Home Birth?

[DimpleHands]

I've always been a bit dubious about home births but have been reading Maggie Howell's natal hypnotherapy book and it really makes sense about your body giving birth more easily when you are in a safe, private place. So I am now considering it!

We live in London so we are not a million miles from the hospital - I would say it would take about 10-15 mins in an ambulance if an emergency did arise...

What are your views? Be as honest as you like.

[newtonupontheheath]

I've had 2 and due my third go birth in August. I think it's great, and everything has gone smoothly for me amounting to two different but wonderful experiences.

I wouldn't, however, recommend or promote HB to anybody as there are lots that can go wrong so would suggest thorough research and understanding of what you me can and can't do for you.

IME I have received better care (1:1 with mw, but no second mw either time) than at my local hospital which can be stretched and mw are dashing in and out.

[NomiMalone]

I had a planned home birth with my first DC.

I knew I would be anxious and stressed in a hospital and felt strongly that I would have a better birth at home.

It was long and fucking painful but it was great. I had two hugely experienced midwives looking after me and me alone. After DD was born we went to bed and DP brought me tea (in my own mug) and toast and it was heaven .

I had to have DC2 in hospital due to health complications and it was horrible. I self discharged 20 hours after he was born. I would have loved to have another HB.

The book Home Birth by Nicky Wesson is great. I also enjoyed Ina May Gaskin's Guide to Childbirth even though it's a bit 70's hippy-tastic.

[NickyEds]

I think it depends on your personal situation. Are you in any way increased risk? I was a low risk pregnancy with ds and still didn't really even consider a home birth. I just feel that there are too many "unknowns" with a first labour. Home birth carries an increased risk to the baby and there's a 45% transfer rate so for me (I'm about 15 minutes awat from the hospital too) it was a no.

[DimpleHands]

I'm not classed as increased risk - but DS1's birth wasn't straight-forward. Mind you, I think that was due to a completely incompetent, horrible midwife who left me when I was 9 and a half cm dilated and when she came back God knows how long later DS was in distress. According to the doctors who then rushed in, he was coming out (I had an epidural and had no idea) and I should have been pushing. I was then told he had to come out in 10 mins tops and he was dragged out with a ventouse. All rather horrible.

I have a feeling that if I hadn't had an epidural, things would have been fine. I was progressing really well before I had the epidural at 7cm - and I didn't really even need it - I could deal with the pain at that point, I was just scared about how much more painful it would get.

Didn't realise there was a 45% transfer rate... that's interesting.

[NickyEds]

Sorry op I assumed it was your first baby. Transfer rate is much lower for second babies-12%.

[newtonupontheheath]

The benefit of opting for a home birth is that you can labour at home for as long as you like. With my second, the mw came to check on me in the morning and I was a couple of cm dilated. She said later (after DS was born) they likely would have kept me in hospital but sent DH home had I been booked for a hospital birth. Another reason I was glad because actual active labour was less than 2 hours

[jmac88]

Blimey dimple that would be enough to put anyone off from having another hospital birth!

I would love to have a home birth but we are renting a one bed flat and there isn't a lot of space so I think I would feel stressed about it being a mess etc. If it wasn't for that I definitely would consider it! You are far less likely to have intervention, one to one care, and as you said you're not far away if there are any problems! The transfer rate is high but what is the actual mortality rate for home births I wonder?

[NickyEds]

Adverse perinatal outcome events (which includes but isn't exclusively still birth)are just short of double with planned home births compared to planned obstetrics unit deliveries (5.3/1000 compared to 9.3/1000- so still very uncommon). But again that's for first babies.