I've had 3 homebirths. AMA.

[Chbebe]

Just thought it might be interesting to someone!

Why? Why would you risk it?

I've had 9 home births and the last was our twins. Best thing for me so relaxed and could do what I want and personal attention aswell

I didn't feel it was a risk.

Admittedly I was a lot younger then (I am 41 now) and I'm not sure that I would repeat it at my age.

But I had my 1st baby in hospital and absolutely hated every moment and I had a few bad experiences after birth in terms of care and I just wanted to stay home!

@callmelover The studies show that for low risk births a home birth is as safe as a hospital delivery.

Yes, I was told this by my midwives and at the time I lived VERY close to the maternity hospital and could transfer in minutes if needed. Thankfully never had to.

Well, it is a risk isn’t it?

I lived 45 mins (on a good day) from the maternity unit. Would you have risked a home birth then?

Interesting. I had my first baby at home and the rest in hospital.

Would/did you have a high risk birth with any of them?

What gestation were they born at?

Oh wonderful. My second was a home birth too and it was an absolutely incredible experience. What was your favourite thing about your home births? Mine was that I felt so relaxed and happy both during and after. My recovery was much quicker but untimely they were very different births with my two!

No, completely routine pregnancies and births.
2 of the homebirths were water births.

Being able to get straight in my own bed with my babies and breastfeed. And not having to be left alone, sore and hormonal. That was the worst part of the hospital birth for me. I was only 20 with my first and not a confident person. I felt very intimidated by the midwives and they made me feel very small a few times. Being at home made me so much more comfortable and I was able to bond with my babies properly.

fab! I can tell you know that my home birth (2nd child) felt a damn sight safer with 2 midwives in constant attendance and who stayed for ages after the birth to help get feeding established etc than my hideous first child birth in hospital with overworked midwives popping in and out now and again and the after care was awful.

Sorry my first (hospital) was 42+1
Then due date.
39+6
40+2

Yes that was very much my experience.

And because I had 3, I knew the homebirth team very well and felt wonderfully taken care of by them.
I remember them telling me with my 4th they were all fighting over coming to the birth 😅

@callmelover there are risks in hospital too. At a home birth you have a midwife with you all the time, 1:1

@Chbebe I had 3 home births to. They were the best. For me the difference between hospital birth and home was massive.

Was there any point in one of them where you thought ‘oh f*, I shouldn’t have done that’, like was there a moment where you’d have wanted more pain relief, or a moment of concern for you or babies health?

Does having home births feel like an achievement you're proud of?

Curious because I've always found it hard to imagine wanting to have one, and always wonder what pushes people to do it. Was it more about the negative experience you had in hospital?

Do midwives bring the pain relief to the house like gas and air and pethidine, did you ever have a water birth with any?
Did you give birth on the bed/sofa/floor?
How did you cope?

No, I didn't have any pain relief.
In hospital with my 1st I was given G&A and it made me feel SO sick. I've always had funny reactions to medication and onky really ever taken paracetamol. So after trying the g&a and wanting to vomit I just went it alone. I knew I wouldn't have anything stronger than that (and they still made sure gas was available just in case)

I also had 3 textbook births so at no point was I ever worried about not being in hospital.

I had those 'omg I can't do this' moments but they were just in relation to giving birth, not being at home.

My first in hospital was so appalling in every way, and clinically very unsafe, I vowed never to go back.

Second at home felt much much safer; i had a brilliant, experienced and dedicated NHS midwife who actually paid attention to me. 10 mins from a choice of hospitals. Waterbirth + gas and air, 5 hour labour, one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.

I had 2 home births and felt more safer than if I was in hospital as I had two midwives looking after me throughout whereas when I was in hospital they were run ragged looking after several women at once, I was constantly monitored so an ambulance would have been called if needed.

My second DC was a home birth due to the lack of care I received in hospital when I had dc1. I was in for a week and honestly 80% of the staff were horrific. I vowed never to cross those doors again unless there was no other option.

I found the home birth healing in some ways, I had all control (well as much as you can when giving birth). I refused anything but necessary observations. The midwives drank tea and chatted during my labour, helped me to bring dc2 into the world and then helped me shower and get into bed. They supported bed sharing (appropriately) and only left once we were settled. The worst thing to happen was the gas and air running out mid labour 🤷🏻‍♀️

The same midwives attended the next few following days for checks and were so supportive and caring.

It was a world of difference to the horrific birth of dc1, medically and mentally.

I'm proud of my babies but the way in which they got here doesn't feel like an achievement to me. I don't think my homebirths were more important or more of an achievement over my sons hospital birth and if I had needed to go to hospital and have a section for example, I wouldn't feel like a failure.
Birth happens in many forms, all are equally important life experiences.
I think the only difference in my homebirths is the fact that people do see it as a bit of a curiosity and maybe there is a bit more of a 'story'for people, if that makes sense. But I definitely don't feel like staying at home was an achievement, it was just the way I wanted to have my babies.

Not the OP but whilst my homebirth wasn't a point of pride for me, I do look back on it fondly as a time I advocated for myself and what suited my needs. I think a lot of how births go is unpredictable and I can completely understand someone wanting to be in a hosiptal setting given that.

At the time I was still BFing my eldest and wanted the least disruption to DS1 life as possible - a homebirth suited that. I also hated the time I spent in hospital with DS1 and had a long recovery and was kept in longer than necessary so was very motivated to birth in a space I felt comfortable amd could recover quicker. As it turned out, my midwives only turned up as DS2 was crowning at my HB so they didn't have much involvement in his delivery but were ther4 fot all the immediate afterbirth which was great - I felt much more supported and looked after than my hospital birth. It was very quick and easy birth which I appreciate mean I'm looking upon it with rose tinted specs. I genuinely believe that the birth of my DS1 would have been very different without induction and interventions though.