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?

in all honesty - I often think the same thing olifin....would love to be pregnant and have HB again lots of times! (except clearly I won't now get away with an easy pregnancy and labour with no damage, afterpains or stretch marks a 2nd time round)

Caesar, none of these things would normally preclude a hb (placentas usually move up, as detix pointed out) and in fact if you have SPD you might want to be considering a home water birth anyway, as that minimises the damage to the joints. My NHS consultant was very keen for me to do this and very supportive, and it was a great success (but I do live very near the hospital, it has to be said).

Thank you for replies, fingers crossed I make it to 38 weeks and my longed for home birth x x

You can usually have a HB from 37 weeks (36+5 in some cases if you are lucky and your dates might slightly be in dispute).

thanks BoffinMum will check with midwife when I see her this week.

I seem to recall that it was to do with birthing pool loan, you can have one for a month, from 38 - 42 weeks. I am very lucky in that my area is very supportive of HBs so am really hoping to achieve this.

This thread has got me all excited and have started watching Home Birth Diaries again even though it seems to be the same births as 2 years ago!

My mw was really supportive of my decision to have a hb. She said birth doesn't go from everything being fine, to s**t hitting the fan in a space of 1 minute, so if i did need to go to hosp. there would be no issue. Mws call for an ambulance to be on standby until the birth is over, then they ring them to say they are not needed anymore.
Luckily, my DH has been really supportive, even though this is my first. The only thing he has said, was he worried if anything went wrong. I explained about what the mw said, and he said oh right, well then, yeah I'm happpy.

After a lot of reading about hbs, I have deduced, that when you are at home, you are less stressed, when less stressed, labour is usually quicker, and you can get through it with less pain relief. Obvs not like that for everyone, but since I have decided to have hb, I have actually been looking forward to the birth and for my DH not to have to go home and leave me.

Let's just hope things run smoothly :)

The bottom line as I understand it is:

1. If your baby has breathing problems they may be able to do a more effective resus in hospital, but in most cases like this where it's not straightforward, you have to question what you're trying to achieve, as the baby may well be very damaged and die eventually anyway. M/w have the necessary resus equipment with them for the more common scenarios where it is worth doing.

1. Post-partum haemorrhage is a real concern hence m/w carry necessary drugs and a drip in case this happens.

Other than that, you will probably get more medical attention at home rather than less, so you might well be improving your odds of a safe birth, especially if you are within an hour via blue light ambulance of a hospital.

BTW a lot of people are unduly influenced by seeing dramatic birth scenarios on telly where it does go from fine to shit in one minute, whereas in real life there's a lot more warning, that is true.

If you want good attention in hospital, consider having an epidural as then a m/w is supposed to stay with you at all times!

I wonder if they really do though boffinmum?

And I certainly wouldn't want to go the epidural route with the increased risks to the baby of further intervention , just to ensure I had a midwife near me!

I think some blokes perceive birth like this, as a kind of crisis situation.

I am not advocating eipdurals but for first time mums in areas where midwifery services are over stretched and their experience of medical care is being abandoned on a ward with no midwife in sight, it's ironic that this is what you have to do to get some attention.