almost convinced by homebirth article in the Guardian this weekend...

[elportodelgato]

I don't know if anyone else saw this article by Sali Hughes about homebirth on Saturday in the Guardian Family section? probably there is a whole thread about it somewhere but I can't find it...

I've never considered homebirth before but this article has really made me think again. I had a straightforward pregnancy with my DD but she was induced at 41+3 so I was in hospital so they could monitor the induction. Besides, it was my first baby and I would not have wanted to be anywhere except hospital. The whole labour was 7 hours in total and I did without any pain relief (not out of choice btw, would have loved something to take the edge off) until G&A for the pushing stage - I tore and had stitches but otherwise all was normal. It's entirely possible that I will be induced this time around too but if I'm not then I am really considering homebirth - can someone come and tell me if I am being silly and it's my hormones?

I almost cried when I read the bit about her being tucked up in her own bed in nice clean pyjamas with her new baby. It has made me really realise that my hospital experience last time was 'OK' but not amazing - busy London hospital, laboured for the most part behind a curtain in a ward which was not at all private or pleasant and I remember being hugely embarrassed when my waters broke on the floor. In the night following the birth the call button in my cubicle didn't work and no one came to help me. Because of my stitches I needed help to get to the loo etc but no one did this. I'd like to avoid all these downsides if possible and suddenly homebirth looks attractive. Can anyone offer a view?

Oh, and re. cream carpets- it's easy enough to spread plastic sheeting/old bed sheets/towels around the place and the mws do all the clearing up. There was no mess at all after my HB.

I'm reading Childbirth Without Fear by Grantly Dick Read and it is really eye opening about how fear of labour is so endemic.

For most of us, our only exposure to labour before having DC is through the media, e.g. in a film or TV show where the characters waters break in a gush then there is this mad rush to hospital and it's all very frenetic! That and war stories which those of us who are already mothers all love to tell!

"I also don't understand this obsession with having the same mw throughout."

1:1 continuous care during labour is associated with a range of positive birth outcomes (fewer interventions, higher rate of natural births, greater maternal satisfaction etc..)

I know that for some women it really isn't important to them who else is there but for others, being able to relax and focus on the birth would be impossible in the presence of an ever-changing cast of strangers.

The chance to really get to know my birth attendant was one of the reasons I paid to hire an independent midwife for DD's birth rather than going with the local NHS midwife team (we weren't in a good area for homebirths at the time so this was also an influence).

It really mattered to me that I had the chance to check her references and background, get to know her personal views on birth practices and ensure that she knew mine. I didn't feel the need to write a birth plan because I developed confidence in my MW's judgement based on her 20+ years of experience and the way that she, and her practice partners, had conducted themselves at other births both at home and in hospital.

Good point togarama. I guess I just trusted in my own judgement to a large extent, and I really wasn't too worried about the whole process (being a good student of the NCT and Grantly Dick Read!).

I believed (correctly, in my case) that whichever NHS midwife appeared in the delivery room would know what she was doing.

(Also I didn't have the luxury of a spare grand or so to shell out for private services....)

I was also a good NCT student, and would thoroughly recomment their emphasis on breathing and relaxation. I'm pretty sure it was the classes which to a large degree made me feel confident to have my first baby at a MLU naturally. However, I don't think confidence in the process is a substitute for one-to-one care with a trusted midwife. I found it made a huge difference, knowing that there was a fairly small team of midwives at the MLU, so whenever I went into labour, I would be attended by someone I knew, had met at antenatal appointments, and wasn't just some nameless person who happened to start their shift then.

Had both hosp birth and home birth. Both wonderful in that I had a healthy babe in the end.

Cascading intervention is just sooooooo common. So with DD1 I had 'the works' (which has a ton of risks, but happily worked out well) in hosp.

I love hospitals, but I wanted to avoid the cascading intervention thing w DD2 so opted for a home birth where you really just let your body get on w it. It was lovely and I had no intervention... just a birthing pool in the front room.

I did have a few issues during birth... too short cord, mucus-y baby who didn't breathe right away, heavy bleeding. It was awesome to see the midwives go from zen calm mode into medical ace mode w the flick of a switch. Very cool. It felt as if the hospital came to us!!

Like article author, seeing DD1, in pyjamas w hair all askew, walk into our room the morning after DD2 was born to meet her new sister was a high moment in my life!

Ahhh...the mess myth....I've lost count of the number of people who asked about that when I talked about planning a hb

To this day dh loves to recount the story of ds's entry into the world on our living room floor and watch people look at the cream carpet for any tell tale signs

2 shower curtains, a large sheet of tarpaulin and a pile of old curtains were bundled up by the mw's while I fed ds on the sofa....10 minutes after the stitching was over you'd never have known what had gone on!

Ew no, being stitched at home, dcs wandering in, no thanks, you'll not convince me, just feels.....wrong....give me a hospital any day! Bowing out of this discussion now, good luck to you home birthers, but it's not for me.

MrsDepp, I haven't even read the thread, and already I am bowing out with you ...

You're far more likely to have people wander in randomly when you're being in stitched up in hospital you know!

Well, but they're not children, usually.

I really enjoy reading posts that explain why some people hate the idea of home birth without implying that the pro-lobby are just selfish and don't care about the safety of their children, actually.

Sounds like you had great birth experiences, MrsDepp. My hospital birth was fantastic as well (although I do want a home birth next time) and it sometimes seems like nobody talks about good experiences so I'm always pleased to read about them.

