Is there a home birth thread on MN?

[WestYorkshireGirl]

I've been trying to find a home birth thread on the talk boards but not having any luck. Is anyone else planning for a HB imminently? I am hoping for a home water birth in around 2 weeks with an independent mw and it would be great if anyone else was also in the same position or had recently had a HB.

I had my MW appointment on Sat and she has agreed to do the home ass' at 36 weeks and if bloods are ok, I can have my HB! :) but, I have been feeling awful and hope i'm wrong, but feeling Aneamic again:( hope its just stress and being nackered as I have been following the diet and taking tablets reigously (did have a diet coke last week needed a stiff drink, but went for a coke )
But I really dont want my MW to deliver my Baby, she is more scatty than me (and thats saying something )she somehow, whlst doing bloods, managed to cover me head to toe in my own blood and always forgets to give me appointments and I have to chase her up hope she is off when I go into labour

manic I'm at your mw and wouldn't want her to deliver my baby either! Remember though that you get 2 mws so even if she is on duty there'll be someone else as well. I'm on floradix for anaemia and have been given the go ahead for hb so try not to worry about that and at you having a diet coke, I don't think that's anything to feel bad about. I haven't had coffee since before my bfp (was a big coffee drinker before but went off it in a BIG way) but I still have a diet coke every now and then.

Ooh I've been wondering if there was a homebirth thread. We planned a HB with DD but ended up transferring to hospital after about 14 hrs because of meconium in waters. Dd was born about 12hrs after that after syntocinin, epidural and forceps. I have a lot of feelings of failure after that but we are now planning a hb in Sept with second... only hiccup is that we're moving from our very homebirth supportive area at about 30 weeks, so hope I manage to arrange it at the other end!

Excuse typos, on phone.

Starting to feel slightly less knackered today! DD still in hospital, but doing great and coming home on Wednesday morning, she is BF well too

Hope everyone's HB plans are going smoothly. Would anyone like a birthing pool? It's a made in water one. A lovely woman gave it to me off freecycle, she didn't use it in the end. My DS was born in it, another friend had her baby off it and someone off my MN Antenatal thread used it too...so its got a good history!
It has a small slow puncture which I have fixed, but stay s up for 12 hours without deflating! There is an unused liner, new hose pipe and tap adapters too...free to a good home! (DH is sick of the sight of it!!)

Manicmummy...I have been guzzling diet coke the last few days...I love it, it made me feel so sick when I was pregnant, its so nice to be reunited with it again!

Congratulations hackneyzoo. So good to hear you had a positive experience despite all not going exactly to plan. Hopefully your little one is now safely home.

Waves to petty prudence, fellow due dater.

hackney hope you are now at home with baby enjoying your babymoon!
could I have the pool please? really want a waterbirth but the price of pools and kit is becomming an issue.

Absolutely me23....I will message you!

Got my HB levels back and I'm still only 10.8 :( I don't think it is that bad, was in labour with dd with levels of 8. something and felt fine, but mw started the whole ' if you bleed heavly, blah, blah' speach, but I insisted so have homevisit on 7 th feb, The dizzy spell were down to coming down with cold/flu thing.did anyone have a problem with mw objecting to pets? I have 3 Siamese that like to intimidate people,so was thinking of shuting them up [grins] Hackney, hope your all settled at home and getting plenty of rest, have a diet coke for me!

Mind you, just thought of a great reply to the MW 'if you bleed heavly' should have said, no, that's only if you do another blood test, he he he [grins]

manicmummy 10.8 is not low really considering your gestation the NICE guidelines says haemoglobin levels below 10.5 at 28 weeks or more should consider iron supplementation and you are above that so I really wouldn't worry and that haemoglobin level is no reason for the mw to say homebirth is not reccommended if she tries to tell you otherwise I would contact the supervisor of midwives and the head of midwifery at your hospital.

Ah soooo glad to have found this thread! Congratulations to both Hackneyzoo and WYG on your lovely births. Have only been reading this morning, so not been on tenterhooks with you all the way, but still made me tear up when I got to your birth story Hackneyzoo! Hope DD is doing well!
I'm a long way off from some of the dates on here as I'm not due until the end of July(!), but after everything went wrong with DD1 2 years ago, I have vowed not to go near a hospital! MW was supportive of HB but has said this may not be possible after DD1 was query IUGR (she was just small cos I am and couldn't eat properly while pg!!). I had read the Hypnobirthing book and was at the story of the woman who was stuck on her back the whole birth and was determined not to allow anything like that to happen. Was too scared to HB so opted for MWLU and birth pool. Yet I spent an agonising 35 hours in labour (post waters breaking) with my back to back baby trying to turn round flat on my back strapped to a heart monitor because she'd stopped growing and we weren't allowed in the MWLU (or in fact to move). We were then kept in for 4 days in case she had an infection. It was everything I'd read about and I hated it and felt a complete failure. Hence the early planning this time round.
Any advice anyone can offer against medical caution (I will be sensible, but think they can sometimes be over-cautious) or how to deal with doubts raised by MW or consultants would be appreciated. In the meantime, I'll just enjoy reading all your lovely stories!

