Am so impressed by these stories - well done to all of you!
I had DD in December in America so it was a hospital birth (it was my first baby and I didn't feel confident enough in a strange country to have a homebirth)- though we were lucky and it was AMAZING - we had a wonderful midwife who I truly love - we still see her now! Assuming we are back in the UK for our next baby I definitely want to try for a homebirth - I think it would be marvellous. I had a great birth with DD (they don't do gas & air here so I had her with no pain relief at all - makes me think I'd be strong enough for a homebirth next time) and I regard it as the highlight of my life, on a par with getting married to my DH.
I think it's wonderful to hear so many positive birthing stories - I get so depressed by all the negativity surrounding childbirth. It's the most natural thing in the world and why most people seem convinced you need to be in a hospital with bright lights and people in scrubs constantly baffles me. Especially in America they seem to have it all wrong - when we went to the hospital for our tour (it's like a 4* hotel here!) they asked who had NOT pre-signed for an epidural and I was the only one (out of 25-30 couples) to raise my hand - scary! I think people are missing out on an amazing experience. I do totally support medication if needed, however I think it's a shame not to even attempt experiencing it.

Sorry to start ranting.....!!

Hi there,

I had a sort of planned homebirth for dd2: I had an independent mid-wife (horrible hospital birth with dd1, horrible GP who refused to have anything to do with a homebirth, v.v.v. stressed and upset in late pregnancy, in fact terrified of going back to hospital - sorry - just like to put the fact that I paid in context) the idea was that she would come to the home and then we would decide whetehr to go to the mid-wife birth centre where she worked, hospital if I really wanted, or stay home: but in the end she didn't make it in time and DD2 was delivered by DH. Totally amazing experience: not all positive, it was very quick and a bit shocking and scarey to deliver without any professional help; but labour was a piece of piss and it was incredible to be at home: my mum was staying and although we're emotionally very close we've never really been very open abuot anything you could broadly call "messy" but half an hour after dd2 came along I was sitting in my own bath, in my own home, breast-feeding my beautiful new daughter, with my mum sitting next to us, totally awed and amazed. Brings a tear to my eye now. Something about that mother-daughter-daughter line. Inbloodycredible.

I had an emergency homebirth for ds(2)... and it was absolutely fantastic...
largely because dd(1) was an awful hospital emergency C experience and I really wanted a vbac- but the hospital were reluctant..
Anyhow my little boy decided he couldn't wait to go to hospital.. so was delivered (just in time)by midwife on the hall landing!!!
I made loads of noise and felt completely in control- my territory etc..
Would recommend for any non complicated deliveries (and especially if you are a young thing- unlike myself!!)

I had ds in hospital and dd at home, and would thoroughly recommend homebirth - it was SO relaxed and easy - mw arrived 9:40, dd arrived 10:10. I would second the advice to call the mw straight away with a 2nd baby - dd nearly beat the mw in arriving. Ds went to the park with his friends (and dd's godmother) and when he arrived back we were all settled and happy. There was no separation as such, and he has had no problems with dd.

copied from other homebirth thread:

I had dd1 and dd2 at home ? dd1 was born in a hired pool; dd2 would have been but - see below. For some reason the fears about "what if something went wrong" were always a lot littler for me than a profound desire to avoid being in the hospital. We didn?t tell people in advance of dd1 because we didn't want to field any concerned or dissuasive reactions.

With dd2 we had contingency plans for taking care of dd1 ? if labour happened in the night we proposed to just leave her in bed since she sleeps well and the room we were using for birth is three floors below dd1?s room. In the event, dd2 came very fast ? after a warning/false start late one evening, labour started full-on at 5am and dd2 was born at 6.40. In fact the midwife did not arrive in time and dh delivered dd2 himself (respect). dd1 rises at 7am and we?d just had time to call a friend to come around then and take her to her house for breakfast, but in the end that wasn?t necessary and dh got her up (a little later than 7) to meet her baby sister. Midwife arrived 5 mins after the birth to cut the cord and everything. By 8.30 midwife had gone and new family was all together having breakfast.

