Homebirths!!

[19111990]

Has any one had a home birth? I really like the idea of having the baby at home, really worried incase something goes wrong though.

What do you think about them??

I planned a homebirth but went too overdue and agreed induction so couldn't have one. I'd still plan one again for next time though.

Take a look at www.homebirth.org.uk amazing site full of information.

Have you mentioned it to your midwife yet?

Thank you for the site.

I got a midwife appointment tomorrow so i am going to mention it then.

I have a induction with my DD :)

Is this your 2nd DC? Congratulations on your pregnancy by the way :)

Yer this is my 2nd my DD turned 3 on the 17th of this month :)

Thank you very much, got married in November so good start to marriage aye :)

I had a lovely homebirth with dd. There are definate risks, but there are risks with a hospital birth. In a hospital you have to share your midwife where as at home you have a highly experienced midwife all to yourself and two experienced midwifes for the second stage. I was low risk and a second time mum. I knew from experience that my body could deliver a baby.

Problems tend to get picked up at an earlier stage with a homebirth and its quite rare to a have a situtation that requires an instant c section. The biggest risk with a homebirth is a prolapsed cord, although a prolapsed cord is more common with a breech birth or malpresentation. Any form of malpresentation would be picked up by a homebirth midwife pretty early on. However tragic events do happen.

www.homebirth.org.uk/cordprolapsetelegraph.htm

However babies do die in hospital as well. There is greater risk of infection and sometimes a cascade of intervention. I think you need to weigh up the risks of different locations for homebirth. You might be happiest with a midwifery led unit if its your first.

If you have any doult about wanting a homebirth then I suggest you book one. You can easily change your mind to give birth in a hospital at the last minute. However its very hard to change arrangements to give birth at home at the last minute.

This is my 2nd DC, first labour and pregnancy was fine and gave birth normally.

Will talk to my widwife about it tomorrow, see whats what really, thank's for the advice

they're more likely to be supportive with a second birth :)

I had one - DD - first baby.
I think they're a fab idea if you're low risk, which you seem to be.

i was overdue and refused induction DD was born at home 40+16. (would have been +15 but she was born at midnight!)

yes, as reallytired says -book it because it's easier to change your mind that way than if you didn't and decide to have one.

I will book it. Its ment to be more relaxing too.

suppose if something was to go wrong they could always rush us to hospital too.

there are so many old threads on this, just search for one

DD2 was born at home.

I was going to say it was very special, but so was DD1s hospital birth, every birth is special.

Oh fuck just go for it, if it comes off you'll know exactly what I mean!

Nothing beats being your own space, bathing in your own bath, eating your own food and having privacy, except DD1 meeting her 3 minute old sister

Learning to BF in private without feeling your taking an exam was rather nice too!

See thats what i mea, having all my own stuff around me. Also my DD being able to meet little one pretty much straight away in her own home.

DC1 hospital but DC2 & 3 both homebirths.
I attended Active Birth Classes to enable me to be in the best possible physical positions and state of mind for delivery.
I didn't worry about complications, I felt that some complications arise from interference. With the lack of drugs and medical equipment at home all a MW can do is sit and wait.
In hospital if complications arose you have to wait for a specialist, they are not by your side in an instant, at home the MW would call the hospital and your arrival would probably coincide with the specialists.
As one of the posters said, at home you have 2 MWs all to yourself in hospital you share 1 with several other mothers.
There is no upset for older children, you don't leave the house, leaving them curious, they can come and check on you anytime, offering back rubs.
After delivery there is nothing more magical then introducing the new baby to older siblings and the entire family can enjoy a snuggle and bonding session.
Oh and after all that hard work you can have a big dinner and massive mug of tea instead of cold rubbery toast and a glug of tea in a plastic cup.

second everything said by startail above
DS was a hospital birth, totally straightforward but it was all very clinical, everything was rushed and i felt like i was on a production line.

DD was a homebirth, again totally normal birth but completely different experience for me. i was calm, relaxed and comfortable in my own home, my best friend was with me as well as DH (only one partner allowed in hospital) nobody rushed anything. i was in control.