Hello minicorrect, glad you found this thread as was going to link it for you on the other thread iyswim

Your last birth doesn't sound like it was managed well at all and I can completely understand your wanting to get things in order early this time. Have you had a look at this website? It gives you all the info you need to know your rights and who to contact if you have any issues. I'm a first timer so can't really offer any more help than that but I hope you get the birth you want this time!

It's one of my fears to be strapped to a bed and monitored like that....

Just wanted to say just had my homebirth booking appointment. the midwife was lovely i'm really excited now.

roll on full term i say.

Oh yes, I forgot to post about mine too. The MW was lovely and not fazed by DD's toys being all over the floor (we did pick them up but it lasted all of 2 minutes). We talked about hospital transfers and MW said I had a good relaxed attitude-hope that means a speedy homebirth! I must remember to pack a small bag just in case though.

Off to the supermarket in a bit to pick up some last minute bits and bobs. My TENS machine came in the post this morning and I'm 37 weeks today so it's just a case of sitting and waiting now

Good luck WYG we had our son at home and tried water (bit too chilly for my wife I'm afraid) the homebirth experience was amazing for us and if you have any Q's ask. Our local NCT ran a HB group which were great, our tips......Split bin bags under your bed linen to protect the mattress, lots of InCo pads (cheaper and can be ordered in from the Pharmacists at Boots), start the TENS as soon as the contractions start, also have a good meal at that point too and have a bunch of bendy straws in cos you don't know what position you'll be in when you need a drink.

Good Luck!

Greetings from a fellow HBer to be!

hackneyzoo Congratulations on your new arrival! I am glad it was a positive experience even if things didn't go to plan. My DS similarly swallowed some pool water too and had to end up in NICU for 2'days.
I am finding this thread useful as I was wanting to know where I could source incontinence sheeting. It would be particuarly useful afterward since I hate having to wear pads in bed - had to for 2 weeks before hand.

Could someone please add my name to the list:

GeekLove pg#2 10/3/11 Surprise!

Thanks
Rieslinger, great tips :) does anyone have any more tips for a 1st time homebirther? Got a basic list from books, but it would be great to know what has helped other people that wouldn't be in books.

just wanted to share this lovely article with you
womb of my on
made me feel good about making choices based on what i feel/know to be right.

opps whould read womb of my own!

thanks for sharing hazchem, good article!

Hi everyone, only just found this thread! Am 37 +4 with DC2 and hoping for a home birth.
tried for home delivery last time but had to be transferred as there was meconium in my waters, so hoping things will be ok this time.
Have been reading hypno birthing book a bit half heartedly and hoping it will just all go in via MP3 while I am asleep!

Really pleased to find this thread - lots of useful info and experiences! The area I live in is so pro-homebirth that I feel that I am getting a very one sided view though.

While there are a few niggles with HB above, does anyone have any negative experiences of homebirth that have put them off ever doing it again? I really want to know how bad things could get so I can be properly prepared before I make a final decision.

Mr Ickle I want to say a few things.

Firstly I think with all birth it's the woman choice no one should feel pushed to have a homebirth or a hospital birth. You should feel that the choice you have made is right for you, for your baby and for your family (partner other children).
People do have negative experiences of homebirth just as there is negative experiences of hospital birth.

In terms of how bad things get there is no answer. For instance while my intention is to give birth at home I know that if there is a complication (meconium in water, foetal distress, haemorrhaging to name a few) that I will transfer to a hospital.

While I would like to deliver my baby at home on the day of birth I will make decisions based on getting the best outcome for myself and the baby.
If you have particular niggles it's best to ask about them. On here but also your midwife as practices will vary between trust ect.
Personally I had quite a few concerns about the transfer process
Eg for me as my booking hospital is not the closest i wanted to know i would be transferred to the closest hospital in an emergency but would go to my booked hospital if it was for non emergency. could my partner transfer in the ambulance with me. If the baby needs to be transferred after birth can i go in the ambulance. if i need to transfer after the birth will the baby come with me.
After finding out the answers I felt much better.
I?ve not had the baby yet but I feel calm and prepared for the labour ? looking after the child afterwards is a totally different story.

Sorry marathon post last day at work and I've finnished everything I need to do!

Oh and do check out Hombirth Org it's got such an amazing amout of information.

Thanks Hazchem, that's a useful perspective - also given me an idea of a few more questions I can ask the midwife at my next appointment, things I hadn't yet considered!

The one underlying impression I get from most experiences, both bad and good, is that your decision to give birth at home is not set in stone and can be a moveable feast - I just want to make absolutely sure that if I change my mind and want to go to the hospital, even if there is no medical reason to, that they will let me. Again will pick this up with my midwife then.

Thanks for the link too!