I had both my babies at home. AMA

[disneylandlover]

Both my babies have been born at home - AMA

It's not quite human is it. Who goes around with such vitriol. It's pathetic for women to turn on each other like this.

From someone who had a planned home birth which ended in an emergency transfer minutes after birth- I would plan another home birth again. Ultimately, things sometimes go wrong at birth and that can happen in hospitals or at home. As the op has stated several times, it is statistically safer for low risk second time mothers. It's extremely safe still for first pregnancies.

You just need to watch the Horizon program that aired in 2011 when we had substantially more NHS midwives and doctors than we do now that showed multiple instances when babies died in hospital who likely would have survived in a home birth situation due to the lack of medical attention, ironically, in a hospital, meaning emergencies were discovered too late - compared to at home where you have the full attention of at least one medical practitioner at all times.

im sick to death of women saying “my baby would have died if we’d been at home” you k me ow what, maybe mine would have died in hospital seeing as mine was one of the most full with the lowest midwife to woman ratio and a potential cascade of intervention and nobody seeing my baby’s falling heart rate.

can’t we all just be supportive of each other as we go through a life threatening situation. No woman ever puts their baby at risk for their own comfort - we assess whatever risks there are and go with whatever decisions feel best for us at the time

Do you think having a home birth is selfish?

Fwiw, I do. I think two midwives' time (and potentially an ambulance crew's time) would be better spent on a labour ward (or other emergency calls.)

If you were paying privately, if that's possible, then I suppose I'd change my mind about that aspect.

im sick to death of women saying “my baby would have died if we’d been at home”

There is a significant amount of privilege in this statement.

im a labour ward midwife, and home births were never going to be a thing for me as it’s just not me. I’m super comfortable on a labour ward with my friends/colleagues, however am a massive advocate for HBs of low risk. I’ve never seen a genuine emergency transfer from a HB in my 17yrs, except a woman who had a stroke a couple of hours PN which would have probably been missed in hospital, the early signs being missed that is, and also a known breech, woman really high risk and declined midwifery care at home. All other transfers are for high BP, epidural, slow progress.

the care at a homebirth is usually phenomenal, midwives are much more observant at home and will transfer at the first sign of anything, not waiting for things to worsen as happens in hospital.

yes emergencies can happen, Much much less likely than in hospital, but they do. Midwives carry emergency drugs, can suture quickly, cannulate, resuscitate babies… usually pretty well, and if it’s required it’s usually basic resus, advanced resus is usually off the back of complications during labour that would be incredibly likely to have been picked up by the midwife. Shoulder dystocias are mainly resolved by midwives, we are well rehearsed at this and if a doctor is delivering baby by instrumental and it happens, a midwife will often take over.

as I said, it’s not for me,m (definitely not after my complications!!) but I know alot of other colleagues who have them and I continue to advocate for them

Taking your child in a car, smoking, not breastfeeding, putting a baby in its own bedroom, everything carries risk.

We make those decisions all the time. Most of those ranting have probably done some or all of the above.

Yes, let's spend as little on women at their most vulnerable.

What about women who choose to have a c-section despite no ‘medical need’? You could use that logic that the theatre team’s time could be better spent on emergencies or whatever.

Our hospital must be in the minority then as it actively encourages as many women as possible to birth at home. I don't see an issue with it. It's not for me but I've had 3 shit births all which have been the hospitals fault due to the care I've received and I wished I'd had them at home looking back.
The only reason I didn't was lack of childcare on the day.

So selfish. Essentially putting your needs ahead of your child's.

I will be forever grateful for my two fantastic complication-free home births and the superb care I received from the community midwives. I lived close to the (at the time not-good) hospital, appreciate my views may have been quite different had I been further away.
I know my births were quicker and more pain free because I was so much happier and more relaxed than I would have been at the hospital. Water birth at the time was also not a hospital option but fine at home and meant I managed without pain relief, which I couldn't have done without the water.
I had to go into hospital for a few hours halfway through my first pregnancy and it was a thoroughly miserable, depressing and scary experience with very poor care. After that I was even more grateful for the option to have my kids at home.
I would never push my pro-home birth views on anyone, it is obviously not for everyone - but am delighted that so many other homebirthers on this thread also had such positive experiences, and that there have been positive views from midwives too.

I wondered - how does it work with getting the standard checks by the paediatrician on the baby? Do you have to go into hospital or GP for the checks, after the birth?

@Lcb123 the baby check will be carried out by usually one of the homebirth midwives. The paediatrician only now check high risk babies, ie on iv antibiotics, anomalies, significant resus at birth, pre term, having blood sugars, low birth weight.

Women are often encouraged to stay home for as long as possible with zero monitoring and arrive at hospital at the last possible moment

No they are not. Where did you get this nonsense from?

Of course they are. The hospitals are full, the care is appalling. Women are queuing up in labour and being sent home when they don't
Want to be. Then the have babies in the car or at home unattended which are not the safest options.

I take it you haven't had a baby or experience maternity 'care' in the last few years?

This was 4 years ago. It is probably even worse now
www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2018/jan/15/i-knew-i-was-in-labour-why-are-women-being-turned-away-from-hospital-during-childbirth

@EarringsandLipstick I'm afraid I'm my trust they are. Woman are not allowed to be admitted until in active labour which has resulted in women lone birthing due to fast progression etc. these things carry more risk than being continually monitored at home by a midwife in a planned home birth. COVID protocol only made this happen more often. In my trust there has been women who have given birth at the side of the road or in car parks because of this, home birth had been stopped due to COVID and admission until active labour prevented and if they had been allowed into hosp or to labour at home this wouldn't have happened

Yes, if it's surgery for no medical need then yes I do think it's selfish to take that on the NHS.

I suppose most c sections are a medical need though, baby's health or mother's physical or mental health. Cosmetic surgery is maybe a better example.

Well that was certainly my personal experience and that if many other posters when it has been discussed.

A lot of the reasons women opt for home birth overlap with those choosing c-section for non-medical reason- mainly mental health/previous birth trauma/wanting to feel comfortable and safe. Yes both options may use more resources (although arguably not if you look at things overall) but I think women and their choices are important, especially when you look at rates of postnatal depression, birth trauma, rates of suicide in new mothers. A positive birth experience is important.

To everyone feeling in an accusatory mood and being frustrated with statistics claims. Yes they are backed. There was a large (largest every I think?) birthplace study conducted years ago which gave rise I believe to a lot of the NHS policies surrounding birth places. Here it is www.npeu.ox.ac.uk/birthplace#the-cohort-study-key-findings

Yes it's not as black and white - particularly, home births are more fit for women who are not having their first. But the 40% transfer rate is 1) in reference to first births only 2) is mainly NOT emergencies and a lot are more women's choices over pain relief.

I'm sure this is a sensitive topic for many. Some women had very traumatic experience from the way they were treated in the hospital. Others - it saved them. Very sad to see so many accusations though