To consider having a home birth

[EmUntitled]

DD is nearly 2 and we are TTC number 2.

With DD my labour was really quick - 4 hours from first twinges to birth. 90 minutes from waters breaking. We only just made it to the hospital in time and if it had been rush hour or roadworks I'm sure we wouldn't have got there in time. The car journey was by far the worst part of the whole thing.

As I have heard generally second babies are born quicker, I was considering that a home birth might be the way to go. However I have always thought there was no way a home birth would be for me. Am I mad to even consider it?

I’m a midwife, pm if you want to chat

Ps there’s lots of made up stats being thrown around here. Low risk second babies are just as safe at home according to the huge recent birthplace research.

Why would you NOT have a home birth?!
I have had three - best thing I ever did. What's not to like? Wish I had thought of it earlier!
You call the midwife, she comes over, at the point of advanced labour another midwife comes. You have two women giving you 1-2-1 support and you are in your own home.

As someone said to me, IF (and the chances are so slim) IF your new baby or you needed medical intervention an ambulance would be there for you and you would receive treatment just as quickly as if you were in the maternity ward and had to be moved to another room to receive treatment.

The last two I had were home water births too - even better, I HIGHLY recommend.

I had DS1 in a private hospital in London which at that time specialised in natural birth ( The Garden, unit later moved to Lizzy and John) with Yehudi Gordon as my obstetrician. After a very long labour with slow progress I was very aware that in an NHS hospital there would have been interventions and that without the encouragement I received i might well have needed pain relief. After a spell in the pool DS1 eventually decided to arrive with us, huge relief. Even better they told me that as he was delivered without intervention I was a good candidate for a home birth the next time.

DS2 arrived very quickly, another water birth and I had great attention from two local midwives who stayed with me throughout. He did have shoulder dystocia so there was a painful interlude where they rearranged him so he could actually get out but apart from that very straightforward indeed. I was able to have a bath in my own bath (pool very murky) was DS2 myself and relax with a breakfast in bed cooked by DH. later that day I cooked supper as usual (because i wanted to) and we were all together as a family in our own home.

My sons are very close, even as adults, and I think the fact that DS1 came downstairs and was there for the birth is part of the reason. One of the best days of my life.

@higgyhog I had a very long labour with my first and had no interventions in hospital. They were brilliant and baby wasn't struggling so no interventions were pushed and the only one suggested (which I declined) was waters being broken. I was also a great candidate for home birth second time round. Had straightforward (and faster) labour and delivery before it went unpredictability wrong. Good I was in hospital as at best I would have been very ill and had a hugely scary time getting to hospital and at worst dead.

I had to stay in a few days and my children are very close too despite not meeting for three days. I put that down to way more than how the birth went!

Not mad at all. You'd be crazy not to if your previous birth is that quick. With a toddler around you'll probably not be able to bolt out of the door straight away anyway, as you'll have to wait for a babysitter?

A friend recently had her second in her bathroom at home in the space of about ten minutes.

I've had 2 in hospital and the last 2 at home and being home was the best experience I've ever had! I'm ttc #5 and will have another home birth! X

Hi all, just after some sane advice as im sure i am not the only one going through this, not sure if im at the right topic etc so if im in the wrong area i do apologise.

I am currently 9 weeks pregnant, recently split with partner due to constant arguing, hatefullness and ongoing issues, my eyes are open now from what everybody told me, it is clear that he was mentally, emotionally abusing me throughout, i used to be so bubbly, the life and soul anywhere id go, then a few months into relationship this all changed... i was told i was hated daily, that i was ugly, nobody wants me, ive no friends, im a rat, he would just put me down on my appearence, tell me im useless, there were bouts of physical violence also... this has been going on for months on end, but i just never found the courage to go as he would always guilt trip me about money, he would say he never wanted me but would be happy to take money, and like a pleb i went back time an time again, i ended up on anti depressants for a short while, i lost 3 stone in a matter of months, this was due to the arguing and constant drop in self esteem that he would cause, i am now away from it and staying with my parents whom are supporting me to no end and i do feel like i am getting back ontop again... however i am at my witts end, he is still throwing abuse over the phone, then blocks me, tells me he is reporting me, sent me voice notes threatening myself and my family, has told me he has taken anti depressants with alcohol and is quite a heavy weed user. I would just like somebody elses perspective please as he is pushing all blame onto myself, but everybody has noticed the shell of a person i have become, the stress is becoming unbearable as i have anxiety through him and theres nothing im allowed to have. X

@Mommy2be2019
Sorry I don't have much advice on that topic. You are probably better off starring your own thread on AIBU rather than a comment on here I hope you find the help you're after.

