Has anyone had a home birth for a first baby?

[HBStowe]

And if so, what was it like?

I don’t know if IABU to even consider this...

(Also not actually pregnant yet, just trying! So have no idea how I will feel when actually pregnant)

All 3 of mine were home births.
My first was very textbook but not as long as most - 10 hours, start to finish.

My thinking was that you can start at home and transfer if wanted/needed. You can't start at hospital, reckon you'll manage at home and swap.

And second the PP who says you don't want to be transferred during the height of contractions - in the back of a bumpy ambulance - one of the worst journeys of my life (and I include horrific sea sickness on a wreck of a boat in that! )

And also - despite it all ending in an EMCS, the worst bit by far was the time I spent labouring at home.

I had a home birth with my second (although was 13 years after my first!). I firmly believe that I avoided birth injuries and instrumental delivery by being at home - as similar to a PP my baby was in a funny position and I had very long second stage (heartbeat checked regularly and no issues so no need to transfer). He was born slowly and I did not need a single stitch or have as much as a graze on me.

What I will say is that if it's NOT an emergency transfer or pre-emergency (ie they recommend you go in to be on the safe side) and you simply "change your mind" then you might be waiting a long time for an ambulance

The vast majority of women feel like giving up when it gets close to the end and I was no exception. Being at home I didn't have the option of epidural and with hindsight I'm glad but at the time I was like nooooo what have I done!

That said, I personally wouldn't choose home birth for a first baby as transfer rate is high (50%?) but know plenty of people who have had great experiences both staying at home to deliver and transferring in.

Best of luck x

I really wanted a home birth for my first.

My husband was worried that at 40 minutes to the hospital, if anything went wrong, it'd be too late to get there.

In reality, I spent a lot of time at home, in the bath, going for walks, practising hypnobirthing. Everything was great.
I went to the midwife birth centre at 8cm dilated. They let me push for 5 hours and ended up with an emcs under GA followed by massive internal bleeding.
If I'd had a home birth, I'd have probably pushed for far less time and been on the labour ward with a consultant FAR quicker.

Now I'm not allowed a home birth next time.

It's a personal choice. Do what feels right for you.

I personally would never have a home birth BUT the statistics are clear that it is a slightly raised risk for a first birth and roughly equal for a subsequent birth. The problem is that people talk a lot about how awful it would have been if they hadn't been in hospital (often failing to appreciate that in many - not all, but many - of these cases they'd have actually been transferred to hospital earlier anyway if at home, because if you're labouring in hospital a midwife isn't going to say 'oh by the way I think there's a chance the baby will go into distress soon but we can't do anything yet so just try and forget that and carry on', so it seems to 'come out of nowhere' more than it did) but no one ever thinks that they may have had complications from being in hospital that they wouldn't have had at home

I was a low risk pregnancy, first baby. I had a lovely labour in the pool at my local maternity unit but unfortunately my baby turned the wrong way round. As there was no sign of him being in distress they let me have the best possible try at pushing him out: in the pool, on the cushions, standing up, you name it! I did end up with forceps as he absolutely wouldn’t budge after about three hours. They moved me from the midwife led unit over to the labour ward and the forceps delivery was fine - I had an epidural which worked brilliantly and my stitches were sore but healed pretty quickly.

In hindsight I’m glad I didn’t opt for a homebirth as I wouldn’t have wanted to get into an ambulance and be transferred in the middle of painful contractions! Also the ambulance service is really stretched locally so potentially there could have been a big delay if there wasn’t an ambulance free when I needed it.

I would definitely go for the midwife led unit again. I didn’t feel under any pressure to have any intervention I didn’t want and the doctors only got involved when it was clear we weren’t going to manage on our own.

I had all four of mine at home. Had very positive experiences for all of them. Just make sure you understand how the birth process works, it helps you stay focused and calm I found.

With my first birth I had two amazing midwives. The midwife I’d been seeing for antenatal care was on duty so that was great as she’d been so supportive all the way through when I wanted a homebirth.

There is always a risk. You do need to accept that and mentally prepare for emergencies too.

And second the PP who says you don't want to be transferred during the height of contractions - in the back of a bumpy ambulance - one of the worst journeys of my life (and I include horrific sea sickness on a wreck of a boat in that! grin)

I don't really get this point - maybe it's because due to poor advice and not being listened to I didn't actually get to hospital until I was at the pushing stage - but doesn't everyone who goes into hospital have to travel while the contractions are pretty bad?

Another doctor here to mention the same birthplace in England study (sorry!) pregnant with my first and going for a midwife led unit but might consider home birth for subsequent pregnancies if all goes well.
I think it’s fair to say that the risk is very small, but also that it’s a large increase. Serious adverse outcomes almost double (which is quite a big difference!) from 1 in 200 to 1 in 100 births (so quite low risk still, depending on how you view it).
You will almost certainly not have a serious adverse outcome whatever you choose, and most home birth experiences will be positive, but it is worth pointing out that doubling is a pretty large increase in risk.

@Newaccount270219 - Yes, but in an emergency transfer, it's likely to be later on when the contractions are worse, you're likely to be more stressed so will be feeling worse, plus being strapped down in the back of an ambulance is a far less pleasant experience than travelling by car.

If anyone is interested in the study - it actually makes really reassuring reading for anyone considering home birth for subsequent pregnancies which is nice to read, I know we see / remember the worst cases as doctors and that can cloud judgement! The study is good quality and followed tens of thousands of low risk women.
www.npeu.ox.ac.uk/downloads/files/birthplace/Birthplace-key-findings.pdf

I chose a home birth for my first. And it was the worst decision I have ever made. DD is now in her 20s I and I'm still paying the price for it with my health. Luckily DD was ok, but I wasn't.

