Home births and Ambulance availability

[Sleepsleepmeepmeep]

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

Nobody can cancel your homebirth. You can freebirth if there is not a midwife available (though they may still send someone if you refused to come into hospital anyway). That is your informed decision to make.

www.birthrights.org.uk/2020/03/12/coronovirus-how-will-it-affect-my-rights-to-maternity-care/

www.aims.org.uk/information/item/coronavirus

@Sunflower1987 sorry for asking, is it a standalone?

I’ve had two uncomplicated water births in my local birth centre which is in a major maternity trust (Imperial). I’m just wondering if standalone are more likely to close. I would be highly likely to get a 6 hour discharge (im 30 and have no complications) but I know the labour ward only has 1 pool and I really don’t know how I would cope without it.

@Sleepsleepmeepmeep I called an ambulance after an accident outside my house last week and waited 15 minutes to even speak to someone! It didn’t come in the end because the person refused it but I think it would have been quite a wait. All medics under pressure at the moment so don’t bank on having an ambulance available when you need it...

@OhClover How are partners going to hospital with their pregnant OH's then? I honestly am confused. Unless they are first-time parents of course.

How are partners going to hospital with their pregnant OH's then? I honestly am confused. Unless they are first-time parents of course

I don’t know the answer to that - I assumed they weren’t. If it is allowed I would be interested to know as it will affect me as I have a toddler that will need childcare.

The hospital trust is spread over 3 main sites. 2 are obstetric led units (with doctors, theatre for sections and neonatal units) the 3rd site is midwife led only. Home births and the midwife led unit have temporarily been stopped. I understand this is to utilise staff better.

@OhClover I don't know either. This baby is my fiancé's first (and last - I'm 39!) but I have two boys age 10 and 12.5.

The thought of a home birth always seemed so nice to me.....however we live fairly rural an hours drive from the hospital.
Had first baby in hospital as he was my first I felt this was the best decision for me.
When I was pregnant with dc 2 the midwife really tried to encourage a home birth.....but i couldn't shake the thought we were an hour away.
I thank god I went with my gut-dc2 was undiagnosed breech.
I looked at the surgeon and said I nearly opted for a homebirth-his reply was the paramedics would have been having kittens!!
I was so very grateful I chose the hospital.
That said I still think a home birth would be amazing.
Good luck op such a lovely time with a little newborn laid on ur chest.

@rosiejaune
Free birthing may be legal but it’s dangerous. Please don’t encourage people to consider it.

Please don't spew forth uninformed opinions and scaremonger. It might be dangerous for you, if you have that attitude towards it, since mindset is very important when giving birth.

But it's not inherently dangerous, and in many ways it's safer than hospital birth.

How is it safer to freebirth than a home birth with 2 midwives or a hosp?!

@rosiejaune things can go very very wrong, very very quickly during labour and birth. It's so dangerous to encourage women to freebirth.

This was on women's hour today.

The woman from the royal college of midwives that home births are likely to be denied as ambulances will be too busy.
Also many midwife led units are being take over for use as ICU units, as tey are made up of individual rooms.

Sadly, in these days, we need to go for most efficient use of NHS resources, even if that isn't what we wanted.

@rosiejaune

You really are talking absolute shit.

Free birthing is a different ballgame to home birthing and it's fucking dangerous. You are being irresponsible to even suggest it in the currently climate.

I'm a paramedic, as others have said you cant book us to be on standby unless you're having a major even with over a certain number of spectators, such as a football game.

If you change your mind and want to goto hospital you'd be fine to get a taxi so long as labour isn't established. If the midwife wants you to goto hospital it'll likely be because you're having difficulty in labour and getting anywhere in that situation is very difficult hence it's typical to request ambulance transport.

Currently we're on a high level of demand which is expected to get much much worse and is very unprecedented territory. At the moment in a large city our response time is about 20-40 minutes for people struggling with breathing or collapsed unconscious. Routinely jobs are over 4 hours old, lots of people are just being told no. For these reason I understand that some trusts are cancelling planned home births since the ambulance service wont be providing a response quick enough to save a struggling baby. Put it this way if my child was seriously unwell I would not call 999, I would be jumping in the car and getting to hospital as quick as I could. I know I'd be with a team of nurses and doctors before an ambulance would have even been allocated to start driving to me.

However as this is the 4th and you've typically had easy deliveries then likely you're low risk. Have a frank discussion with your midwife about the plan and any concerns.

I gave birth in an ambulance. Believe me, it's not a lovely and calm experience and should be avoided when possible, and that was with a midwife in the vehicle (we are rural and I was transferred due to high blood pressure).

From the birthrights website:

"If the Trust are not able to offer a home birth to well women, they should be able to give a good reason why coronavirus has changed their ability to offer a home birth, and to offer alternatives such as birth in a midwifery-led birth centre, where possible."

My Trust has failed to give me a reason as to why they have suspended home births, despite me asking the question many times. They cannot offer any alternatives such as a MLU because that has been closed too.

Surely the alternative they're offering is hospital birth? I know not your first choice at all and I understand why, but there is a safe option being offered.

My Trust has failed to give me a reason as to why they have suspended home births, despite me asking the question many times.

I'm stunned in this current crisis you are even wasting their time asking the question. Can you really not see how stretched resources are?

"The woman from the royal college of midwives that home births are likely to be denied as ambulances will be too busy."
Just for a start...

Isn't it obvious to you, Rainbow, why they have? FGS, you're willing to gamble with your life and your child's life during a pandemic to get your way? That is so irrational it's scary. You've been told dozens of times, by HCPs and paramedics over multiple threads. What alternatives are you looking for, besides magicking up 2 midwives?

It might be dangerous for you, if you have that attitude towards it, since mindset is very important when giving birth.

You've got be fucking kidding me.

You going to 'mindset' your way out of a hemorrhage? A non breathing baby?

What a loon. Don't assume that because you were lucky a few times you know what on earth you are talking about. Let me guess...you don't vaccinate either.

Are you quite sure you are old enough to reproduce?

@TheArchSorcererofContwaraburg I absolutely disagree that the safest place for me to give birth right now is in hospital. Please see AIMS for their take on this and balance of risks. Hence why I am employing an IM.
You do not need to be agressive because I, as well as other pregnant women, are making the informed choice to birth at home.

Apologies, I should have clarified - AIMS website, Campaign section.

I, as well as other pregnant women, are making the informed choice to birth at home.

RainMinusBow You are not informed. You are ignorant and uneducated on these matters.

You are deliberately and willingly putting yourself and your unborn child’s lives in danger and as such are a threat to your children that I don’t think it’s appropriate for you to be a parent.

You aren’t considering them, you aren’t putting them first, you’re willingly and happily endangering them for your own preferences.

Not only that, because you are spreading dangerous misinformation that will endanger the lives of other women and children.

@heartsonacake With respect, I believe para 1 of your response to hold true of you.