AIBU to want a home birth for first baby?

[User383673]

I would NEVER have had myself down as a home birth kind of person. Have always said I would want an epidural right away. But I’ve been doing a lot of research and I am now thinking that actually a home birth might be right for me. Here are the pros and cons as I see it:

pros

Get to be at home - much nicer & more enjoyable

DH truly useless in hospitals, will probably faint

I also hate hospitals

Worried about cascade of intervention

Kept in hospital for things you wouldn’t be sent to hospital for

Guaranteed birthing pool (if I hire)

2 midwives just for you

Less likely to tear & have forceps used

cons

Slightly increased risk of poor outcome

No epidural

Maybe a bit old? (30)

Likely to end up in hospital anyway

What if it all goes wrong?

Has anyone had a home birth for a first pregnancy? Does anyone have advice / experience to share?

Thank you!

I was low risk with my second baby, after I pushed her out and delivered the placenta I started to haemorrhage. There was no indication that was going to happen but If id of been at home I would of been in serious trouble and close to death. I would rather be in a place with medical intervention ASAP.x

Omg drama llama. ‘Worst pain of your life’ it probably was but at no point was it unmanageable. I walked in to hospital when I transferred. I was pretty calm because I had been at home for the long long time I was in labour. There’s no need to be panicking if you’re not yet in transition. I don’t get why people are so keen to scare people out of homebirth?

Your own environment can make your hormones work more efficiently which makes you labour more effectively, a more relaxing experience as your body knows it's safe in your own home
Here's a great video demonstrating home birth...

https://vimeo.com/254857068

does contain images of birth so don't watch if you don't want to see such things!

forget the anecdata. Stats: as a first timer your risk of adverse outcome doubles. From 4 in 1000 to 8 in 1000. I’d say these are still acceptable risks for me www.nhs.uk/news/pregnancy-and-child/births-at-home-or-in-hospital-risks-explained/

Laurie Marlow, go and have look on cb page here. In becoming a parent.

A ladys baby turned at last minute. No one could prepare for that. Medics tried to turn baby, he kept turning back. She developed heamotopia... It was internal bleeding etc.

There's myriad of stuff that can go wrong. Be very carful of getting sucked into the very convincing, anyone can do it literature around it.

I think for second, third time low risk mums... Fabulous.. Still risky but your far better informed to take that risk and make that call.

Hospitals are not awful they save lives. And in cb esp first time your life and babies life is at risk.

Honestly...having had 2dc I wouldn’t have a home birth as a first. I understand why people do, as hospitals not a nice environment, but for your 1st you just don’t know what your labour will be like. There’s so many unknowns, eg I had no idea gas and air would make me projectile vomit! (More common than you think...) I think if you have a straightforward 1st birth it is a good thing to consider for your 2nd.

I know reetgood. It’s bizarre. In fact of the few Mums I know who have transferred during labour, not a single one regrets planning a home birth.

shutthefrontdoor it depends how far you live from the hospital in that instance.
The ambulance crew is on stand by. I needed to transfer for a non emergency and they were at the door in 2 mins.

I planned a home birth. Like you I was probably a bit overwhelmed by a big hospital with a very busy maternity unit that often closed due to being full and you were sent elsewhere. we set up a birthing pool (a nightmare for DH to clean out and empty afterwards!!)Gas and air, pethedine on standby. Laboured at home, it was fine but I did get cold, hospitals are warm places. Baby got a bit stuck so I had to transfer to hospital, spinal block, prepped for cesarean, ended up forceps delivery. DH had to follow behind in the car because the midwife accompanies you in the ambulance if you do transfer. Not ideal birth and definitely not the plan but the outcome was fine.

Second baby I opted for a hospital birth. We had moved, lived much further from the hospital which would have worried me if I had needed to transfer. Hospital was smaller and the maternity unit generally less busy which reassured me a lot. (The hospital staff had to do the clean up and not DH) That was a really positive birth experience for me.

If you can, I would try and have one. I’ve had two successful home births, i had a birth-pool and used Hypnobirthing. I was lucky and both my births were very quick but I’m also about 5mins away from the hospital. In my area you are allocated two midwives if you opt for a home birth.

It was absolutely the best thing for me as I hate hospitals, needles etc and would’ve even been uncomfortable in a birthing unit ( my next preferred option would’ve been at the Portland!) the best part for me was being at home with the baby afterwards and it was amazing being able to sort myself out with everything I needed and not having to worry about sleeping in a strange place and having my DH right next to me to support.

You can change your mind at any point but it’s worth letting the midwives know that’s what you want so that they can give you the homebirth bag if you go ahead and have one. It’s good to plan for it not working out at home but also giving yourself a chance to stay at home for as long as you can.

Reetgood.... So your pain was OK, you could walk into hospital, you at been at home nice and relaxed.
. Snap. I had been at home, I'd had amazing relaxing time. But once in established labour I could barely move and I felt like a hammer was smashing my bones.

How on earth does op know how she will feel? Until she's done it.

My est labour was quick, I was told I had incredible first labour. My dh massaged oils into me.. I had soft music...

(consultant.) gave wry laugh over that when I said it didn't help. My baby had half turned so she was partly back to back.. No amount of candles and smooz could help when a large baby is on its way out!

There definitely are some birth issues that havw no warning signs. I started to haemorrhage due to uterine atony while having skin to skin and had to go onto a drip for 4 hours post birth.

