To want a home birth?

[InMemoryOfSleep]

I’m not pregnant (yet), but chatting to my mum and some friends recently I mentioned I’d like a home birth next time. Their reactions weren’t positive, to say the least - despite me explaining that, for a 2nd baby, home birth is as safe as an MLU, and both are safer than a hospital. They’ve made me really doubt myself - having read the research and stats I was convinced it’s the best option, but am I missing something?!

Oh - and I haven't had a home birth but I strongly argue for them.

My hospital birth went wrong. The outcome was substantially worse for me than if I'd been left to labour naturally.

Did either of you die? Because that’s what matters.

Sorry that was really blunt, no offence was meant. I just mean the end result is what matters.

I haven't had a home birth either and would almost certainly never get the green light for one. But I'm very pro the choice being available in the right circumstances.

Did either of you die? Because that’s what matters.

I don't know about that. An acquaintance of mine's baby suffered catastrophic brain damage after a hospital birth. She was left labouring for 36 hours without adequate monitoring. The baby was in serious distress and no one noticed.

That's the sort of situation that's unlikely to have happened during a home birth.

Did either of you die? Because that’s what matters.

Actually health of baby and mother is pretty important too.

What are the numbers on babies/mothers dying in home births compared to babies/mothers dying in low risk hospital births? I did used to know and decided the difference was not sufficient to persuade me against homebirth given that all other outcomes were weighing heavily in favour of homebirths.

I don't know about that. An acquaintance of mine's baby suffered catastrophic brain damage after a hospital birth. She was left labouring for 36 hours without adequate monitoring. The baby was in serious distress and no one noticed.

Which would be down to less than ideal amount of staff, rather than medical intervention causing the problem.

Which would be down to less than ideal amount of staff, rather than medical intervention causing the problem.

A hb would have an experienced professional mw watching you and only you and would intervene before it got to that critical stage.

I never said medical intervention caused the problem .

My point is that people put a lot of emphasis on where the mother is labouring, but that's neither here nor there if monitoring isn't good enough.

One of the upsides of a home birth is the one to one (or two to one) midwife care and greater experience levels in these midwives.

Particularly when the mother is a low risk second timer, who's exactly the type to be left to get on with it in a busy ward.

A hb would have an experienced professional mw watching you and only you and would intervene before it got to that critical stage.

With what? A handheld Doppler? I’ll take CTG machines and access to consultants.

With what? A handheld Doppler?

Sadly, my acquaintance didn't get this level of monitoring, in a busy hospital full of doctors and medical equipment. Good midwifery is the first and most important line of defence.

When the baby was born there were plenty of doctors available, but it was too late.

Whereas in a home birth situation, the baby would have been monitored more closely and taken to hospital at the first sign of difficulty.

I've had two home births. I had to fight for them because they wanted me to go to the MLU instead, despite the fact it's 10 minutes further away from the hospital.

I wanted HB because you get the undivided attention of at least one midwife, if not two. In my first (twin) pregnancy I was left alone while they went to 'quickly' check on other women before they checked me over. They were totally dismissive of my belief that I was very far on in labour. They ignored the buzzer twice and only came to the room when my Nana yelled at someone that the first baby was crowning.

If its a safe pregnancy then the risks at home are no different to the MLU, especially when the MLU is further away from the hospital.

I haven’t read ANY of the replies but will catch up soon. I just wanted to say that I had a homebirth for my youngest and it was amazing. I came up against a lot of doubters and a certain amount of having to fight my corner because I had a PPH with my first but subsequently had an unproblematic birth, so my midwife was very supportive. If anything I felt it was safer as I had the undivided attention of two midwives (plus two students!!), but it wasn’t medically intense because I wanted to get on with birthing by myself so they sat back and only ‘got involved’ at the very very end (and even then totally respected my wishes). It was the most incredible experience and I’m so glad I did it. Plus I rang for a dominos pizza virtually 10 mins after giving birth and munched an entire pizza whilst doing my first breastfeed beats hospital toast for me!! I’d say if you’re keen - go for it!

Hospital birth was awful. Vowed never to return. Had perfect planned Home birth with no 2. I had to be firm even though I was ultra low risk and had full support from Home birth midwife unit, but I didn’t have any real opposition. It was 1993.

With what? A handheld Doppler? I’ll take CTG machines and access to consultants

We know you would. We know that unless we have a room of life saving machines, a team of consultants and a theatre in our garden you think we are irresponsible “woke” (whatever that is) people who also may as well die prematurely in the developing world from flu! You wrote all that this morning not me.

You could argue that a mw with a hand held Doppler is focussing on you more so that if she could rely on a machine.

Personally I don’t want to be strapped up to a machine. I have been with dc1 and thankfully had it removed and moved to mlu.

So each to their own.

Having had both my children at home (planned) I did a lot of research before my first. I had spent months in hospital as both my father and my MIL after suffering long illnesses died in hospital. I was so lucky to have a very experienced community midwife who said she would work with me to keep at home if at all possible. However, she said I needed to trust her as if she said we needed to go to hospital I would need to go. I was already 36 when I became a first time mum (planned home birth) and 38 when I had my second. I would say if you want a home birth talk to your medical professionals and if your risk factors are normal then it doesn't matter what anyone else says it go for a home birth. For low risk women statistically home is the safest place. My friends from other countries couldn't understand why (unless you were high risk) you would be giving birth anywhere but at home.

