Has anyone had an unplanned homebirth?

[katster37]

I am 31 weeks with DC2, and we are in the process of relocating to the other end of the country (with a 13 month old...). Due to problems selling our flat, we are now having to live at my parents' until after the baby is born and they are a 20-25 minute drive from the hospital. With my first baby, I went from 2cm to delivery in 2 and a half hours, so it was pretty quick (and v intense and overwhelming...felt quite traumatised, esp as the MWs hadn't believed me...sigh). I am really not keen on having a HB at my parents' immaculate house (!) and would feel v strange about it. However, I am terrified of not getting to the hospital in time. I plan on going at the first twinge (although realise I could end up back and forth with false alarms etc) but am still scared I could end up with an unplanned HB. Has this happened to anyone, and was it scary? The thing that is most scaring me, is that DS needed to be whisked away and given oxygen and have his airways cleared - he looked decidedly iffy upon arrival, and I don't know what would happen if you were in an ill-equipped house. The only reassuring thing is that a MW lives next door but one to my mum, although obviously I realise she may not necessarily be in, or willing to come round! Any thoughts?!?!

I did! I woke at 3am and had my little one in the bedroom 42mins later. By the time we had waited for my mum to arrive to look after my ds1 there was no way I was moving. Hubby rang the mw unit and mum rang 999. The mw dashed through the door on the last contraction and the ambulance arrived just after. My little one had delayed breathing for a min, but the mw rubbed him down vigourously with a towel and he was fine. I don't remember it being scary as I was concentrating so much on the labour but I remember getting extremley cross with my hubby who was insisting that I should get in the car! I literally couldn't get down the stairs!
If I was you I would go round to your mums neighbour and explain your situation and ask if she would be happy for you to call on her should the need arise. I would also send hubby on some baby first aid courses just in case. I do understand your concerns I desperatley want another child but am very worried about another fast birth. Fingers crossed everything goes well, kepp us posted :)

I woke up at 5.30. Called the midwife who fortunately for me came to assess me at home, she called her partner and ds 2 appeared on my bed about 8am.

Dh was adamant I was going to hospital after previous ghastly labour and birth but I could not have physically gone down the stairs.

Was great! No mess either, the midwives even changed the bed for me.

Wow! Great to hear positive stories! I suppose to some ears they might sound like 'ideal' births, but I think the reality of such a fast labour is that you can feel v out-of-control and, I guess there are hidden dangers. The MW down here in London (we are moving to Yorkshire) said just go to hospital at the first twinge, and if not possible, ring an ambulance. Did 999 take it seriously when you rang, hawesmead5? I have a big purple sheet at the front of my notes saying 'PRECIPITATE LABOURER' so I intend to wave that around as much as possible!

Good tip re getting DH to do first aid. I forwarded him a website about how to deliver a baby (!) and he totally freaked out, my mum will be around so maybe she might be a better bet

Anyone else have any tips? I was wondering if getting in the bath would slow things down? I never had chance last time.

Yes 999 were great they sent an ambulance straight away, although the paramedics said they were glad the mw got there first .I must admit that I did have a show at 2.30 but went back to sleep thinking I could be weeks away from labour yet. I must have slept through all of my dialation (my mw did say I had stomach muscles of steel after the birth!!! Infact by little ones feet wouln't uncurl for a few days because he had been so snug :))
I was told off 999 to get on my back to slow things down, don't know if this is true as there was no way I was moving by then!!!

So glad it all turned out ok, Hawesmead5 - and a show could easily have meant labour was a while off, I imagine! Well done on the stomach muscles - I don't think I have any at the minute

Yes, another one here. My first labour was quick, just 3 hours in hospital but my second arrived extremely quickly. When the contractions started to get painful my waters broke and I had to push straight away.
Hubby called an ambulance (they are only just up the road, about 2 minutes from our house) and my son was born 4 minutes after they arrived.

It was very scary, escecially since DS1 was born not breathing and had to be in special care so we assumed the same would happen this time.

The other thing is that me screaming in pain and because I was so scared woke our then 2 year old son up and he was frightened because I was screaming so hubby had to carry him around and open up doors and whatever else the 999 people had told him to do. I felt very alone and scared, but afterwards, when DS2 was born it was magical. Just being able to go to bed the whole family together straight after birth rather than stay in a hospital was brilliant.

