Home Birth

[Gabriella93]

Hey! I'm curious to find out if anyone on here has had a home birth and how it worked? I would love a home birth but my house is pretty small and there is carpets all down stairs, I'm guessing it could get messy . I would happily do it in the bath but is that going to work? So I guess my question is, how did you give birth at home and what were the logistics of it? Haha x

3 here. Not messy at all - the midwives know where to put inco pads and if you have a tarpaulin or something everything is contained. I gave birth on the bedroom carpet and sofa and you'd never know.

www.homebirth.org.uk/ has lots of info and stories. If you can find episodes of 'Home Grown Babies' or 'Home birth diaries' on YouTube or somewhere you'll see people give birth in all sorts of different places.

In our small bathroom

Knew we were going to deliver at home all along as no 1 was fast, so plan for no 2 was home.

Went to classes before hand as part of the prep and midwife sent us a bag of medical things we might need and clamps for the cord etc

Turns out there wasn’t enough time for the midwife to get there so had unassisted birth. Bathroom was where I was most comfortable and I just seemed to make my way there.

Had visions of getting tucked up in bed with newborn after a quiet calm birth. But as with all these things, no point in a plan.....

The ins and outs of the paramedics (who did a shift change mid way through) and midwifes dramatic arrival.... plus new baby, we’ll, I had to shush everyone at one point was so noisy! Then blue light in and 2 nights stay for retained placenta!

I did, on the bed. The midwives put down incontinence pads and towels (I supplied them) and the mattress was fine. I didn’t want a water birth, and didn’t really feel the the need to move. It was lovely, especially cos I could have a lovely shower and then a takeaway in bed with my new son straight afterwards

Yeah no mess really here either, gave birth on the living room carpet. Midwives took all the pads and stuff away.

I’ve had both of mine at home and it was lovely. I really can’t imagine giving birth in hospital unless I had a reason to, and for most women with healthy pregnancies there isn’t a reason you need to be. It’s not messy at all. My first was a bit messy as I had her with nothing at all underneath of me (I got up to walk around but none of the floor coverings came with me). But 2nd not messy at all. Both born on the bedroom floor. Midwives cleaned up anything and took it with them, and the house was tidy again and they were gone within 2 hours after both were born. There are several UK home birth groups on Facebook and your midwife may be able to put you in touch with a local group too (though I think they are all happening by zoom now).

Both of mine were delivered at home. Overall both births were good experiences. But you do need to be honest with yourself as there are risks and some personal circumstances are just not suited. Some can be planned for and mitigated, some are just completely unforeseeable. We were low risk, close to a major hospital birth unit (10mins transfer travel time). In our case, ds1 had his cord wrapped twice round his neck and was born blue and had to be resuscitated by the midwives. Didn't need hospitalisation. Ds2 was a shoulder dystocia and his cord snapped as he crowned. Also didn't need hospitalisation. Both situations could have been nasty, both were actually very calm thanks to the amazing skills of the midwife team.

I should add both of mine born on the bedroom floor. I didn’t want a water birth and I liked standing and walking around. Some areas have dedicated home birth midwife teams. Here you have a named midwife who sees you for all appointments at home. She’d come to my house every time. I only had to go into hospital for 2 scans and once just to have heart rate double checked after she checked it during an appointment.

I had my first at home and planning my second currently. I hired a birthing pool online for about 80pounds which we just set up when contractions started. Midwives turned up and baby was born, dh took the pool down while the midwives sorted me and baby out and tucked us up in bed. Midwives left 30 mins later and we ate pizza in bed. Fab.

Sorry, can't advise, but just want to keep an eye on this thread as I am due DC2 in November. Had a very stressful first birth in hospital (not medically stressful, just personally) so am interested in home birth. I live 5 mins from the main maternity hospital for my county, and have had a textbook pregnancy. I am still quite nervous that I would be taking a risk at home in case something goes wrong.

I had a home birth with DS (now 12). I hadn’t intended to, but when the midwife came to examine me at home (I lived in an area that had a one-to-one scheme, whereby the midwife would accompany you to hospital once you were in established labour), she said it’d be unlikely that I’d get there in time and had I considered a home birth? I’d been in labour for about 34 hours, but had been reluctant to go to the hospital too soon and be turned away. The home birth was great - and I can imagine that it would have been even better if it had been planned! I ended up giving birth without any pain relief, but had gas and air for the stitches I needed, and it was all fine. It was definitely so nice to be in my own bed afterwards!

