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)

@Teateaandmoretea these threads always turn out this way. I'm quite surprised that there are so many anti HB people here. It's an emotive topic for many. By all means share your experience but you can't argue with the hard data. HB midwives are specially trained to recognise early warning signs so all this we would have died if hadn't been in hospital is just speculation.

OTOH, I was told that if I had been in hospital I would likely have ended up with instrumental or CS given baby's position and long second stage. My body was perfectly capable of pushing him out though it just took a bit longer. And no injuries. Active labour was still only 3h. (Although it felt like all bloody day!)

@LaurieMarlow you have no idea do you

hashtags no one has any idea at all what you are referring to.

It really pisses me off when people go on about mothers putting their own comfort ahead of the baby's safety with a home birth. After all the research I did, I came to the conclusion that my comfort was paramount to a safe birth. And I was most comfortable labouring and giving birth at home. My two children were born at home, safely, and came into the world calmly and gently.

I firmly believe that being in a hospital, an environment I wouldn't have been able to relax in, while this huge, scary thing was happening to me, would have made labouring a completely different and more difficult process. Other women feel more comfortable at the hospital as they feel it's safer if something goes wrong, so for them it's the best place for a relaxed labour. So I'm not saying home births are the best option for all women. But they were for me and my babies

There’s simply no one answer to this. Childbirth is affected by so many elements you simply can’t say one way or the other which is more right for any individual till it’s after the fact.

Have a look in to what your local support is like. Some areas have a brilliant home birth team.
Ours was outstanding. I met every member of the team prior to birth and after baby was here they were the biggest support.
I laboured at home and then had meconium in my waters when they broke. This was a situation we had discussed beforehand and decided to transfer in to hospital where DD was born a few hours later.

We do live very close to the hospital.

It really pisses me off when people go on about mothers putting their own comfort ahead of the baby's safety with a home birth.

Me too. No one on the thread is telling anyone that having a hb is what they should do (as that would be wrong, clearly), but there is lots of judgment and its seemingly okay the other way.

I attempted to have a home birth but ended up having a section. I had quite a big PPH so it was good I was in hospital. but labour g at home with 121 midwife care made everything very relaxing and I have a positive birth experience.
But I have 3 friends who have had successful home bits and have very positive experiences.

I did.
I am the last person you'd imagine to have a baby or home birth.
It was also against 'medical advice' as I was 'high risk' - do your research, a lot of high risk things are nonsense. All the other people in my so called high risk group had traumatic births which led to c sections.
The power of being at home in a calm and relaxing environment makes a real difference. The body is much more relaxed. My midwives were all so excited by the end of it.
Since then many people I know have had home births. I feel like maybe them knowing I did it and explaining that it's not that big a deal, gave them the encouragement to see that it's so natural. They also had even better home births than I did!

Well, obviously. Because all the babies and mothers who get into distress are blue lighted to hospital so if they eventually don’t make it, it counts as a hospital death.

It's not obvious at all. The Birthplace study already referred to deals with that, and e.g. shows the CS rate for homebirths. You can be assured that they are not taking place in the woman's own home.

People are also confusing freebirths, (deliberately unattended by medical professionals) with planned home births.

I had both mine at home. Amazing VIP care from midwives dedicated just to me. Wonderfully empowering.
And second time around, my little 4 year old in his superhero costume unexpectedly bouncing on the chair shouting, ‘That’s it, you’re doing it Mummy, you’re doing it!’.

Wishing you well, what ever your story ends up being.

First time mum (early pregnancy) and feel very strongly about a home birth. Did you find you had to fight for it at all? Or were the midwives pro-homebirth? I work in a hospital and so going to work to have my child gives me shudders! I'm 13 and 9 miles (both quick journeys) away from my local hospitals.

If you have a stroke during labour (possible as inherited clotting disorders are only tested for in infertile / women with a history of clots) will there be a private ambulance (including paramedics) already there to treat you and take you to the nearest hospital?

If yes then go for it. If not and you need to rely on the mw to make the call (and then the ambulance to come to you) then you need to ask if they can get to you in time before you have permanent damage. In the East Midlands for example most ambulances / paramedics come from Nottinghamshire or Leicestershire and it can often take them an hour or two to get to an emergency in areas not served by a local hospital.