I wouldn’t risk it. I needed emergency forceps with my first due to shoulder dystocia. Had I been at home, he very easily could have died. With DC2 the actual birth was a dream and I did labour at home until I was 9cm dilated but the placenta retained, I haemorrhaged and needed an emergency D&C and two transfusions.

I’m not trying to frighten you, it’s just that bad things happen during birth and if you have no idea how your body handles labour until you experience it. It’s not something I’d personally feel comfortable risking.

silversun - fair enough. I think I have quite an unusual view on it because I now realise that I started pushing when I was in the car on the way to hospital and so I felt that I would have much rather been in an ambulance, but I do know that most women go to hospital much earlier

I had an ‘emergency transfer’ with my homebirth as noticed meconium and that’s a go in to hospital situation. I wasn’t at pushing stage, although I was contracting, so we got into the car and drove in. I was prob at the same stage many women are when they actually go in to hospital. It was quite difficult to walk in to hospital, but I was able! I had my tens machine on and that was all I had right up until they put the epidural in for the c section when I was 9cm dilated and about to transition. Sometimes you ‘emergency transfer’ post birth if there’s a tear that can’t be repaired at home. My c section was an ‘emergency’ but I had 10 mins to decide and we weren’t in any danger. Even if it doesnt go as planned, it’s still 99% more likely to be ok than not.

I had a lovely home birth with my 2nd.

I deeply wish that I had with my 1st, I might have avoided an awful lot of short term physical pain and long term mental and emotional pain and trauma.

If you have a healthy low risk pregnancy, and are not a million miles away from a hospital, I'd say go for it.

I did, very quick, no drugs (no time) - so glad I did it. Spent the first part of labour (all two hours!) in the bath then moved to the pool in my front room. I had a doula who put up the pool, filled it, took it down and cleaned up afterwards with the midwives while I lay in bed. My parents came round with a bottle of champagne then they all left and I was sitting on my own with my beautiful baby girl on my sofa so pleased and happy. I didn’t have a partner hence the doula and I wouldn’t change any of it. Apart from maybe some drugs would have been nice

I wanted a home birth with my second but changed my mind. I glad in retrospect as the baby got stuck. The Dr pushed her back in then pulled her out. No damage was done e.g. tears/stitches. The midwife said if he hadn't been available I would normally cut you to get the baby out!! Thank goodness I didn't have a home birth!

Yes we had a homebirth for our first child, and then our second too because it was wonderful! No complications, though I was pushing for a long time first time round. I’d definitely say do it, if you’re low risk - it was truly the best decision we’ve ever made. So lovely to be in your own surroundings and tucked up in your own bed after the birth.

I’d not ever considered homebirth (thought it was a bit hippie) until booking-in when the midwives suggested I should look into it as I was low risk. (Where we are there’s a really great homebirth team.) So glad I did, as I had so much personalised support which was brilliant for a first labour! Two, then three midwives and a student at home with us, checking me regularly but letting me get on with labouring as I wished with husband’s support. Didn’t bother with a birth pool - spent a lot of time in the bath during my first labour, but second time found upright in hot shower so much better! There was hardly any mess - not that I’d have noticed - I had a bit of gas and air and the midwives sat and drank tea while cheering me on which made for a very relaxed atmosphere.

Go for it!

It wasn't about the "experience" for me either. The research shows that there is a knock on effect of things like stress vs relaxation and comfort vs anxiety and that being in a less medical environment tends to lead to a birth with fewer interventions etc - yes even when they compare similar situations ie exclude women who are induced or high risk etc.

That was what drove it for me, because I was much more frightened of interventions and epidural and c-section etc than I was of the pain of childbirth itself. I felt I would be anxious about the atmosphere of lots of doctors, monitors etc which would have an adverse effect quite possibly. And since I was round the corner from the hospital anyway and could have been there in five minutes in a car it seemed like a no-brainer.

Interventions, pain relief and so on absolutely have their place and I had much more of a pragmatic (less frightened) attitude towards them second time around but still, in a straightforward birth with no risk factors it absolutely made sense to me to do as much as I could to avoid these and from what I researched it seemed like the home environment was one of the best ways to do this.

OP you need to make your own decision. There are always loads of people who pop up saying they'd have bled to death etc despite the fact that this hasnt actually happened in a home birth in the UK for years and years. Things can also go wrong in hospital and the midwives monitor you very very carefully during hb.

Personally speaking I had my first in hospital and my second at home, I would have been transferred with my first no doubt so I reckon I got it right. I also don't personally know anyone who had a successful hb with a first, but accept I don't know that many people who have chosen to even try and give birth outside hospital .

I didn’t but my colleagues wife did and the baby died. I don’t know what happened. I could never ask him. But it’s the reason I never considered it for a second. I knew his wife went into labour, he told me excitedly as he left, and when I saw he was back I burst into his office to ask for a photo. I burst in on the company president giving him condolences. I’ll never forget it.

the one thing I think I would try to factor in is the possibility that the ambulance may not arrive straightaway; there do seem to be more incidents these days where ambulances take a long time even for serious emergencies (no doubt due to shortage of staff)

What’s your transfer time to hospital if it happens to be rush hour with gridlocked traffic, OP?
How lucky do you feel? Happy to gamble your baby’s life as well as your own? Is a short spell in hospital so unpleasant that you’re prepared to risk death to avoid it?

Are you really a doctor? Because although I appreciate the OP is not your patient, I’ve never heard a doctor speak like that to a patient about her birth options before - particularly a birth option that’s fully supported by the NHS. She isn’t proposing to freebirth under a bush.