I would have had a home birth for DD too, but I had a low-lying placenta, so had to have a CS.

Good luck!

Logistics wise, a large tarp or couple of shower curtains deals with the mess and the midwives will bring pads etc. I eventually birthed on the floor both times as that's what felt right. I doubt you'd be allowed to birth in your actual bath as they would struggle to get you out if anything went wrong, but I got in the bath within 20mins of each birth to clean, cuddle and feed. The midwives will leave really quickly once they're happy you're all stable, they'd gone at around an hour each time with us. We had Chinese take away delivered and eating within 90mins of ds2's birth.

I put down plastic sheet with an old duvet underneath for comfort then old sheets and towels on top. My house was tiny but that meant less space to cover! I also put plastic mattress protector in bed.

Had 2 home births, both in the lounge with the same set up.

Midwives brought disposable pads etc too. Took a couple of heavily soiled towels for incineration, rest went in washing machine and then to husband as garage rags!

We hired a birthing pool, which I believe was emptied by my FIL with a saucepan (bless him) while, DH, DD and I were still in hospital having been taken in for a suspected third degree tear and heavy bleeding.
I think one of the midwives tidied up all the pads etc after I'd been put in the ambulance. PILs said that beyond the pool, there was no mess at all when they arrived to make sure everything was ok for us when we got home.

I had a home birth with dd2. Borrowed a pool from a friend. We had to put it up in the living room because it's the only space big enough, plus they are very heavy, so upstairs might not be strong enough! The benefit of the pool was that all the mess was contained. Plus it reduced the pain so much.

I would definitely recommend a home birth if you're low risk. It was sooo much better going to bed afterwards in my own bed and being at home I was so much more relaxed than being in hospital for dd1 and made the whole process pretty easy in comparison (hideous experience that time which I won't go into).

We were lucky in that there was (is still?) a dedicated home birth team in this area, so there was a positive attitude about it which I don't think you will always get.

Cheap shower curtains are your friend! They are jollier than tarps.

I had a home water birth with both of mine. The first birth was really long and I appreciated having the run of the house before I got in the pool.

For my first birth in our old house we had a large kitchen with a tiled floor so put the pool in there. For my second we put the pool in the dining room on a wood floor covered with tarp.

My second birth was very quick, 9 minutes first stage and 2 minutes second stage so I was not in the pool for long but still appreciated it.

One consideration is where you want to be for the delivery of the placenta as they don't like you to do this in the pool. I ended up on the floor by the pool for this both times as I got dizzy after the birth.

Also where do you want to be for any stiches. I lay on a covered sofa the first time. The second time I went up to bed but did not need any stitches this time. It is best to prepare where you want to be in advance so surfaces are protected.

I did feel there was quite a lot of cleaning up afterwards but I guess it depends on how good your OH is with dealing with this. Our midwives did not do much cleaning and disappeared fairly quickly after. Second time around I hired a doula mainly just to help with cleaning up and looking after our older son.

Birthing pool at home x2. Each time we had to buy a new hose and used decorating sheets for the area around the pool.

Wonderful, pain free labour and births that were hugely pleasurable.

The most important thing is not whether you make a mess of your carpets, for goodness’ sake!
What is your plan for dealing with an unexpected emergency such as a massive intrapartum haemorrhage? Cord prolapse? Severe fetal distress? Baby needing more complex resuscitation than midwives can provide?
Transfer time to hospital, possibly during rush hour with gridlocked traffic?

No labour is “low risk” except in retrospect. In my 36 years as a hospital anaesthetist I saw many mothers and babies who only survived because I, the obstetricians, and the paed crash team were all available on site immediately for any category one incidents.
My own second baby would have died as a home birth. She was a full term “low risk” normal labour - but arrived with an Apgar score of 1, a barely perceptible heartbeat needing intracardiac adrenaline, multi focal seizures needing 3 different anticonvulsants, unable to breathe for ten hours, needing intubated and ventilated, and spent a week in ITU with a brain haemorrhage and hemiplegia. Midwives could not provide any of what the paed crash team and NICU consultants did. DD graduated uni, and has no residual paralysis or brain damage. As I said - she would have died at home.
Unless you live minutes from a hospital obstetric unit, I’d think twice about the risks you are asking your baby to take.
Why not deliver in hospital, then take an immediate discharge - best of both worlds? You’ll be back home before you know it, there’s no mess to clear up, and you and baby will be safe!

