Tell me about your home births please!!!!

[PreggoEggo]

Preggo with bambino 3, had both my babies in the hospital, one epidural one natural (no time for drugs! damn).
I have since moved and I dont want to go to a hospital I dont know and havent heard much about (also hate hospitals/clinical environments).
Very much toying with a home birth as I feel I would be more relaxed. Obviously the pain side terrifies me completely, but my second was sooo fast (2 hours 23 min) that it frightened me and I felt out of control. Im thinking that if Im prepared to have it at home, I wont be so frightened.

My mother is horrified at the IDEA of a home birth. What if something goes wrong blah blah

Who's done it? Would you change anything if you are doing it again? Did you have a birthing pool? Gas and air? etc etc!!!!

i am going to get my DH to have a read as i think all these stories are invaluable. Interested in the hypnotherapy as well, i am really scared of the pain. Having an epidural with DD1 was great in the sense i didnt feel anything! DD2 i found excruciating. I remember saying to my husband, dont ever let me go through that again and yet here I am... baby due in 14 weeks and bricking it!!

Hypnotherapy is well worth a try. I didn't find it worked for me. What worked for me was getting into funny positions and shouting my head off vocalising. But some people find it amazing.

i think natal hypnotherapy really helped me. I couldn't prove it but experienced lots of the things suggested on the cd... was really relaxed between ctx, which felt v managable, labour progressed smoothly and quickly, used the "comfort dial" to relieve pain, only had g and a for last few ctx (and mostly cause it was dangleing there in front of me!)...was all ace. Worth the 12 quid or whatever for the cd.

I found the natal hypno CD great too. Focussing on breathing in for 4 and out for 6 made the contractions more manageable. I also think the doing pregnancy yoga helped me a lot.

thats what i did pinkfondant....

"breathing in golden light" FOR 4 "Breathing out releasing tension" for 6..... made each contraction just for or 5 breaths long so fine

I practiced that too, but I had intense back pain (I think, although it was never confirmed, that DD was probably back to back at that point, because it felt exactly like my first labour). I found that I couldn't let it wash over me in that way. I felt I had to be more of the 'lioness' type approach - tackling the pain head on and going into battle!

I still rate hypnotherapy, because I do think it helped me relax fast between contractions and conserve energy, but I do think you need to have a bit of an open mind about what might work for you.

I wouldn't change a thing about my HB. I had one 10 months ago with my DD. I loved being at home and knowing where everything was and having a bath whenever I wanted one. I laboured in every room in our house and spent much of it on the stairs before giving birth in our bedroom.

Also, DH liked it as he was so busy making tea for the midwife, getting me water and snacks, running baths etc that he never had time to be nervous. He also felt he was doing something helpful which was good for him.

I've had a blib and spent most of the night up terrified of the birth, I know this is my third so should be old hat by now but am bricking myself.
Im not sure about the hypnotherapy... my DH rolled his eyes when I mentioned it. I was very vocal with both my previous labours, ohh just thinking about it all now makes my eyes water!!!!! :(

Do what works for you. I roll my eyes a bit at hypnotherapy myself. I was also quite vocal during my labour. My husband told me I sounded like a Klingon warrior. I took it as a compliment.

If you're worried about the neighbours, we live in a terraced house and I asked them afterward. They hadn't heard anything and one set didn't even know we'd had a baby until 4 months afterward.

Number 1 at home. Very intense labour, no idea how I would have made it to hospital since I was having continuous contractions and vomiting within 5 minutes of waking up with a slightly niggly tummy. Spent entire labour on my side on the bed sucking up the gas and air until the MW persuaded me I should probably get a bit more upright and actually push the baby out. I had pethidine in teh cupboard in case it was needed but didn't want it. 4.5 hour labour.

Number 2 also at home. For her I had a pool and she was born in water. It was far more relaxed than number 1 with a "proper" build up of contractions. I paced teh house and rocked hips through contractions while dh filled the pool, I got in when about half full and he carried on filling.I tried the gas as contractions got more intense but chucked it out of the way after a couple of tries as it was getting in the way of roaring which was far more theraputic . It was absolutely fantastic and I'd di ti again in an instant,I could feel her head as it came down and watching her come out was amazing,I was just staring down between my legs as this tiny (well ok fuck off huge) head and body slid out and floated gently up to the surface. The MW just sat by teh pool reminding me to breath back down at teh end of contractions. 5 hour labour.

With both it was just wonderful to shower in my own bathroom and snuggle in my own bed. Ds slept through dd's birth, we jsut had a couple of people we could ring to pop round and look after him in case I had to transfer in.

Mess is cleared up by the MW before she leaves. They have all the gubbins to spread under you for the birth in the packs that get delivered to your house before the birth. If you have a pool tehn of course you have to deal with that but that is what your dh/lucky birth partner is for while you snuggle the baby . Not that it is much work really, you just empty it, drag it outside and leave it in the rain hose it down.

I'm due with number 3 in Feb and providing he behaves himself it will be another HB in water.