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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Home births and Ambulance availability

182 replies

Sleepsleepmeepmeep · 30/03/2020 18:27

I am due my last baby soon, about 6 weeks, although all of my others have come early so I wouldn't be surprised if it were 4 weeks.

I was planning a home birth and was quite excited about it (4th baby, easy natural labours except for dc1 vaccuum) but now I have seen that maybe as resources are stretched this may not be an option.

I was wondering, if I did have a home birth and needed an ambulance to transfer me to hospital, could I mot just drive in a car? I live about a minute drive from the hospital in heavy traffic, more like 10 minutes now the roads are so bare.
Is the ambulance for emergencies because they are equipt with whatever may be needed or is it just to get us to the hospital fast?
I have never needed an ambulance in labour so I dont know but factoring in calling for an ambulance and waiting for one, would it be so bad to take a car?

Just a thought- i wouldnt ask my midwife to bend the rules for me or anything although I would do anything to keep away from a hospital right now

OP posts:

lockdownstress · 30/03/2020 20:55

The old MN chestnut 'women having a home birth have an ambulance on standby'.

I'm sorry this is utter tripe. Even before covid 19 patients having a heart attack or stroke regularly wait upwards of 15-20 minutes for their ambulance.

OP, have your baby at home if you want to. Own that decision. Know that if anything goes wrong your journey to hospital will be significantly delayed and the chance of brain damage to the baby will be significantly increased. Up to you what is more important - the experience or the long term safety of your child. Don't expect an ambulance to come in any sort of rapid time frame.

Theyweretheworstoftimes · 30/03/2020 20:55

Please please give birth in hospital. I ended up being driven to hospital by my mum in advanced labour with a breech baby.

There was no ambulance that could get to me fast enough.

I almost died my baby almost died and two years later I am struggling with Post Natal Depression and PTSD. I will never have another baby.

Please go to hospital to have your baby. The risks are too great.

RainMinusBow · 30/03/2020 20:59

@Theyweretheworstoftimes Do you mind me asking if this happened since the Covid-19 outbreak or before?

OhClover · 30/03/2020 21:00

You asked who would look after her 3 children if DP drives her to hospital. Who is going to look after her 3 childen if she is in hospital already

Her partner, presumably.

puds11 · 30/03/2020 21:01

@Sleepsleepmeepmeep I don’t think arranged homebirths will be permitted at the moment due to the strain on the emergency services. I understand hospital is a daunting prospect right now, and I really do sympathize with expectant mothers, I cannot imagine how worrying it must be, but I would not risk needing an emergency transfer and finding that one is not available.

RainMinusBow · 30/03/2020 21:01

@OhClover So she'd have to have the baby on her own?

RainMinusBow · 30/03/2020 21:02

@puds11 They are still being permitted in quite a few Trusts.

heartsonacake · 30/03/2020 21:03

YABU. It is not fair to have a home birth right now when the NHS is so stretched.

Home births are being cancelled up and down the country as it is so I would be very surprised if you were able to have one.

TheArchSorcererofContwaraburg · 30/03/2020 21:03

As a pregnant woman in labour with a new person in distress, you would likely trump all.

It would be very unwise to assume that at this time, very. There's no room in the system during a global pandemic for this type of entitlement.

puds11 · 30/03/2020 21:05

@RainMinusBow do you know the average ambulance response time currently compared to usually?

oblada · 30/03/2020 21:06

Please no need for scaremongering stuff re home births.
OP - read up on home births, risks and benefits and speak to your care team.
There are many good reason to have a home births. There are risks too but there are risks in hospital as well. Of course take into account midwife and ambulance facilities in the equation.
Personally for me it will be a NHS supported home birth, or a free birth or possibly with an independent midwife. I'm not going to hospital unless risks factors are highlighted before then. But hopefully the NHS will be less stretched by mid July.

