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Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

Original poster

Home Birth

28 replies

Aero · 27/05/2004 00:33

Had such a good experience giving birth at home to ds2 19 wks ago and as I only know one other friend (my inspiration) who's also had a home birth, I wondered if any of you have done it and what you thought of the experience.

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Original poster
Aero · 27/05/2004 12:44

Yup - the bad hosp experience made me determined to be at home too and dh found it easier to go along with a hormonal pregnant wife than to object, though I was aware of his worries. My story is too long but the labour was pretty quick. I felt the first familiar pains at tea-time so carried on as normal. Dh got in 7pm and we put ds1 and dd to bed as usual. I ran a bath, called the midwife who is a personal friend (this is a huge advantage as she looked after me all the way through the pregnancy and I trusted her completely). She arrived 9pm and I headed upstairs to the bedroom where ds2 was born at 11.15pm. I was so relaxed (between contractions) and I'm sure that in itself made things so much easier. I didn't emerge for two days and so rested properly unlike when I came home from hosp. I would do it all again tomorrow too if I didn't think having four children might be too much. Having said that, we're not closing the factory just yet!
I was soooo high I didn't sleep a wink all night - just gazed at my lovely wee man. Dh slept though - you'd think it was him who'd done the pushing!! He was a great physical support though and I'd have struggled without him.
The other two came up as normal in the morning and were thrilled to find their new baby brother in bed with us. Needless to say they were quite late for school that day but what fun they had telling their friends!

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busybee123 · 27/05/2004 10:29

Oh mine was brilliant!!! I had 2 previous hospital births and hated them. Completely planned even though DH was very wary about it....he would rather I went to hospital but went along with me. My waters broke at 9 am and I was having contractions about every 5 minutes straight away. I rang midwife who came at 9.20 and examined me. I was already 4cm dilated!! Rang DH to come home quick!!! Contractions were getting more and more intense. My friend came round to look after my other 2 kids. DH got home about 11.15. About 12.30 I couldn't take anymore so went to the bedroom all set up ready and got on the gas and air. My baby boy was born at 1.36pm weighing 8lb 6.5oz. DH cried cos he was really wanting a boy but was 99% sure we were having another girl. (i knew we were having a boy from my 20 week scan but he didnt want to know so i had to keep it a secret for 20 whole weeks!!!!)10 Minutes later my kids came in to meet their baby brother and were thrilled. They were in the next room all along and even my friend didn't hear anything!!! In fact they were all just about to go out to the park cos my friend thought that as there wasn't much noise I was going to be ages yet!!! DH had to shout her to stay!! By 3pm, just 6 hours after the start of it all, everything was cleaned up and the midwives were gone and we were all cuddled up on the sofa together as one big happy family!! That was just over 15 weeks ago and I would do it all again tomorrow.

emmatmg · 27/05/2004 10:14

There are loads of homebirthers on here, aero.

Me being one of them.
DS2 was an unplanned homebirth with paramedics delivering him on my bed room floor. Dh had gone to get my mum, 70 miles away, both of us thought we had hours to spare!!
DS3 was a planned homebirth which was again very quick.

Very proud of myself for having them at home( planned or unplanned) especially as DS1's hospital birth was awful. However I doubt I could have done it at home with a long labour and I thank my lucky stars that both of them were all over and done with within 3 hours.