To ask you to help me make a decision re. home birth?

[user124765]

Posting here for traffic after no response on the Childbirth forum.

I'll try to keep this brief. Fourth child due in January. I'm aged 41.
Because of my age I'm being consultant led throughout this pregnancy. I'm otherwise fit and healthy.
The consultant is urging me to be induced on my due date. I'm not overly keen on this idea, having been induced at 12 days overdue with DC2 and it was a really unpleasant experience.
One of the main reasons, beside being 'geriatric', is that I labour very quickly. My third child was born in the hospital car park after a 40 minute labour. They seem to be getting faster and faster.
Would you have a homebirth in my situation? I'm being told it's too dangerous. Is that really the case though?

I've had a retained placenta and haemorrhage after the induction with DC2, but other than that I've had normal easy births. Just very quick!

@UndertonesOfCake

As I once heard an obstetrician put it, "home deliveries are for pizzas"

@Monr0e

4th pregnancy Previous retained placenta and haemorrhage Precipitous labours Age

All risk factors for a further haemorrhage
Add in state of the NHS, lack of on hand childcare, distance from hospital and massive shortages of midwives and I would be recommending a planned induction.

And I say that as a midwife who also had a homebirth with my second.

Good luck with it all, I hope it all goes well

Excellent advice. Planned induction would also help with organising childcare etc.

Would you even be able to have a home birth? Geriatric (4th) pregnancy with a history of haemorrhage and retained placenta? In AUS, this would be an instant no go as midwives' insurance would not cover them.

Good luck!

I'd be in for the induction.
Not a chance I'd be risking it at home.
Listen to the professionals.

* Would you have a homebirth in my situation? I'm being told it's too dangerous.*

That. Just that.

Given your history, your quick births and the current pandemic in your situation I would be looking for an ELECS

Really?? Seems a bit of an extreme solution!

I LOVED my hospital births
Didn’t want to go home

I can’t understand why you’d possibly want to risk this.

Medical birth history aside, although that would stop me anyway, but I had my second child aged just 40 (by 6 weeks), my consultant ( also consultant led) said whilst she wouldn't twist my arm like she proverbially would for her older mums, placentae can fail a d incidence is higher over 40 and increases with age.
I your position I'd prefer an adult visits to look after the kids whilst I went in to be induced. We did this with second baby (planned se toon due to position of baby in utero - so time factors more known than plain induction) and our first went to nursery for the day, came out and met her new brother - she didn't know anything

Good luck in whatever you decide, it can't be easy, but look after yourself

* The consultant is urging me to be induced on my due date*

What a waste of a consultant.
He could have been treating someone who would actually listen to his expertise

Rather than seeking advice from anonymous posters on mumsnet in AIBU

Unbelievable

I had a home birth and I definitely wouldn't risk it in your circumstances. My labour accelerated quickly and my DH had to repeatedly call the hospital for an hour and a half before they eventually sent a midwife out. She only just made it, all her emergency & other kit was still in her car, and the second midwife never even turned up, so if there had been any emergency, especially involving both me and baby, we would have been screwed. It was an extremely stressful, painful and frightening experience.

@Oftenithinkaboutit

I LOVED my hospital births Didn’t want to go home

I can’t understand why you’d possibly want to risk this.

You are very lucky then.

My hospital birth was a demonstration in how not to listen to your patient, from start to finish.

I’ve had 4 children, each labour getting quicker, 10.5 hours, 5, 2, under 30 mins. For no 4, I was torn between home birth and hospital, decided on hospital as I was paranoid about if something went wrong (semi rural and hospital is 20 mins away), but baby came too fast and my husband delivered her on the bathroom floor. Which was better than if we’d left home and had to do it in the car/side of the road at least! If they’re offering induction on due date, that sounds better - you can plan care for your other three that way too. Also induced labours are generally slower I think.

But I understand your worry - I ended up with an unplanned home birth where a planned one would have been better!

I had a home birth that went really well
With the history you have I would not be even considering It!!....too much risk

No way.

I had a wonderful home birth with DC2 but I was young and completely low risk. With previous haemmorhage I wouldn't be risking it, plus your age. Straight to hospital at the first sign of labour would be my advice!

What a waste of a consultant.
He could have been treating someone who would actually listen to his expertise

Where did she say the consultant was a man?

I wouldn’t have a home birth. I have also had a retained placenta and haemorrhage. If you need urgent medical assistance the likelihood is that at best you will wait too long and at worst you won’t get it at all. I have very personal experience of dealing with medical services and it is sometimes not possible to get through on 999 at the moment. Actually not just sometimes, a lot of the time. Don’t take the risk. Good luck.

I wouldn’t. I had a homebirth with DD and plan on having one with DC2, but I think it sounds too risky in your situation.

Are you sure you have the choice? I was consultant led at the end of my pregnancy, really wanted a home birth but the consultant and midwife did not agree to sign it off.

I wouldn't choose a home birth as things go wrong quickly...I bleed to glad midwife had backup in 2 seconds...she pulled a cord and half the hospital ran in...I was sorted in seconds and DD and DH looked after....

You'll need to arrange childcare for other DC's, whichever way you do it. As others have said, you can't assume there will be an ambulance available at the precise moment you need it. With both of my DCs, there were unanticipated problems and I needed care I couldn't have accessed at home. I just don't see the point of the home birth risk.

If its a quick labour anyway; what's the harm doing it in the hospital? I was stuck there for over 30 hours as my baby just didn't wanna be born. So that sucked haha. But if you are a bit older (in terms of older in regards to being pregnant)why risk it.
For a baby that's is just gonna shoot out so quickly

I wouldn't op and I am deffo in favours of homebirths.

I think you need to arrange your mum to come and stay with you for two weeks from the week before you are due and then until just after the birth. Is that an option?

@parttimemary

What a waste of a consultant. He could have been treating someone who would actually listen to his expertise

Where did she say the consultant was a man?

* 36 per cent of consultants are women *

digital.nhs.uk/news/2018/narrowing-of-nhs-gender-divide-but-men-still-the-majority-in-senior-roles

So on balance of probabilities, a and reasonable assumption