Funnily enough all these catastrophic examples would be almost 100% avoided with planned elective c-sections! Which seem to be reflexively classed as Very Bad Things.

I agree. I chose one.

DC1 - hospital birth. Left alone for hours. No pain relief given for the first 12 hours. Missed hearing heartbeat dropping to 70 as not monitored. 2 hours pushing. Came out blue and needed resuscitation.

DC2 - hospital birth. No pain relief again. Left alone again. Wanted to go home straight after birth, but couldn’t as had to wait 24 hours to see if there was an infection.

DC3 - home birth. Two midwives all to myself. Gas and air when I wanted. TV on when I wanted. Constant monitoring. In my own surroundings. Still bloody agonising and got stuck in transition, and went to hospital 3 days later with pre eclampsia symptoms....but out of all 3 births, definitely the one I was in most control.

Hospital was ten minutes away though.

Midwives around here love a home birth.

planned elective c-sections ... which seem to be reflexively classed as Very Bad Things

Certainly not by me. I'm currently fighting to get one. In fact I don't recall seeing a single comment against planned c sections on this thread, so I'm not sure where you've gleaned that from.

I believe that all women, with the help of evidence, should be able to define what constitutes a 'good' birth for themselves. Of course it's not always going to work out as planned, but as a starting point.

I think planned sections are amazing and would certainly have one if offered. However I have not been offered one and would have to really fight for one because it would be against medical advice..... Whereas the home birth i am planning was readily backed up by every medical professional ive seen.
Id basically take anything that was suggested that wasnt the hospital birth in stirrups that I had last time.
What has been suggested to me as the safest option is home birth rather than the section so that is what I have gone with.
Id certainly happily have a section however. I dont think they are 'a very bad thing' at all. Im not having a homebirth because I think thats how all women should give birth and its 'natural' or whatever. Im having it because it was suggested to me as the best thing in my specific circumstances where my hospital birth had a negative outcome on me due to the intervention and the stress it caused me. I certainly dont think its superior to any other form of birth its just that weighing all the options up it does seem like it might be best for me.

Not necessarily from this thread but the prospect of a C section generally is, in my experience, classed as an intervention, and to be avoided if at all possible.

I agree with you that women should be able to choose a "good birth" for themselves. Ironically it seems what home birther & c-sectioners have in common is that their preferred option is often not easily available!

I think there is complacency either way. There is certainly the idea that in hospital everything will be taken care of and safe which is not always true, just as the idea that having a home birth means you get an attentive, skillful, caring midwife with nothing else to focus on which isn't always true either. I certainly didn't one with my third child, and I ended up in high dependency ward even after a picture perfect birth because of my midwife's choices which were against recommended procedures because she, very vocally and through her actions, was unsupportive of me. Sadly, all women seem to need to be on their guard at such a vulnerable time.

I find it interesting how often that idealized image has come up in this thread as a reason against hospital births even when criticizing how often the idealized hospital birth doesn't pan out. Alongside how many of us went to home births because of bad experiences in hospitals, I think there is a people issue within the system that is being masked by the idea that the setting is the ultimate factor. I think it might be because it's really hard to hold individual medical professionals responsible - and when we can it often doesn't feel like it has much effect - so it's easier to act like the whole place is wrong. I know I've felt that way, I still struggle to go into them without an extra pair of eyes 'just in case' with what medical abuse I've dealt with before. It's rough for a lot of us.

I was thinking about a home birth after going to the MLU last time. But I have come to the conclusion that I'm too lazy to prepare the house and / or tidy up afterwards to be honest!!

The one to one care offered by the MLU was really important to me, and this is the main reason I wouldn't choose a hospital birth as a low risk patient. I'm more comfortable with the risk of being further away from equipment than I am with the risk of being left alone for ages in an overstretched hospital that has been in special measures / requires improvement for over 4 years.

Good luck with your decision, OP.

Had a home birth with first DS and a hospital birth with 2nd DS so I've tried both (both birth were 'normal' vaginal births) . I found home much , much better. I was very well supported at home - not just left on my own! Two midwives (one for me, one for baby came too in later stages) with a whole kit of equipment on hand. I was a 'normal' low risk preganany even though I was an older Mum (38). Every midwife I saw leading up - there was a team in my area so I seemed to see several over my pregnancy - was supportive of the plan. I knew I could simply change my mind on the day if I felt uncomfortable with it. My mum however was horrified and acted like I was going to harm my baby - her reaction was well intentioned but came out of ignorance of how our bodies (and minds) are designed to work in labour and lack of knowng anybody who had had a home birth. My birth was brilliant - for me, DH and the baby. It was relaxed, in my own home and totally comfortable (well as much a can be!). I had better one to one care than I would have had inhospital and I'm sure my relaxed and familiar environment contributed to a low intervention, relatively speedy and safe delivery of a very large baby! If it feels right and your are not 3 hours from a hospital just in case, I'd say go for it.