And of course you're less likely to need stitching at home

Absolutely violethill - the only people present at my hb were me, dh and 2 midwives (why would my dd be wandering in??? She was off at my mums where she would have been regardless of place of birth!) During my hospital stitching I had the pleasure of a junior doc doing the work, observed by a senior doc and occasionally joined by the consultant who kept popping in to ask them questions and who always forgot to shut the door

tortoise - I too am loving this thread - loads of different views and experiences. I too had a positive birth experience with dd in hospital, in that she was born smoothly and safely with no complications. As it was a quick birth I was also fortunate enough to have the same mw throughout who also commented afterwards that she had really enjoyed being able to see a birth through to the end as so often shift changes mean that rarely happens. However grateful I am for the safe arrival of dd, I knew that I would have been so much more calm, relaxed and in control at home which is why for a hb with ds.

Another factor was the poor experience of postnatal care in the hospital - public stitching, being left alone with dd in the birthing room for 11 hours after the birth as no room on post-natal ward, not being 'allowed' to go home until the paediatrician had checked dd which took until 15 hours after she was born..I could go on This saddens me so much as poorly staffed or managed labour & post natal wards are letting new mums down when they need support and comfort the most.

I felt having the same MW throughout really helped especially in my own home as she made tea and bedded down with us in the front room - she was the midwife I'd had throughout my ante-natal care but it was a lucky chance she was on shift when I went into labour. I had met the rest of the community midwife team though and having that 1:1 care with the same person throughout really relaxed me....I'm a bit of a people pleaser and it would have stressed me out hvaing a new midwife with changes in shifts and knowing they had to run out constantly to other women.

I guess THAT'S what made me selfish in having a HB - I got to have a midwife all to myself for the duration of labour

Re the "being stitched at home" thing - do remember that you're less likely to tear or be cut during a homebirth and consequently there's less chance you'll need stitching at all.

I was very thankful to come out of DD's birth with minimal bleeding, no tears/cuts and no afterpains. There's always an element of luck with these things but I also credit my MW with taking very good care of us during labour and birth and making the right decisions about when to intervene and when to leave us alone.

No afterpains? How'd you manage that? I've heard they get worse with subsequent children and am dreading them this time!

Wish I knew! Transition was very painful, pushing was a relief (but hard work) and the minute DD was out, the pain was over and that was it.

At the time, I wondered if it had something to do with having a natural third stage and no heavy bleeding. So, no physical interventions to get the placenta out or uterine massage / injections to control bleeding.

I didn't realise how common severe afterpains were until comparing notes with other people later.

I very rarely get period pains either so maybe I've just got an odd uterus. I'm not complaining...

Must be just me, but I'm genuinely surprised by the reaction to my comments about having stitches at home after ds was born! . The senior mw did the stitching, she was clean and the equipment sterile. I was far more comfortable in my living room than on a hospital bed with my legs in stirrups, with all and sundry walking into the room whenever they felt like it There was gas and air on hand if I needed it and the area anaesthetised before hand as it would have been in hospital. Please don't be too judgemental or - the whole procedure took half the time it did with dd and I was far more relaxed and comfortable at home.

Can ask about the people who talked about their DC's coming down from bed the next day to see new baby? Did you have someone in the house to look after them, and if not weren't you worried about an emergency transfer to hospital?

I don't think I could relax with DD around either way. She's doing my head in enough today, I couldn't stand the constant questions!

"Ahhh...the mess myth....I've lost count of the number of people who asked about that when I talked about planning a hb"

S'not always a myth I'm afraid. My homebirth was REALLY messy. I ruined a quilt and nearly destroyed my bed. I think there were three bin bags full of dirty sheets and towels to deal with afterwards.

BUT the night my ds was born was so, so incredible for me and my dh - I'm not sure I've completely come down from it 7 years on! My other births were also special, because I got to meet my wonderful dc's, but in terms of the sense of power and self-suffiency you get from having your baby at home - well, it blows you away.

A few mucky sheets? I mean - really, I can't believe that people actually worry about things like that. It's so insignifant!

wow tittybangbang...seriously? I had a shower while the midwives cleaned up, 10mins later there's no way you would have realised a HB took place, even the old towells I had put by were fine as the inco-pads collected everything. But yes completely agree with you on the total insignificance of it all!

Frankly I'm terrified at the thought of having to go to a hospital to give birth after such an incredible experience at home

Have read this thread with great interest and just wondered does anyone know what constitues a low risk pg?
I had planned hb with DS1 but he was 4 weeks early so obviously had to go to hospital. Ended up being a quick labour with a ventouse delivery as DS's heartrate dropped but all fine in the end. Was v strange to go from still being at work to holding DS in arms within 24 hours!!

Am 27 weeks pg with DC2 and would love a hb if possible but have had numerous complications with this pg:

Hyperemesis (did have with DS but worse this time around as am on meds)
SPD - just diagnosed
Low lying placenta at 20 week scan, next one at 32 weeks.
Early delivery of DS1 and he was low birth weight for dates.

Would any of these be a factor in not having hb? Obv if placenta has not moved then I know this will be a major issue but hoping it has moved, would they be worried about it?

MW and GP surgery very supportive of hb if possible so would be hospital who would object i think?

Thanks x

togarama, I am

I had a lovely, natural waterbirth at home with DS. No drugs, physiological 3rd stage, not much bleeding.

The afterpains were horrendous and really shocked me; I'd had none at all after DD's birth.

This thread is making me so sad that I'll never get to do it again. I don't think I actually, really want to add another member to the family; I just want another HB!

Anyone need a surrogate?

ceasar - I can only comment on the placenta part of your query. I had low lying placenta identified at a 24 week scan and was re-scanned at 34 weeks where it was confirmed it had moved away from the cervix. Once it's moved then it can't move back so if they give you the all clear at your next scan then this wouldn't be a reason to avoid a hb. Just worth mentioning though that my mw told me that it's not unusual for the placenta not to have moved until 34+ weeks so if it's still a problem at 32 weeks you'll probably find they'll re-scan you again anyway! It's very common and usually sorts it's self out.