My 4th was a homebirth, in my tiny house with much carpet. We basically laid down painter's tarps all over my bedroom floor with towels on top and most of my labour was in there. I ended up moving to the bath and bubs was born there. The midwives cleaned up everything, they have some supplies too, dh threw all the towels in the laundry. Cleaning up was really a non issue.

Two. Both in a bedroom. We had bought some cheap ugly duvet covers from a second hand shop so if they got ruined it wouldn't matter, and some of the plastic sheeting you get from B&Q for decorating. I ended up delivering standing next to my bed with one and as he was born in the caul with the waters breaking around him as I delivered, it was messy- but very easily cleaned up! With the other I delivered on hands on knees on my bed and was in such a mad state I have no recollection at all of what was under me, how messy it was and how it got cleaned up. It must have been fine though, my mattress wasn't stained or anything.

I had a natural third stage with both home births too, both times in the bed whilst breastfeeding, had towels under me at that point. No issues with mess at all.

Why not deliver in hospital, then take an immediate discharge - best of both worlds? You’ll be back home before you know it, there’s no mess to clear up, and you and baby will be safe!
Pretending that an immediate discharge is likely after a hospital birth is unfair. And OP and her baby are highly likely to be safe with a home birth.

DD2 was born in my bedroom. In an Army House. Not à drop of mess. Would do it again in the very unlikely scenario of becoming pregnant.

As for safety... Works both ways. Mine was advised due to quick delivery of DD1. We lived 45mins from hospital, on country lanes. Considered a lot safer at home with a midwife than at the side of the road waiting for an ambulance. As it was she was born during heavy snow... Definitely not the sort of weather for getting to a hospital quickly. My first was an Unassisted Birth in hospital as I didn't appear to be in labour- there was no one in the room but me.

I had DD1 is the tinest box room in a flat. We had just about enough room for a divan bed, a chair, halogen heater, and the birth ball on a very slim bit of walkable space.. We ended up with 5-6 people+baby in that room (DD1 was a born before arrival, so we had paramedics in there while waiting for midwife's arrival and the pass over between the two was a very cramped ten minutes for everyone who wasn't me and the baby in the bed). My spouse put plastic sheets on the floor and bed...so of course I gave birth on the chair, I'm told it was quite the clean up, but I wasn't involved in that. Still my favourite birth.

I had DD2 in my home office that we'd shoved a cheap duvan bed in. Gave birth on the floor this time. Still pretty messy according to DH. This birth was the worst one and taught me that it wasn't so much the place, it was supportive people (and that I should have called the maternity unit once they had arrived and were clearly not supportive of my choice, but we were so worried about another BBA and not sure if that was an option that we just dealt with it and it did not go well. I now recommend making sure you know what the procedure is on the rare chance a home birthing mother gets assholes like I did).

Some really like baths/water births, but I hated labour in water and I'm told while easier, it's still quite a bit of clean-up.

I have had two.

First one was delightful- born in a birthing pool in the living room, my 5 year old announcing the sex to us, nice hot shower and tucked up in my bed with my family, sweets and a takeaway

Second one was going to be a home birth regardless as she came before the gas and air did

I have had two home births - one not planned and one planned.

Unplanned one was obviously rather messy, although I gave birth in the bathroom so "wipe clean" I guess!?!

Second time it was planned, I was given a list of things to provide (lots of towels, a floor covering like a shower curtain, etc) but they had all their own stuff anyway so I don't think anything I provided was used. I was in the living room and they used sheets and pads to cover the floor. Unfortunately one part must have been missed and part of the rug got soaked in blood so we had to chuck it - but it didn't really bother me!

I liked the idea of it too for my third, but was always unsure about the pool option. My husband talked me into getting a pool which absolutely didn't work because when the contractions started the midwife told me I couldn't get in until contractions were closer and 2nd midwife had to be there. I didn't know this and it upset me, so contractions stopped and midwife went home. From there on the whole thing was a bit frustrating slow labour, felt stupid for calling midwife too early and as it turns out, my brain wanted the security and planning of a hospital. I went in to get checked as I was so frustrated by contractions being every half hour. And she was born half an hour later, after they got it very wrong and had to wheel me through the corridors shouting at me not to push
Was still an absolutely top experience for me, and I prefer being stitched up in what I perceive to be a more sterile environment. It's more about your comfort zone, don't assume it's always home. Also, midwives are all amazing super stars.