And I wouldn't worry about any mess, the MW will help you clean up. My husband didn't wait until she had arrived, and cleaned up himself straight after the birth and there was no stains at all.

Hastingsmum was DS2 OK when he was born? That is my big fear of HB, DS1 had inhaled meconium and needed quite a bit of kickstarting and special care (not for long). I don't think I'll dare go to sleep from 38 weeks in case I sleep through the contractions

Yep me. DD1 was 8 hours start to finish in hospital.

DD2 was, well, thought I was in labour and didn't know when to go in, so rang the hospital at 8pm. I had a contraction on the phone - quite painful, but not screaming or anything. Was told to have a bath and paracetamol.

Glad I decided to ignore that advice because at 8:30 I went for a poo only for a sack full of baby and everything else to come dripping out of me. No pushes or anything. Sack broke with waters and mess as DD2 popped out.

Husband was next door getting the neighbour ready for coming round to look after DD1, made it back just in time to catch the baby (note I didn't say deliver, it was more a catch). She didn't immediately breathe, but we're from Somerset so DH naturally went into lambing mode and cleared her airways out until she was breathing.

Quite scary looking back. DH then rang the hospital again and they kept him on the phone whist they sent 2 ambulances and some midwives to us.

Have since redecorated the downstairs toilet room!! Oh, and no more babies for us, even with the hospital only a mile away we didn't make it.

Yes here too. I had a very difficult 42hr labour with DC1 ending in an em CS, SCBU and HDU for me. I hired an Independent midwife for DC2 who was quietly confident I would not be as long second time round. I woke in the early hours of the morning thinking I had a stomach bug but rang the MW anyway, she came round straight away and found me fully dilated. It was a 45min drive to hospital, so we made the most of the things my MW had in the boot of her car and I had my baby at home in my bedroom.

I should point out that I had been at pains to make sure my hospital birth was planned meticulously in order to make sure I didn't have a repeat of the first experience. I didn't get a repeat, but neither did I get what I had planned. I wasn't disappointed though!

PS I was adamant I did not want a home birth. the other thing that was a bit amusing was that the MW said she had never seen a baby shoot out so fast!

Not me, but a good friend of mine. She had what she thought was a bit of back-ache , went to the loo; next minute the baby was on her way out. Her dh, who faints at the sight of blood, had to be talked through the delivery by the 999 operator, with the ambulance crew arriving just in time to cut the cord.

She says the worst bit was having two enormous ambulance men, her dh, herself and the baby all squashed into her tiny bathroom with blood and mess everywhere; she ended up being taken into hospital anyway because she had retained the placenta.

For her second baby she was a bit more alert to the signs of labour!!

my last homebirth was planned, but unassisted as ds3 decided to arrive very quickly!

all i would say is, don't count out a homebirth just because your parents' house is immaculate.

i was hoping that one of my homebirths might ruin my skanky carpet so i could replace it. no such luck. the midwives are incredibly good at keeping everything clean and tidy. if you so much as move there is someone there shoving an inco pad under you!
and they clear it all up when they leave. so please don't let the possibility of mess put you off if you'd otherwise be keen on the idea

katster37, yes DS2 was fine. It was so scary, both me and hubby were sure he would be the same as DS1 and then we heard him cry, we both started crying, such a relief.

I'm sure you won't sleep through your contractions, lol, although I must admit I worried about the same thing myself today...

My plan is to ring for a MW as soon as I feel any sort of contractions. If it takes longer this time they will just have to leave again. Actually, it just occured to me that they might not send anyone out unless contractions been going on for a bit????

Hastingsmum I don't know if they wouldn't send someone out, I would just insist they came and tell them how short first labour was! And possibly say they had been going on for a bit longer than they really had... Just spoke to the new midwife actually, who is the one who lives next door but one to my parents' - she said I could call her in the middle of the night 'if it was that quick' so I am slightly reassured!
Are you pg now then?

hastings... are you planning a homebirth this time?

with ds2 when i rang the delivery suite they didn't ask how long i'd been labouring, just how intense/close together the contractions were

i would say that if they are aware/you point out how quick your previous labours were they will NOT refuse to come, they will come straight away I am sure.

Yes I have
Story here

Hi, sorry didn't see your replies katster and yesterday

Yes, I'm planning a HB, am 36 + 5 that's why I'm getting a bit worried.
I'm sure you're right, they can't refuse to come if I (or hubby if I'm slightly busy, lol) explain how quick it was last time.