I don't know anyone who has managed a home birth for their first. One friend tried, called the MLU and was told to go to hospital as no midwives were free. She needed a section in the end as the baby was 10lb and got stuck.

OP for me the bad bit about hospital was the labour ward afterward. Noisy, disruptive, etc. But for 2nd DC I paid for a private room after the birth. Could this be an option for you? It made all the difference to me.

You can transfer at any point with a homebirth. Even if it’s ‘nope sorry, made a mistake’. I transferred after 30 hours at hole when we had signs of meconium. The occasions when you need operating in minutes are rare. You’re not without medical care at home. You have two midwives attending. Home birth does not equal free birth.

I was in labour ward for all three of mine but I still think midwife led unit within a proper full on hospital is the best of all worlds. You are then only a 2 min lift ride away from the obstetricians in the event that anything goes wrong and if nothing goes wrong the environment in the midwife led units are home from home.

I was “low risk” with my third but as it turned out the outcome may have been very bad had I been anywhere other than in hospital. And that is after two relatively straightforward deliveries with no1 and no2.

The other thing to note is that the statistics are completely skewed. They show very little intervention or poor outcomes of home births but that is probably because anyone needing intervention gets blue lighted to hospital and the intervention happens there, and any poor outcomes also happen after they get to the hospital.

Babdoc indeed and the most risk to babies life is on the day it comes into the world.

Totally reasonable as long as you remain healthy and low risk.
There are very few catastrophic emergencies in low risk spontaneous labours. Most transfers happen for analgesia or slow progress.
If it feels tight to you, book it, you can always change your plan at any time.

I have a question for the midwives and medical professionals on here.

Are there birth complications that come completely out of nowhere, with no warning signs at all?

To be clear and not meaning in anyway to be rude, I'm only interested in what medical professionals have to say about this.

There may be signs or suggestions that non medical types aren't aware of. And there may not. But I want the medical view, thanks.

I planned a home birth with my first. Had the pool etc. My labour was v v slow and painful, 24 hours into contractions I was only 3 cm dilated. A few hours later I got into the pool, had around 4 hours in there. Waters broke with meconium in and emergency transfer to hospital.
Transfer was horrendous. I requested to go to the consultant led care part of the hospital so I could have an epidural. Labour continued for another 8 hours, had the syntocin drip, got fully dilated but baby still in bad position, emergency c section.

I don’t regret trying for a home birth but I live less than 10 minutes drive from a regional specialist maternity hospital. I wouldn’t do it if much further away than this as the likelihood of transfer is high.

I opted for midwife led unit for my first and didn’t even get out of the assemessment unit before baby arrived just a few hours into labour. 3Rd degree tear and a prolapse. If we ever had another it’d be an elective c section for me!

@snowmaggeden mine turned out to be undiagnosed breech. He was a long, biggish baby (8lb 13). I did walk around the room during established labour, we were 6 hours in active labour in hospital before the head is actually a bum issue was identified....

If I’d been at home I would probably have opted to blue light in, mostly as I was knackered and I feared baby would get stuck. Baby was fine throughout.

Op can’t know, but there’s also the statistically more probable option that she’ll be fine.

I had a textbook pregnancy, labour and birth. Then I haemorrhaged, sorry to be graphic but it was splashing on the floor. The crash team were in the room within minutes of my babys birth and I still lost 2.5 litres of blood. You have no way of knowing of it will happen to you. Personally I would go for a midwife led unit attached to a labour ward. Calm and you are in the right place no matter what.

@LaurieMarlow yes problems can occur out of nowhere but with good care this is extremely unlikely. It's just you sometimes the unpredictable happens.... but midwives and obstetricians are trained for the unexpected events so they are prepared to deal with them.
What is vitally important is continuity of carer has been proven to reduce risks to mum and baby whatever birth choice but does help increase chances of natural birth too.
This is why it's is part of the national agenda for midwifery as continuity has a massive impact on wellbeing and outcomes not just patient experience

I would have loved a HB but unfortunately went very overdue and never got past 2cm dilation

A friend had 2 home births which were wonderful

Have you listened to 'fear free childbirth' podcast - think it would really help you decide

Best birth plan to make is to go with the flow on the day - no pressure that way!

Forgot to say, my midwife told me I wouldn't need pain relief for home( I was sceptical and got pethidine just in case)

Didnt need anything. I think when you are relaxed you don't feel pain as intensely. I was 8 cm when midwife got there and just before that I'd been chatting to my friend on the phone.

I think there are many positives to home birth if you can and are low risk.

I've had both my babies at home, both were amazing experiences I doubt I'd have had in hospital. I did hypnobirthing with both and couldn't recommend it more highly. Good luck whatever you choose, it's all about what you feel comfortable doing x

I had a homebirth with my second after having my first in hospital with a wonderful homebirth midwife who had been drafted in on a busy shift. It was amazing. A big factor in my decision was how close I was to hospital, 7 minutes or so with blue lights. I ended up giving birth in my kitchen minutes after the midwives arrived and was having lunch in a cafe the next day. Like a pp, my area has a really encouraging homebirth Facebook group and it might be worth searching for something similar. A couple of things which resonated with me: homebirth midwives are often at the forefront of training such as neonatal resuscitation, so will be very very skilled; and I read somewhere that hospitals can sometimes approach birth as a medical problem to be solved, but the ethos behind homebirth teams is often that birth is a positive experience.