To think about a home birth for my first baby?

[consideringhomebirth]

Trying to decide. Initially I thought home birth was a crazy idea and that things can go wrong in a split second, but I have seen research online which says there is actually no increased risk. Now I am thinking twice.

I know I either want a no-interventions birth, or a planned caesarean. Two extremes but I don’t think labouring for ages in my hospital would be ideal for me and I would feel quite stressed, plus the recent enquiry into UK maternity services is not great. 45% of all births in the last couple of months at my trust were C-sections, majority being emergency ones. A large proportion of women seem to end up being induced and there is a high rate of induction being unsuccessful and leading to emergency section or assisted deliveries, which would be the worst of all worlds for me.

I am low-risk and baby measuring on the 60th centile. Is home birth the gamble everyone says it is? We are 10 minutes from the hospital by car. If we went for this option we would have midwives at home from the homebirth team and you get transferred to hospital should anything be not quite right.

I’d be so much more relaxed at home- but only if everything went right, obviously, and I understand birth is quite unpredictable.

I’m speaking to my midwife about the options I’m considering soon. In the mean time any thoughts or experiences welcome. :-)

How long ago was that? Hospitals are failing Mothers and babies. We've had at least 600 unnecessary maternity related deaths per year, for s few years. That's without those being left disabled (both Mothers and babies).

My DD opted for a pool home birth for her first. This isn't popular but it also depends on your age. Do your research, research your local hospital and then decide. I had cause to read my local coroners court results. Often you see the same hospital mentioned again and again re neglect.

I decided against a home birth with my first and it wasn’t offered with the second due to PPH the first time round. However I will say, I gave birth in the MLU which is connected to the hospital and then in the labour ward second time. I couldn’t really tell the difference as they were just different floors of the same building and there was extra stuff in the corner of the room in the labour ward, which looked like it was to help babies when they were born. With both babies I had an unassisted, intervention and drug free labour. 8 hours and 8.5 hours from first contraction to birth respectively. I am glad we were there the first time.

I had a lovely home birth with my third. Shower curtain and a big towel over the top was what I used.

We are 10 minutes from the hospital by car

Plus the time to load and unload each end.

If things go wrong brain damage starts at 3 minutes of oxygen deprivation

I had a planned home birth for my first. Hired a pool and it was amazing, no stitches no trauma and the midwives cleared everything away you would have never known. Not having any more but if I was to I wouldn’t consider anything different.

Where will you be most relaxed? As that's the place that you'll likely have the best labour possible.

I was most relaxed in hospital, knowing the medics were close if needed - which was a good decision, as I had an excessive PPH. I wanted my second at home, but wasn't allowed due to the PPH.

I was my besties birth partner. She was most relaxed at home, as the thought of medicalising the process made her stressed. She ended up being blue lighted to the hospital post birth. I had the privilege of giving her newborn child her first car ride following her mum in the ambulance.

Neither of us would change a thing.

I think it's also common for first time mothers to be a bit overwhelmed by contractions, you practise breathing etc but the reality of it is hard, especially if back to back etc.

I thought I'd labour at home a long time with my first, contractions were basically constant without a break, we went to hospital when I thought it couldn't possibly be worse but I was only 2cm, would have been sent home from most hospitals.

It's quite good to be somewhere with more pain relief than gas and air, if you decide you want it (even if you think you definitely wouldn't).

A few reasons it would be a no from me

Almost everyone I know who has had a baby (I would say a head count of 20 - friends and relatives) have had a difficult first labour. This includes my best friend who went from home birth to blue lights and emcs. Main outcome from my small sample was intervention (so forceps delivery) but also several emcs. I managed a natural delivery but it was a 51h labour, stalled at 7cm, waters manually broken, put on the drip etc. I was moved from the birthing central to labour ward when I stopped dilating. Was all set for forceps - so had a room full of people - when I did manage to deliver.

Only one friend had a good experience with her DC1 and a few went for elcs.

My second reason is that when DC1 was about 4 he was having temperature related hallucinations / febrile convulsions. I called 999 / ambulance and no-one answered there was a recorded message. Someone did ring me back 10 minutes later and by that time we were in the car on the way to A&E.

I'd never, ever put myself in a situation where I could be relying on needing an ambulance!!

* to caveat my negative experience with ambulances, when my mum collapsed at home paramedics were on the scene very quickly. She sadly couldn't be revived but I can only imagine how we'd have felt if we'd called that day and no-one had answered.

I agree with a lot of what you say, but the statement on the evidence is incorrect. Im pretty sure that births are put in the category of where they started - so a transfer from a home birth to a hospital is still counted as a home birth. Researchers are not that daft!

Just to add to my post. Almost everyone I know with 2 or more children had a better birth experience with their 2nd!!

