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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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:
RainMinusBow · 30/03/2020 21:23

@Worriedmum54321 This is incorrect. It's called freebirthing and is perfectly legal.

oblada · 30/03/2020 21:23

Worriedmum54321 - where are you based? In England a free birth a perfectly allowed. As it should be.

Muchtoomuchtodo · 30/03/2020 21:23

Op. Are you in the U.K.?

Theyweretheworstoftimes · 30/03/2020 21:24

@Rainminusbow before the pandemic it was 2018

heartsonacake · 30/03/2020 21:27

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

RainMinusBow That would be your problem to sort, not using NHS resources.

If the NHS doesn’t allow you to have a home birth, and you go ahead and have one independently anyway, they have no obligation to help you.

I’d hope they’d refuse to help you on the grounds of stopping another idiot trying the same thing, but I’m sure they unfortunately wouldn’t which is why CF like you get away with thinking the rules don’t apply to you and doing whatever you want anyway, putting more strain on the NHS.

WhatTiggersDoBest · 30/03/2020 21:29

@Worriedmum54321 that's bollocks. Fact check:
www.birthrights.org.uk/factsheets/unassisted-birth/

RainMinusBow · 30/03/2020 21:30

@heartsonacake Of course the NHS have an obligation to help. I have the right to have MY baby at home, whether you are anti-hb or not. Independent Midwives are not NHS staff.

RainMinusBow · 30/03/2020 21:31

Actually, the vast majority of hb's with IM REDUCE the pressure on the NHS.

springiscoming12 · 30/03/2020 21:33

Oh here we go again, RainMinusBow has appeared to derail the thread...ffs

PurpleDaisies · 30/03/2020 21:34

If the NHS doesn’t allow you to have a home birth, and you go ahead and have one independently anyway, they have no obligation to help you.

This is just wrong.

Free birthing is a reckless and dangerous choice but the NHS still cares for people who do stupid things.

Gindrinker43 · 30/03/2020 21:34

If things get as bad a predicted then the availability of a Paramedic wil be in doubt. They are also not experts in childbirth, Midwives are. Listen to your Midwife they will be able to risk assess the situation and for goodness sakes listen.

RainMinusBow · 30/03/2020 21:35

@PurpleDaisies I'm not freebirthing! I'm having an IM Smile

oblada · 30/03/2020 21:42

Purpledaisies - scaremongering much? I doubt you know enough about freebirthing to make that judgment. Let women research and make their own decision.

Heartsonacake - the NHS has a duty to assist, within their resources of course.

heartsonacake · 30/03/2020 21:43

Of course the NHS have an obligation to help. I have the right to have MY baby at home, whether you are anti-hb or not. Independent Midwives are not NHS staff.

RainMinusBow I’m not anti home birth, but if the NHS has told you no and you go ahead and defy them anyway, it should be a case of “well you decided to ignore us so you should have to face the consequences of that decision”.

Unfortunately, as I said, it’s people like you that put a strain on the NHS by going ahead and doing whatever the fuck you want.

Perhaps if the NHS did refuse to treat anyone who went against their instructions they wouldn’t end up being taken for mugs and be under so much strain by people like you.

You should be ashamed of yourself, but it’s clear you won’t be.

MKmummy123 · 30/03/2020 21:44

I had a home birth with my 3rd and an ambulance had to be called after a difficult end stage labour. The midwife told me after that there was no way they could have transferred me at that point anyway but they called the ambulance as they thought my baby might need resuscitation. The ambulance were there in minutes by which time thankfully baby was out and was fine. I suppose what I’m trying to say is if the baby had needed help and the ambulance were not available, by the time the baby was born and been driven to hospital, it would probably have been too late.
I totally understand where you are coming from and why you would want to avoid a hospital at this point but I would be very wary of going for a home birth if you’ve been warned that back up is not likely to be available.
Good luck with whatever happens and I hope you get the birth you want. X

Rhayader · 30/03/2020 21:46

They’ve just banned home births at my trust - I was considering one. They need more midwives (two for the whole birth rather than 1 and then 2 when pushing).

QuiteTiredNeedSleep · 30/03/2020 21:48

@HerculesMulligan Having had 2 babies previously, I understand no birth is the same. However ‘if I am physically able’ I will be leaving the hospital with my newborn, if I am not ‘physically able’ I will not be leaving. I think my way actually is beneficial to the midwifery team.
The 2 hour deadline comes from a new maternity unit policy which has been rolled out across Yorkshire which dictates the birth partner/dad must leave within 2 hours of the birth. So if he leaves, I want to go with him.
Fingers crossed I get my homebirth as planned, for a low risk pregnancy like mine, the financial cost to NHS and use of resources is much lower in this situation.

Sunflower1987 · 30/03/2020 21:49

If I patient requires an ambulance during a home birth then the midwife dials 999. (This May be via hospital switch board but the result is the same) There is no ambulance on stand by. The trust I work for have suspended all home births and closed their midwife led unit so others areas may be doing the same.

Needtheadvice · 30/03/2020 21:51

I had an accidental home birth, ambulance came within minutes as the birth was a rushed delivery. The midwife made it after it was finished. Lost a lot of blood but fortunately not enough to be taken in, they stayed for hours watching over me until the midwife deemed I was safe to stay at home. This was before the Tory cuts! And before this virus naturally. Do what you think is right but have a back-up plan ready in case you choose to have a home birth, though probably best to go in considering the circumstances.

LipstickTaserrr · 30/03/2020 21:52

I had an accidental home birth with my second and we where lucky it went ok. The ambulance arrived just in time to take us to hospital as I needed surgery and my DS needed oxygen and his temp was low. There was no way we would have managed without the paramedics.

Rhayader · 30/03/2020 21:52

@Sunflower1987

Is this a London trust? I really hope my trust doesn’t close the birth centre too...

TheArchSorcererofContwaraburg · 30/03/2020 21:54

So much selfish entitlement. 'It's my way or the highway! All about Meeeeeee!' Rather immature to be having a child with such self-absorption.

QuiteTiredNeedSleep · 30/03/2020 21:57

@Worriedmum54321 this is completely wrong. You are free to birth however you wish. The only legal requirement is to have the baby registered within 6 weeks of its birth. 😊

OhClover · 30/03/2020 21:58

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

Well at the moment those are the rules aren’t they? You aren’t allowed to mix households for the purposes of childcare. If she has another adult already living with her then she hasn’t said so.

Sunflower1987 · 30/03/2020 21:59

@Rhayader
No, north west England. Midwife led birth with 6 hour discharge is still an option for low risk pregnancy’s but from the obstetric units.