Bouncebacker · 30/03/2020 21:07

I was transferred during my first home birth attempt and that was by car - I was really sick (vomiting) and so got dehydrated so needed to go in to be put on a drip. DH drove me and the midwife drive her car. Doesn’t help your current situation but just to say not all transfers are emergencies.

(Second baby was successfully born at home and it was fab!)

RainMinusBow · 30/03/2020 21:08

@puds11 No. Do you? It can't be the same for every Trust I'm guessing if some are still doing home births.

Do you know percentage of hb's actually requiring an emergency ambulance transfer? Very low, esp for subsequent pregnancies.

Iloveplacentas · 30/03/2020 21:08

I’m a student midwife and homebirth advocate (I’ve had one myself). If they were only planning to send one midwife out to you then I would not have a homebirth. It should always be two midwives in case an emergency happens. If your baby needs resuscitating and you are bleeding, what then? If the Trust can’t guarantee an ambulance then it isn’t safe to give birth at home. I know how disappointing that is. I was gutted to have a high risk 3rd pregnancy that kicked my hoped for homebirth into the long grass. it really sucks. One if my dearest friends is due in a few weeks, she’s a hypnobirthing teacher, was planning a lovely homebirth which I was going to attend as a birth partner. That’s not happening now. Her trust (the same trust I work for) has had to withdraw the home birth service as we cannot guarantee the safety of our mums and babies. Its awful but it is the right thing to do.

No midwife will bend the rules, she’d lose her PIN if anything went wrong. Ultimately it’s your choice, nobody can force you to go into hospital and I can see why you’d be keen to avoid it in current circumstances, but please think carefully. These are not normal times and services are really struggling.

puds11 · 30/03/2020 21:10

@RainMinusBow I was asking because they way you answered sounded like you may work on that area. No need to be rude.

RainMinusBow · 30/03/2020 21:10

@oblada I'm with you on this one. I'm due end of May and had planned a hb since I found out I was pregnant. My Trust has suspended so looking to employ an Independent Midwife

RainMinusBow · 30/03/2020 21:12

@puds11 Oh apologies. It sounded like you knew re the ambulances.

heartsonacake · 30/03/2020 21:15

My Trust has suspended so looking to employ an Independent Midwife

RainMinusBow I hope you won’t be expecting NHS help if it all goes tits up then.

puds11 · 30/03/2020 21:16

@RainMinusBow we just naturally sound knowledgeable.

WhatTiggersDoBest · 30/03/2020 21:16

OP are you in Northern Ireland? I had to book into a hospital in advance as well (last year), so they knew to potentially expect me around my due date, and I got home visits from the midwife (and now the health visitor), too. I think in England it's all dependent on which area you're in as to what you do/don't get but seems like they just turn up in labour which seems so odd to me. If I were you, I'd have a chat with your MW because she's probably got a better idea than anyone on here, from the way this thread is going!
PS I drove myself to the hospital but then I had to drive home again and go back in a taxi when they realised I needed a C-section. It's probably very different if you have to transfer in labour though, because the ambulance will have paramedics to help keep you stable in an emergency, depends what's gone wrong as to what they can do to help (if anything).

WhatTiggersDoBest · 30/03/2020 21:20

(I need to add my C-section was for transverse baby... he wasn't going ANYWHERE without help. In an EMCS situation there's no way they would have let me go home like that).

Worriedmum54321 · 30/03/2020 21:21

By the way it's illegal to plan to give birth without a midwife present, for those suggesting that mad idea

Soontobe60 · 30/03/2020 21:21

OP
My dd had an appointment due in clinic last week. It was cancelled to this week and is now at home.

RainMinusBow · 30/03/2020 21:21

@heartsonacake Can you suggest an alternative on the very small probability a true emergency would arise and I would need an ambulance transfer to hospital?

WineAndTiramisu · 30/03/2020 21:22

Our trust had cancelled all home births, and closed the midwife led unit, so you may not end up with a choice unfortunately

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