Where would you give birth - poll!

[otterbaby]

Hi all,

Just looking for some unbiased opinions please! I am hoping for a water birth with gas & air as the main method of pain relief. Low risk pregnancy and first time mum, due in 5 (ish) weeks.

Option 1 - birth at my local hospital. Roughly a 5 minute drive away. DH is allowed to stay 1 hour after the birth and no visiting in the subsequent days if I'm required to stay over. No facilities for water birth, but some rooms have large baths (but not large enough to actually birth in).

Option 2 - birth at the midwife led birthing unit attached to the local hospital, so still a 5 minute drive away. DH is allowed to stay 24 hours after birth but cannot leave the room. Does have a pool for water birth but overall, rooms are pretty small, basic and amenities not great. Midwives are a bit stretched as well as they cover both the hospital & midwife led birthing unit.

Option 3 - birth at the midwife led birthing unit 30 minutes away. DH allowed to stay 24 hours after birth but cannot leave the room. Huge pool for water birth, massive room, sofa bed for DH to sleep on, poncey fairy lights, overall a great atmosphere. Receives fantastic reviews about midwife care and really positive birth stories. However, if there were complications with me/baby, would have to be blue-lighted to the hospital (possibly 15-20 min drive in an ambulance?).

Option 1 is my least favourite. I'm stuck between 2-3. I'm fully aware that when the time comes, labour might be so painful that I just want to get to the nearest unit and start sucking on gas & air. There is also the possibility that both 2 and 3 may be fully booked, but that's very unlikely. I'm just not sure if I'm romanticising Option 3, as it does worry me a bit that I would be so far from the hospital should something go wrong.

I'm pretty flexible but some outside opinions would be great!

I would go with number 3 without hesitation.

But I had home births and loved them so...

So much depends on where you feel you would be most comfortable and what your individual risk factors are.

@KindKylie thanks! I am very much leaning towards option 3 as well.

Have you discussed options with your community midwife? I’d be leaning towards option 3 but would want to consider risk factors, particularly as a first-time mum.

Option 2. You have no idea of what your birth will actually be like and your pain threshold, id much rather give birth in an MLU and know that a hospital was an option.

I did have an EMCS though and the thought of being in an ambulance needing to be transported elsewhere is pretty terrifying.

I would not go for option 3. When things go wrong it can be quick and being blue lighted to hospital would be scary and could make the outcome worse. It's unlikely and I don't want to scare you, but things can go wrong suddenly for a FTM even with no prior risk factors.

Option 2 - peace of mind knowing hospital on hand if anything goes wrong and you can do most of your labouring at home as you know you only have a five minute drive.

Option 2. You’re not going to care how big the room is when you’re in a pool and the safety of having everything you need right next door cannot be played down.

My option isn’t there as I’d also have said home birth but otherwise option 2 is fine.

I did option 3 twice. First time had to be blue lighted to the hospital, but all was well and I was so far into giving birth that I barely noticed the ambulance trip.

Second time I got to stay for the whole time and had a water birth.

Both were amazing, very positive experiences.

As a first time mum I would have gone for option 2

My closest MLU and hospital are both 25 mins away, about 20 mins from each other. For my first birth I chose the MLU - same as you, low risk.

I was transferred due to failure to progress.

Now expecting number 2 (due in 6 weeks) and we plan on going back to the MLU. They will transfer you if they are remotely worried about anything. Obviously I didnt have a choice of a closer hospital but loads of people live a 30 min drive from a hospital.

So, in sum, I'd go with number 3!

Option 3!

Judging by my first labour I'd plan for 3 but make peace with 1.

I had a low risk pregnancy and was booked into our birth centre. During early labour I had a bleed and that meant I had to go to labour ward. I still had a good birth with a lovely midwife.

Baby 2 was also low risk but no bleed this time. I went to the birth centre, had the same midwife and a beautiful water birth.

1. It's attached to the hospital, so you can be wheeled there if necessary (ours is the same - I started in 2 and ended up in 1 for my forceps delivery). Not 3. I'm sure 3 is lovely, but it's too far from a big hospital if something goes wrong.

Option 2 for me, particularly as a first time mother. I gave birth in an MLU attached to the hospital and only needed to be wheeled across the corridor if things went pear shaped. For me, that was hugely reassuring. I had a wonderful, calm pool birth, which I loved, but I’m the only one of my friends to have experienced that. For various other reasons, their births went down different paths. You cannot predict how labour will go and being close to the hospital gives you options if things don’t go to plan - which often they don’t!

Option 2 for a first time mum.
Even though I did have a home birth for dc2.
With dc1 I spent most of my labour at home and I was very low risk etc... Got to the hospital ready to push and all was going well but right at the end dc1s heart rate dropped and I needed intervention then and there or the outcome would be very different, ended up with instrumental delivery. When she was born she was taken away to a specialist pead before I even got to see her as she was born with a complication that wasn't picked up until she literally came out. Also I stayed at home a bit longer than I should have really and I'm not sure I would have made it to hospital if it was more than 5 minutes away.
My friend did give birth in her car in the road side!
Its unlikely something will go wrong and I'm not trying to scare you or anything but just based on my experience I'd want all the pain relief and medical intervention right there for a first time birth.
If I had been in a midwife led unit with no hospital attached my dd would possibly not have survived.

Just a thought- you might find it helpful to ask for birth outcome statistics from each. If the journey time from stand-alone MLUs (or indeed home births) to a larger hospital caused a drop in positive birth outcomes then I cannot see how or why they would be used.

Just a thought!

Ooo, lots of votes for option 2. It is the reassurance of being so close to the hospital that makes this choice more attractive...I'd like to think my birth will go according to plan but I'm not that naive!

@OhToBeASeahorse good point! I have spoken to option 3 who were very reassuring but I don't actually know the percentage of women who have had to be transferred/birth outcomes. Will add to my list to ask.

Option 2.
I had a few hair raising moments during birth that required an emergency buzzer and doctors coming into the room and then delivering my baby.
Option 3 for me, just isn’t close enough.

I would personally go for 2. However if the hospital really is that close then it should be fine. Mine is far away!!

Option 2 .
You are already at the hospital if an emergency occurs rather than having to travel.

Option 2 or 3; option 3 sounds like a lovely setup, but depends how nervous you’d be not being attached to a hospital. I think being low risk you would be fine with option 3.
I just had a water birth at home with minimal gas & air 4 days ago - I really recommend this if it’s an option for you. I did have to go into hospital afterwards for surgery (reopened some of the damage from my previous birth), but we drove there in our car and it wasn’t a problem.
Good luck making your decision!

I'd go for number two...I had dc2 at the birth centre attached to the hospital. I wouldn't give birth anywhere that wasn't close to a hospital.

Just to back up my earlier post.Being in Hospital i was in Theatre within 10 minutes when needed.

Five minutes from the hospital, I’d stay at home, DH could stay as long as he wanted and I could have as many poncey fairy lights as I wished for with a hospital five minutes away if it was required.

I definitely would not want to travel in labour - five minutes possibly would have been manageable, 30 minutes would not have been doable especially in my first labour which was my fastest.