I had my a planned home birth with my second baby.. AMA

[Seed90]

Hi

If you’re thinking about or planning a home birth and have any questions I’ll do my best to answer

Do you live in a detached house?

I do

How was it compared to your first birth?

My first birth was a nightmare, and I in part blame that on how awful being in hospital was.

However - being in a hospital is also why we both survived.

So - while I like the idea of not being in a hospital environment, it feels potentially unsafe.

What inspired you to have a home birth?

Nice one! My home births were fabulous. I lived in a terrace btw in answer to the pp, the neighbours were none the wiser. You don't have the scream the place down!

I lived in a flat, and then a semi when I had my homebirths.

Did you face much pressure from medics to have a hospital birth?

I lived in a semi when I had a home birth.

It was faster and less painful than my hospital birth. I felt safer and better supported at home than I did in hospital.

As soon as I gave birth in hospital I just wanted to be at home, in my own bed. When I was pregnant with my second I could vividly remember that feeling of wishing I was having those first moments at home. My midwives were very encouraging and reassuring and gave me the confidence to do it

No definitely not. My midwife team were all for me having a home birth. I didn’t see any other health professionals throughout my pregnancy

Was your other child present?

I lived in an end-of-terrace when I had a HB. I did actually bellow quite a lot during the pushing 😂 But it was daytime and the neighbours never mentioned it so 🤷🏼‍♀️

No - when my contractions were regular and I felt sure I was in active labour he was collected by my lovely mother in law

Bellow 😂

Like a wildebeest!

Where did you birth? I was on the sofa and now I refuse to give it up. Partly because it's my child's birthplace and partly because if he annoys me as a teen I can creep him out.

I loved my home birth, 2 hours after I was snuggled up in bed with new born, freshly showered and eating domino's pizza with the toddler and dh.

Oh and we lived in a flat, neighbours had no idea until they saw the double buggy.

I loved mine too. I was kneeling on a towel, leaning against my sofa. I too can’t see how I’ll ever part with it!

Awww. I had a birthing pool (bought an inflatable one). I lent it to a friend a year or so later and then subsequently to another friend. It made me so happy that three babies were born in it. I never got it back after the last one as it unfortunately ruptured. But that was fine as I wasn’t having any more births!

We have since moved to a different house and I did feel sad leaving the place where DS was born! On the day we moved, I stood in the empty lounge looking at the corner where the pool had been set up. Feeling wistful, I called DS over and told him to say goodbye to the spot where he was born. He was 7 by then and not remotely interested 😂

Can you tell us the 'story' of your first birth?

So did I. My eldest slept through it.

Hiya! Did you have gas and air at your first birth? And if so, did you miss it at your home birth? I gather the midwives only carry about one little canister if that

Would you have gone into hospital at the first sign of complications or would you have waited? Were you considered low or high risk?

Mum to 1 born at home and 4 in hospital.

Clearly I'm not the OP, but I had gas and air at my home births no problem @reallytimetodeclutter

@MidnightPatrol what was it about being in hospital that saved you both? Obviously it depends how remote you are, but it was explained to me that when emergency interventions such as c-sections are needed in hospital, you don't have a surgeon ready prepped and waiting. So when an emergency section is needed at a home birth, the surgeon is prepping as you are on your way in, so there aren't any delays. Also, complications are often picked up earlier, due to you having constant supervision by one or two midwives. When I had my first in hospital, I was just left in room hooked up to a machine for the most part, with a student midwife doing obs occasionally. I consequently felt much safer at home. But hospital was less than a 10 minute drive away.

Me too

Mine was 18 years ago

I listened to a neighbour years ago wail through 3 births. So what? It's totally normal and it only happened very, very occasionally. It's natural and unimportant in terms of the inconvenience in the scheme of things.