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Childbirth

Did anyone have their first child at home but subsequent children at hospital?

12 replies

naturelover · 28/05/2009 13:43

Just curious really. I know several women who've had the first at hospital then chosen homebirths for subsequent children.

I had DD at home two years ago and am now 25 weeks pregnant with DC2 and am under increasing pressure to have baby at local MLU not at home. I've posted about this before. Basically they're saying my retained placenta last time puts me at greater risk of it happening again (I had to transfer for placenta after the birth) but I maintain the placenta was slow to deliver but not retained (didn't need to go to theatre - after being on drip and left for hours they found it had detached and was just sitting there - came out with one little pull).

I'm stressed at the idea of birthing at hospital, I want to be at home where I managed a long labour last time with no drugs, in the pool. I was relaxed and coped ok with the pain.

This time I'm being told the pool isn't an option because they'd want to fit a canula during labour "just in case" I need a drip for the placenta.

I've already agreed I'd have the injection for the placenta (last time I tried two hours before agreeing to the injection).

Moral support would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance.

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Pepa · 28/05/2009 13:56

bump for you - I'm in a similar situation, 2 homebirths and now this one looks like it will have to be in a hospital for medical reasons.

I don't know how I'll manage away from home and I really don't want to end up with an epidural.....trying not to stress because it is so counter productive but its had not to think about it.....

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susie100 · 28/05/2009 14:10

Hi there. Well I had my dd and am now pregnant with number 2 and seriously considering going to hospital. I found the stiching so traumatic at home without proper pain relief (it was so much than the birth) that I am willing to put up with all the hossie nonsense to avoid it.
Obviously a very different situation to you as you WANT to stay at home.

The fact is they cannot force you to go to hospital and they not appear to have a valid reason to make you go.

'This time I'm being told the pool isn't an option because they'd want to fit a canula during labour "just in case" I need a drip for the placenta.'

You can just say no to this if you want to.

I found the homebirth.org site really valuable for this sort of argument.
Can you afford an independent midwife?

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JustKeepSwimming · 28/05/2009 14:15

Well i planned to have ds2 at home (had ds1 at home), but he was an undiagnosed breech so got rushed in for an em c-s

anyway, hosp wasn't 100% awful, if you do end up going in.
but i'm planning to fight to have an HBAC next time so it wasn't that great either!

FWIW, after ds1 i had the injection but the placenta still took 2 hours to come out.
the mws did everything to keep me at home, and we managed it, but i maintain that the injection made the placenta 'drop' too quickly and the cord kind of got stuck behind it.
anyway, if i'd been in hosp, there would def have been serious intervention at that point.

so if i were you i would fight for home birth anyway. then you can have a pool and do what you want.
i mean you got transferred last time and you know it could happen again so you'd be better prepared i think.
just my opinion.

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naturelover · 28/05/2009 14:16

Pepa, do you mind me asking what the medical reasons are for this baby to be born in hospital?

Susie100, unfortuntately we cannot afford an independent midwife. We will have a doula with us - the same one as at DD's birth - and she is very supportive of our preference for a home birth.

I'm sorry to hear you had a bad experience with the stitching Susie. They stitched me in hospital since I was there for the placenta anyway. I didn't realise there was no proper pain relief at home for that

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susie100 · 28/05/2009 14:31

Doulas are brilliant! Some indies will offer much reduced fees or services in kind (gardening etc) so that might be an option. It shouldn't be necessary though, you can fight for a homebirth.

There is pain relief available - gas and air and local anaesthtic. For some reason it just did not work. I appreciate that could have happened at hospital as well but it has become a bit of a mental block for me.

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Loopymumsy · 28/05/2009 20:07

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naturelover · 28/05/2009 20:26

Thanks Loopymumsy, it does seem crazy that I'm low risk enough for MLU (though it is across the corridor from obs-led unit) but I can't have a homebirth.

FGS I live half a mile from the hospital as well - hardly going to take long to transfer if I need it!

I have managed to get appt with consultant to go over my notes properly although if I'm honest I would have preferred to see head of midwifery. I somehow can't imagine a consultant obstetrician saying go ahead and have a homebirth....

I joined the yahoo group then lost my log-in... will have a search for it now.

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ruthelizabeth · 31/05/2009 18:37

just in case you end up in hospital, I did, and it was lovely and peaceful believe it or not!

I was left pretty much alone with DH and left to get on with it - nobiody bullied me into anything or made it anything other than perfect.

Good luck whichever way you make it xx

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dingledangle · 31/05/2009 18:53

Hello, had DD at home, no problems at all.

Planned for DC2 at home. Laboured at home until midwife could not determine whether it was a head/cheek or pair of testicles that she could feel so transferred to hospital where I had him vaginal delivery (he was undiagnosed breech it turned out)

Hospital was absolutely fine, the midwife much more calm than the two who were with me at home. Due to her age she had delivered breech baby before. (Community MWs were extremely worried when could not determine what internal exam was showing !)

Anyway, I found hospital absolutely fine. Two very different births but no concerns with either way.

Managed to get some rest in hospital which I probably would have not taken if I had been at home especially as DD was staying with her grandparents so it had its advantages!

Good luck whatever happens.....

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MaryHuff · 31/05/2009 19:11

Just fight your corner and insist on a home birth.

My sis had placenta accreta during her first birth and almost died from subsequent pph, but still got a home birth for her second. She did agree parameters on when she would be willing to transfer to the hospital if there were problems with the placenta (ambulance was to go on standby after 30 mins - transfer after 1 hour).
But as she said - it was the labour and birth of the baby that she wanted at home, she wasn't that bothered if she had to deliver the placenta in the hospital. As it was, it all went fine.
One thing though - she was advised NOT to have the injection for the 3rd stage. This was because of the adherence the first time, and the injection can cause the cervix to close faster than the placenta can detach, which itself causes the placenta to be retained.

Good luck with getting what you want. Contact AIMS if you need support.

(Oh, and bollocks to the canula in your hand in the hospital too. That's not necessary for a "just in case" requirement for the 3rd stage. It's just the hospital trying to make their lives easier.)

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treacletart · 31/05/2009 19:29

Hi nature lover - I'd planned a hospital birth for ds but actually had him at he because he came so quickly. I had a retained placenta and had to go in to hospital to have it surgically removed. I had further problems with lung clots 2 weeks after he was born and it was for this reason I couldn't have a home birth for dd, had to take blood thinning drugs and be induced early to avoid fast spontaneous birth and potential haemorrhage. The retained placenta alone wasn't a factor in not being allowed a home birth and I was also advised to AVOID the injection 2nd time round - had had it with ds and it sometimes has the opposite effect apparently. Anyway, had a very straightforward hospital waterbirth for dd followed by "natural" delivery of placenta. If you're after a homebirth I'd stick to your guns - I guess you could always go in afterwards to have it removed if you had to, but it doesn't sound like it was properly retained at all last time. Good luck with however it works out.