I thoroughly recommend home birth though I think I?ve been very lucky as I did not need assistance or pain relief either time. I recommend calling the midwife (and maybe a paramedic) immediately for second labour though. In fact, if we had been planning a hospital birth, I doubt we?d have got there in time.

PS the neighbours heard me having dd2

Our dd is 7 months old today!! and home birthed.

Really fantastic experience. I don´t like hospitals and wanted to be independent and not have the feeling I am not in control of my body and space, which is the feeling I get when I am in a hospital environment.

I spent alot of time by myself which I liked because I felt completely calm and had nobody in my face. Dh woke up in the early hours of the morning and was really supportive and relaxed as well. We really worked well together.

Midwife arrived to find I was fully dialated. Had a bath straight after the bath with dd. Then we got into bed and I really did not get out until 2.5 weeks later!!! Midwife orders

Don't know how that 2nd winky got there.

should be after ds1's birth not when pg with him

MI, Aero, etc etc, I'll join the wittering on about it club too.....anyone who'll listen will get my story regardless of how many times they've heard it already

I never in a million years thought I'd have one when PG with DS1, too messy, too painful and I simply didn't think I'd be able to do it so after DS2's surprise delivery, I was all for it again, DH wasn't so keen so our original plan was a the domino scheme but lovely community MW's said they'd talk DH through the whole process and show him all the homebirth equipment that they would leave here for me. He went along with it in the end although I doubt he was 100% happy about it.

If we were ever to have another baby, which is highly unlikely(my heart will always want another but my head says 'No Way' I wouldn't even concider a hospital birth and would choose a homebirth again in a heartbeat.

Both my ds and dd were planned home births. Very very special experiences. Both times the lovely midwives took quite a back seat and just let me get on with it, not sure I could have done the same in hospital. Very empowering.

My only grievance was that when pg with my dd I was told not to expect a home delivery as there were too many women due in my area at the same time as me.

They refused to give me a "box" of equipment despite my previous quick labour, until I went to the head of midwifery and was then given one. End result was they had thrown it together and was minus the mask and tubing for my gas and air. (which I never got the chance to try with birth of ds - was saving it til the end then progressed too quickly)

Second time round I knew exactly which point to cry out for the stuff and couldn't have it! M/w got equipment sent down from hospital by taxi. My sister who had come desperate to see her niece be born ran out to meet the taxi and missed the birth by seconds!

Me too MI and Aero It makes me feel goo-y to think about it. But possibly I have a short memory as it is certainly not something I'd choose to do every day ...

Cholestasis is a disease of pregnancy wher liver function is reduced. It causes a significantly higher rate of stillbirth in very late pregnancy, so if you have it you are advised to deliver between 36-38 weeks, which normally requires induction hence no homebirth.

I had my second baby at home 11 months ago and it was totally, utterly amazing and the most wonderful thing I've ever done and reduces me to incoherent gibbering every time I think about it

I had my lovely ds2 on the living room floor during a planned homebirth. Very relaxed experience and totally do-able.

I stayed in my nightie for days and days afterwards just pottering about whilst friends and neighbours treated me like a very precious convalescent.

It was a really nice experience and ds1, after his initial surprise and delight to find a squirmy babe in the crib, took it all in his stride.

I don't think I'll have any more kids but I am so glad that I had this incredible life experience.

I had home birth with my 4th and it was the best experience ever and I wish I haddone it with all the others. I recovered more quickly aswell. The only downside was midwives and dh eating doughnuts and drinking coffee while I paced up and down. I love having 4 and it does even things out I suppose.

I had planned one with dd, but as they suspected cholestasis it got the kibosh on it, should have had one with ds 10 yrs ago... in both births got to hospital just in time to push, baby arrived within hlaf hour of turning up.. next tiem DEF having one!!!!!!!!