I'm considering a homebirth with my third. My second came really quick. Literally shot out.

I've had positive home births, but I think it's a very personal choice. You have to be utterly confident in that decision.

Op, some of your reasoning is too simplistic.

For example my baby was measuring average like yours, and was born 8lb - exactly on the 50th percentile. However what the scan didn't show was his head measured 95th percentile.

When he got stuck and the midwife lost his heart beat, the crash team was there within seconds. If I'd been at home we would have lost him.

There used to be a well known Mumsnet who talked about how she'd been impressed by the whole home birthing message, made that her choice, and her baby was deprived of oxygen at birth because she needed help and couldn't get there fast enough.

Having a home birth has pros and cons but is an unnecessary risk, especially for a first one. I would ask myself which I value more, my baby's safety or mood music and a bit of privacy..

There is an increased risk with home births for first births, but not for subsequent births. The risk almost doubles for deaths or serious injury to the baby, albeit from a small baseline. I decided against it for that reason.

I was exactly the same as you! Home birth or c section. In an ideal world I would give birth at home where I am comfortable and have absolutely no need for any intervention and there would be no tearing. I knew what I wanted was unlikely so I opted for the c section where baby was born with me feeling calm and listening to my favourite tunes. I had no regrets. Also, I have a few doctor friends who all advised me to have a c section as they said they trusted them more than giving birth vaginally.

https://www.npeu.ox.ac.uk/birthplace/results

This is the study that found increased risk for first births at home.

https://www.npeu.ox.ac.uk/birthplace/results

This is the study that found increased risk for first births at home.

I know someone who had a prolapsed cord during a homebirth and couldn't get an ambulance as quickly as they should have:(

I was low risk for my first birth but also ended up with complications due to my baby's big head.

I also think it's too high risk first time round.

@ExquisiteEmelda they resuscitate a baby the same way they do at the hospital. Instead of plugged in oxygen its a manual bag but it is as effective, the technique is the same.
Also for haemorrhages midwives carry the same drugs etc that would be used as a first option (however wouldn't be able to transfuse blood for example). Most childbirth emergencies can be dealt with at home too and also an ambulance would be called so there would be extra support from paramedics/option to transfer if necessary.

I am puzzled at those posters worried about the mess of a home birth. Who the hell cares ??!?

When what is at stake is the health and well-being, in some cases the lives, of mum and baby, I can't imagine 'the mess' even being on my radar.

Once the baby arrives, there is going to be a lot of mess anyway, projectile vomiting in the car, poonamis at inconvenient moments etc, so better get used to it.

I had first in hospital with lots of interference, and second at home.

What I would say is to keep your options open. You just don't know. You could get a v quick and easy labour and deliver easily at home, or you could be in labour for three days and need an epidural or have a baby that throws a wobbly the moment contractions start, and need a c section. You can't decide in advance, you get what you get.

I planned for a home birth for the second as here you had to say in advance if you wanted one and get consultant permission. I wanted the option, so that's what I did. If I had changed my mind at any point the hospital was just down the road. On the day I got a very quick labour and son was born in our living room on his due date. I didn't bother with a pool, just pushed him out on the floor. Best day ever.

There wasn't a huge mess. There were a couple of towels and a plastic sheet. I've had worse periods. The midwives dealt with it all very efficiently. It was fine.

You will be limited in terms of pain relief. That may or may not work out for you on the day.

As to safety - it's a bit difficult to say a hospital birth is safe at the moment, so that's not a straightforward conversation. A home birth isn't unsupported. It's not free birthing. I had 2 midwives, one for me and one for baby, and I got their full attention because they weren't trying to care for multiple women at once.

Overall, really, it's about keeping an open mind, be aware of the possibilities, and remember that you can't 'plan' as such. I would also say, if you do decide to have homebirth as an option, to keep it private - it's a much easier conversation after the event!

Have a read of 'why home birth matters'

I've planned two home births. First transferred after an incredibly long labour (not an emergency). Second born at home in the pool which was beautiful. Both positive experiences.

Anecdotally me and my friends who have had home births have all had positive experiences.

My friends who have planned hospital births ALL ended with interventions such as forceps, ventouse or C-section.

Food for thought....

I say go for it!

I didn't personally want a home birth (cleaning up, faff of hiring and filling a pool, etc.).

But I wanted to give birth at a standalone midwife-led unit a few minutes from my house (best or both worlds).

Unfortunately with my first this ended up not being possible. But I gave birth to my second there and it was glorious!

It's a no from me.

They pressed a big red button on the wall when DS was born. Seconds later, several people literally ran into the delivery room and saved both his and my life. It went from being totally fine to being an emergency situation in a split second.

I did..all.went.wonderfully but never again without an epidural so had second in europe in a fantastic public hospital.