Would like to hear any experience, including those where home birth was attempted but then they had to go to hospital.
Thanks!

[PastaSauceHoarder]

I haven't had a home birth but my mum did with her last two children. I'm ten years older than my sister and thirteen years older than my brother, so I was in the house obviously well aware of what was going on.
It was amazing - both births went really well and it was one of the most amazing experiences being able to meet my baby siblings straight away. Plus my mum was so much more comfortable! Shes had three hospital births and two home births and she definitely preferred the home ones.

[Liara]

I had two home births. The first was a 20 hour veg which seemed to go on forever, the second was over and done in two hours!

Both were wonderful experiences, and the look on ds1's little face when he came in and I asked him if he wanted to meet his brother is one that I will treasure until the day I die. And my favourite photo ever is of us all cuddling up in bed shortly after giving birth to ds2, even though I probably look the worst I ever have in my whole life!

I didn't really enjoy being pg, and I certainly don't miss the early sleepless period, but I would have loved to give birth again.

[User11011]

Thank you both for sharing your experiences. I'm struggling to see a downside but my husband is very nervous and feels it isn't safe.
Do you have any practical advice re: what to make sure you have in the house? Particularly to cope with mess!

[Needmorehands]

I have had 4 amazing home water births in 4 difference counties, and number 5 is due in May after a 6yr gap!
If you are comfortable with teh distance from teh hospital in case of the need to transfer then I would highly recommend it!

[Liara]

I had water births with both, so the mess was contained in the birth pools.

The mw will help you with that, the mess really isn't that bad, just some blood!

[booboobutt]

I had a Home birth with my second. She turned early on in labour and was back to back, and pretty stuck.

So it was a really long and very painful labour and I needed a lot of intervention (midwives broke my water, stretched my cervix etc).

When she was eventually born she wasn't breathing because the cord had twisted around her neck, so she was taken away from me to be resuscitated. But she was and is fine.

I often think would I have done it differently if I could go back... on the one hand I couldn't have any pain relief beyond gas and air, which was horrendous at the time but had I been in hospital I would have had an epidural and maybe that would have led to a c-section. So I'm glad I didn't have the option for any stronger intervention.

On the other hand my daughter could have died. She didn't, but what if they couldn't revive her? What if the ambulance took too long?

That's probably not helpful to you as even I don't know if I'd ever have another home birth. I think the chances of anything going drastically wrong are fairly slim, but it could happen.

[User11011]

Booboobut
Thank you - it is really helpful as I want to hear both sides.
With my first I begged for an epidural and didn't get one so I feel like I may as well be at home if I'm going to do it drug free (ish)
If it was a back to back labour though I would like the option - sounds horrendous.

I'm a 20 min drive from hospital but I guess in an ambulance it would take more like 10? Not sure if that's too far, something to consider.

I bled so much with my first after I gave birth I covered everything in blood after I gave birth - I guess some plastic sheets and towels would take care of that though.

[TheFirstMrsDV]

I have had two home births and both went really well.
There wasn't much mess.
I bought plastic backed dust sheets from Homebase for the bed and put an old sheet over. I did this a week before my due date. After the birth a threw it away and put another one on.

We had a lamp ready in case of stitches.
We had a flat surface next to a power point in case baby needed resuscitation
My bedroom is quite small so I took out any unneeded stuff but made sure there was a chair for the mw.

DC4 was born in the afternoon. The other DCs watched tv etc until things started moving. A friend took them out for an hour. They came back to meet their brother.
DC5 was born early hours. The DCs slept through. They met their new brother in the morning. That was so lovely.

I had two midwives plus my friend who was a first then third year mw student.
I had gas and air and had pethidine ready if I needed it. I am not sure if this is available in every area.

I am 15 mins away from a hospital.

Compared to my two hospital births the HBs were 100% better. I wasn't anxious, didn't feel bullied and wasn't left on my own.
My first hospital birth was not a good experience. My second was much better. I went in later and I had a fantastic midwife.

My husband wasn't keen on a hb but there was no way he could cope with a hospital birth. He has MS. He needs to be looked after to a certain extent and that wouldn't happen in a busy labour ward.

Do plenty of background research from a reputable source. Think about what is important to you i.e. access to epidurals, having family with you, etc

Good luck

[TheFirstMrsDV]

When you say you bled 'so much' do you mean you bled more than was expected?
If so you need to consider that as a possible risk.

[Needmorehands]

When I had my first I was about 7mins from teh hospital - I was more worrid about all teh speed bumps than the time!
Where we are now it is nearer 40mins away and I knwo I labour quickly so I consider labouring at home safer than delivering in a farm gateway!
For pain relief you can hire or buy tens machines, with first I got a prescription for pethidine but didn't use it so didn't bother for the others. I highly recommend the hypnobirthing CDs.

[ronniebarkersauntie]

Best. Thing. Ever.
Second baby, and seriously, once of the best, most memorable things I’ve ever done. Only 5-10 mins from hospital though, which was reassuring.... whether I’d do it now, now we’re more like half an hour away, who knows???
Very little mess; a tiny drop of blood on the carpet and a couple of loads of towels to hot wash (I put the first load on before I went up to bed!). The midwife will bring incontinence mats.
I think it’s safer and more reassuring than a hospital birth in many ways, as you have someone with you and checking you constantly, not just sticking their head round the door once an hour as you would in a busy hospital. I felt incredibly well looked after.

[Naschkatze]

I had a home birth for my first last year. I found it a really positive experience. Wasn’t the quickest labour but for a first not too bad, about 8/9 hours. I had two incredible midwives that left me to it until I asked for help!

Pain relief: hypnobirthing techniques, Tens machine (can’t recommend highly enough, it really worked for me even though I thought it would be rubbish), water and gas and air at the end.

We hired a birth pool. Covered surfaces in dustsheets, old sheets and then the puppy/ incontinence pads. The midwives did an amazing job of cleaning up afterwards and I was never aware of any mess.
Beforehand MW asked that we had a flat, hard surface nearby, a lamp,
towels and a washing up bowl (for the placenta ) to hand. She did a home visit and talked me through best position for pool (so MW could get to all sides) etc.

I’m very glad I had him at home and was tucked up in my own bed an hour or so later.

Good luck with your decision!