@EmUntitled I'd say go for it, I was only at the hospital 15 mins when DS2 was born, it seemed like a massive inconvenience having to get showered, washed etc to come home. I wish I'd just had him at home.

Attempted a home birth with my first but had to transfer in due to slow progress after 40hrs or so. So not the same issue as you! With my second it was 2 hrs active labour and I’m so glad I’d planned to be at home. I’m sure the car journey would have been awful like you say and in general I’d just like to avoid hospitals where at all possible. First time trying to sleep with loads of babies crying etc...at home we got tucked up in our own bed with our little one close by and we all slept contentedly for 5 hours. Echo what pps have said about a better service at home - two dedicated midwives who loved a home birth, I’m sure they were waay more relaxed than the busy midwives on the ward may be, split between several women. After DD was born the left us to it for the first hour, came in to deliver the placenta, put my socks and pants on, made our toast etc. It felt so personal and I felt very cared about. I know this happens in a hospital too but I found it special in my own home. I also like looking nostalgically at the small stain in the spare room from my waters breaking!!

I had both of my children at home. I would 100% recommend. Second birth much quicker so didn’t actually have time to get into the pool but my first was much slower and I gave birth in the pool. If I could do my second again I’d get in the pool earlier but the midwife underestimated how much in labour I was!

My second was born around 7.30pm so my 18 month old was asleep and she was introduced to her baby sister the following morning.

Had a homebirth for my second. Very fast, I wouldn't have made it to hospital. The midwives were amazing and my daughter slept through the whole thing in her own bed, to be woken with a new baby sister.
This was planned, it was snowing outside and I felt safer being at home than us trying to drive on snowy roads. Amazing experience, hypnobirthing helped as did a good quantity of gas and air. Good luck, listen to your midwives/doc and make the birth work for you.

I've had one at home - 1st DC- and one in hospital - 2nd DC. 2nd DC was because one doctor thought we might have problems with DC2 (midwives disagreed) as a big baby so against my gut feelings and wishes, I reluctantly went into hospital. (it was all fine as it happens, could have had him at home anyway).

Both were low intervention births (just gas/air vaginal births) 'good' births is so far as no complications, healthy baby and mother by the end, me and my DP enjoying the experience (apart from it hurting like fuck obviously). I MUCH preferred the home birth and so did my DP. Midwives at both births were lovely but we had more care at home, two midwives with us - 100% just for us - not dashing in and out to other Mums at same time. Much more relaxed and calm atmosphere. No hearing other women shrieking in the next room! It was also so lovely being in our own home, own bed etc afterwards and having privacy when I was trying to learn to feed. If we had any more I would home birth - as long as we are still living not too far from a hospital just in case. Its whatever feels right for YOU and your DP though, no right or wrong way to do it.

I was low risk and was in a midwife led unit. If it had not been for the fact they could get me into theatre very quickly- it was an emergency I would not have been here. Sobering

@emuntitled im not sure how to as im so new to all this... thank you for replying.

The rate of transfer to hospital is what I focussed on when deciding. There's nothing particularly relaxing about stressing about the availability of ambulances and I didn't see the point if a decent percentage end up in hospital anyway.

As it turned out I was right in my choice - we needed urgent medical intervention despite being low risk. I'm so grateful that the consultant team was on hand.

Just for reference - the 2011 birthplace study (on which NICE advice is currently based) shows that for first time mums the rate of transfer to hospital before, during or after delivery was 45% and for second time mums it was 12%.

I felt that this risk of transfer was sufficiently high - I really didn't want a stressful move.

I totally understand though that that may not be a concern for others.

I'd rather have an ambulance transfer than a massively stressed OH trying to negotiate traffic while I'm pushing and yelling like a mofo