Home Birth and Choosing which Midwife Team or Hospital

[emski1972]

When I had my first visit with a midwife at Kings College Hospital she asked me if I'd like a homebirth.

I was unsure and she said 'I'll just say you would and you can change your mind later if you like'

Then I had a call from another midwife at KIngs to say that I couldnt have a home birth with Kings due to our location in SE19 and that I would have to switch to Mayday.

I have not heard anyting positive about Mayday and declined to do so.

I'm hapy with Kings for all the ante natal care I have had but see my midwife at the local Doctors surgery.

Now...I have decided I'd like a Home Birth ...I'm 35 weeks.

Do I have to switch hospitals?
Do I have a choice?

What to do?

I think that for a homebirth you have to be booked in to your 'geographically closest' hospital as that is where the midwives will come from, and that is where you will be taken in an emergency. So yes, if you want a homebirth you would need to switch hospitals.

Call your MW and explain that you have decided you would like to plan for a homebirth - you are perfectly entitled to do so anytime up to and including while you are in labour, but a little bit of notice is usually appreciated!

You may need to book with a different hospital for this to happen if the situation is still that Kings don't provide a HB service where you live. You need to be aware that, if this is the case, then if you need to be transferred in during labour you will almost certainly wind up at the new hospital - at that stage in proceedings the continuity between home and hospital MWs that are part of the same institution would make it quite sensible to follow their advice.

But starting point is definitely to talk to your MW and take it from there. Good luck - DD1 was a planned HB and, even though I wound up transferring in afterwards, I'd still do it again given the chance :)

You have to be booked in with whichever PCT supplies community MWs to your area. It's not necessarily the closest hospital if you're close to PCT boundaries (which most people in London are!).

I'd ask your MW - presumably they're a CMW for your area (unless your GP is actually in a different PCT area to your home).

The Community Manager at Mayday is extremely positive towards homebirths. Even managed to facilitate a twin homebirth earlier in the year.
Good luck with the decision making.

Anja

Thanks all. Just received a call from the head of midwives at Kings. She has to check with the team but as the border is drawn through our street thinks it will be OK.

Where we are in Crystal Palace means we are on 5 borders which is a nightmare for public services as a recipient and as a provider...police etc

you don;'t have to be booked into your closest hospital

i was given a choice when i had my booking appt. i DID choose the closest, but i certainly didn't have to

i know people who have chosen a hospital that is about the 4th furthest away!

in an emergency tho of course the ambulance would take you to the closest one tho

thisisyesterday - did you have a HB? My experience, and I think all the ones I've heard of, is that you only get to choose your hospital if you're planning a hospital birth. If you want a HB then you need to book with whichever hospital provides a HB service where you live, as HB services don't tend to overlap.

emski1972 - glad things seem to be sorted out. Hope things go to plan for you :)