Home water birth

[Jill72]

Reassure me please!! Just been for 30 week midwife appointment. I am 39 and have a higher Bmi ( dress size 18). I announced my wish for a home water birth and while it was not dismissed out of hand the vibes were certainly towards it not being fully supported " think we need a longer chat to go through the risks". NOTHING else is an issue with the pregnancy - all going very well and no Gestational diabetes. Have only put on 10 pounds so far. I feel confident that as things stand now there is no reason to not go for it. Thoughts? Experiences?

just remember the decision is yours, and you have every right to insist on it if its what you want.

They can advise you, but ultimately the decision is yours.....

Im 30 and have a home water birth planned from next Sunday (agghh!)

Good Luck, if you want it, go for it. There is no way i would plan anything else, and will certainly not be planning to go to hospital!

Attempted home water birth first time but transferred due to a very long labour. The water felt amazing whilst I was in it.

Attempted same for second birth (new house, not a combi boiler this time). By the time the pool was full baby had arrived.

Doh.

Strongly advise a heated pool unless you have a combi boiler! Good luck

As I have just posted in another thread about clexane - I am forever caught between a general suspicion of the motivation of of the medical people versus a dose of healthy common sense. I am finding myself treading the fine line between what is over cautious interference and absolutely needed medical treatment. Therefore I am not convinced that two general indicators are enough to dissuade me from the birth I want. However it is easier said than done when the safety of your unborn is dangled in front of you as almost emotional blackmail!! I know that if things are going pear shaped I can transfer to hospital - and I would - I am just objecting to an out of hand response based on guidelines rather than a reasonable discussion based on me and my history so far. Grrrr!

I had a home water birth for dc number three, it was the best birth by a mile, I did face some opposition mainly by Gp, but nearly all of the midwives I met were very in favour.
I hired a heated filtered pool, from 38 weeks and used it every day until the birth 1 week late. I loved it and would really advise hiring a heated one if you can.

I had a wonderful home water birth 6 weeks ago today. I was so relaxed the midwives sat chatting on the sofa but soon jumped up when I signalled to DP that baby was coming. I couldn't speak as I had the gas&air tube in my mouth for the 5mins it took her to be born, I'd been in the pool for half an hour. The water really is amazing and after a 9lb baby I needed no stitches. If you're confident in yourself then I say go for it. I had a home birth planned with my other 2 but had to transfer in so it was 3rd time lucky for me. It's easier to be booked in for a home birth then transfer in if necessary. I hope all goes well for you xx

unfortunately a normal delivery has to be a retrospective diagnosis. I know other's here will flame me but really home delivery is for pizza not babies. It might be ok but if it's not how on earth could you ever forgive yourself? (I've also seen a baby drown from meconium aspiration in the pool - pooed during pushing mum couldn't get out baby pooed was born breathed in water with meconium and spent many many weeks in intensive care)

or even others no idea where that apostrophe came from

sleepless you clearly dont know the facts. (facts as in carried out by proper studies, published in peer reviewed journeys... proper medical facts)

If you are low risk, being at home is the SAFEST place (statistically) to deliver your baby. Mum and baby are less likely to DIE.... yes if you are low risk, choosing to go to hospital increases the likelihood of death to both mum and baby.
Intervention is much for likely for low risk mums who choose to give birth in hospital, and babies apgar scores are likely to be lower.

I know a 1st time mum who tried to deliver her 1st baby in hospital... she had 1 newly trained in experianced midwife, who let her push and push for 12 hours and gave birth to a dead baby . Can be almost 100% sure that 2 experianced midwives would never have allowed that to happen, she would have been transfered and would probably have given birth to a live baby.

NHS did there own study a while back in the 90's with the sole aim of prooving hospital births are safer (there is no medical reason why so many people have hospital births, it just sort of happened that way after the war) and there study actually showed the opposite.

When low risk the least risky place there is to give birth (IF MUM IS HAPPY TO, if mum is worried and wants to be in hospital its not the case) is at home

Hence the reason the NHS are trying to encourage more people to opt for home birth.

Even the NHS maintain and publish that home-birth is as safe (though i wish they would be honest and publish that its safer, rather than no more dangerous) IF LOW RISK

sleepless - same outcome would have happened in a hospital birthing pool. Being at home had no relevance to that situation.

OP - I had a home water birth with DD2, and it was a lovely as a birth can be (cos let's face it, they're never pleasant! )

In hospital with DD1, I couldn't move (my legs strangely lose function when I'm in labour), I was stuck flat on my back with one inexperienced MW who also had to keep popping out to see other patients. It was awful and I was traumatised for months afterwards.

With DD2, I had two dedicated, experienced MWs in my own home, with their attention focussed entirely on me, I could move into different positions, and after DD2 was born I could wash in a clean bathroom and get into my own bed. It was wonderful.

Hi, Jill.

I had a home birth, labouring in the pool. Like you, I am a size 18, put on very little weight and had a low risk pregnancy. I had SPD. My midwives were very supportive throughout of my desire to have a HB (first baby) but asked me to attend the consultant's clinic around 33 weeks to be rubber-stamped. I actually saw a rather clueless registrar who had never heard of a home water birth whom I told pretty firmly I intended to have a HB. Her concerns were about the SPD rather than my weight (she didn't seem to know much about SPD either); in fact my weight wasn't mentioned once during the appointment.

Good luck with your birth! NICE guidelines are that women with BMI 30-35 should be fine having a HB if otherwise low risk.

Hi
I'm due to give birth mid September to baby2 and am planning my second home waterbirth. DS is now 3 and I can honestly say it was brilliant.I am a real pain in the arse when it comes to being fussed about and being told what to do so I felt that having a homebirth really put me in control and while others may disagree with me I'm not ill, pregnant so I didn't feel the need to be in a hospital. We live about 15 mins away so I knew if anything was not going well I could transfer and tried to keep an open mind.

I was a larger lady when pregnant with DS1 and put on about 4stone, not something I'm terribly proud of but I did enjoy my pregnancy. I'm also in my 30's. This time I haven't put on as much and I did lose I lot after DS was born, god knows how. Anyway the point I am making is that my weight never came into it, but I know we are all different.

My waterbirth was just what I wanted I was left alone to birth which was what I needed the midwives were amazing, I had gas and air and DH topping up the pool. When DS was born I was showered and in my bed with my DH (after he had emptied the pool, poor thing not the nicest job in the world)

I felt so well looked after and had the birth I wanted. Some of my friend's didn't, they started at home and then taken in which all worked out fine. We are all different and can only offer advice as we have to make decisions for ourselves. I felt very happy with my homebirth. I did a lot of reading beforehand went to activebirth classes which were great and listened to pregnancy relaxation cd's. Being prepared really helped and my bag was packed for hospital just in case.

I hope you get the birth you want, it is important to try and get what you want I think it contributed to me having a happy and contented little boy (well most of the time)

Good luck

mostersvaliens

what a lovely story.... Im due mid september too (with my 1st) and hope my birth is excatly like your first. I hope your second birth is as wonderful.

I agree that coming into world less stressfully MUST help babies be happy and content and not terrified and stressed!