It was totally fabulous

and then, my OWN bath, my OWN bed, Privacy, food when i wanted it, painrelief when i wanted it (had to wait 6 hrs for a paracetamol in hospital post ds's birth!) and time to bond with DD withought strangers around, no travelling.

......ok i shall stop, homebirths rule

as long as you have a supportive midwife, a low risk pregnancy, feel confident in yourself and a good birth partner. i would say go for it 100%, you wont regret it. you can change your mind and transferr to hospital at any point, so there is nothing to lose.

Good luck.x

Thank you :) I think i just needed to hear from people that have been there and done it :)

yes, i liked that I could have whoever i wanted there (i had DH and 2 friends, all of whom made themselves very useful!)
I had food whenever I wanted it, and what i wanted too, and whatever drinks i needed.
And DH played the piano for me!
It also meant I could wander round wherever I wanted to, upstairs (which really helps with contractions), to the toilet, into other room, have the telly on, etc.

and the ambulance can be called very quickly if something does go wrong.
I had an ambulance because they were worried that it was going too slowly and i would need help, but they did an episiotomy at home, and she was delivered fine. I had to go in the ambulance to be stitched up (because i tore as well), and stayed for a couple of days because of blood loss/low iron.

Which shows that even if it doesn't all go to plan, you're not just told "tough, you're at home deal with it" - that the emergency services are still there for you, and "if things go wrong" in the hospital, it would take just as long to be sorted as from home.

I wouldn't have gone to hospital in labour, that was the last thing I was capable of!

Had a homebirth with my first dd and it was the best decision I ever made. Everything went smoothly and being able to sleep and bathe in my own bed and bath was wonderful. I didn't feel any worry about things going wrong and I felt safe the whole time.
Unfortunately due to complications in pregnancy I was forced to have my second dd in hospital and was thoroughly shocked with the whole experience ,it was nothing short of appalling and I regret not going with my gut feelings and staying put at home. If I ever have another child A homebirth is the only option I would willingly pick x

I have had all 3DCs at home, and hope that #4 will complete the set in May!

I found only being 10mins from the hospital very reassuring with my 1st, but if I'd attempted to get to hospital with my 2nd she would have been born on the Oxford ring road!

And apart from sleeping in my own bed with a tiny new person, there is nothing to beat the face of an older sibling when presented with a new baby who hadn't been there when he went to bed (welling up remembering - hormones!)

awwwww, homebirth is sounding good then :o

I had dc1 and 2 at home. Both were incredible, but dd2 was extra special- had her in the middle of the night, dd1 woke shortly after and came downstairs. She said hello to the babe and we cuddled under a blanket eating toast watching thomas the tank. Just the four of is for the first time. It was magical.

The four of us

I was much safer at home for a variety of reasons. As a bonus I got to go into labour in the garden, waddled into the Sitting Room and called the MW. They came to check me but stayed for the full hour and a half that it took to give birth from my waters breaking in the garden. Half an hour after the birth, they had popped the towels in the wash for me, no stitches, my Sitting Room (and maxi dress) was spotless and I had cake in one hand whilst feeding my baby using the other arms chatting whilst they had a cup of tea. Then when baby slept I got into the shower then into my lovely warm bed to a congratulatory cuddle with my husband. That was my second birth. My first birth would have no doubt gone just as straight forward had they sent a MW instead of an ambulance (operator assumed I wanted to get to hospital, didn't listen to me about sending for MW and the ambulance men just put their arms under my pits and got me to walk (a stretch of the meaning there) to the transport on the street outside whilst I was 9cm. Moving any animal when in labour that far along is bad news and although compared to how it could have ended (yes yes I got a healthy baby) I ended up with PND resulting from the awful treatment I got (labour stalled, got bullied, ended up with a preventable birth injury, got no anesthetic for stitches, husband asked to leave, me fainting in the hall and hitting my head amongst other things). Both children were roughly similar over 9lb weights and length of labour the only difference was the environment I gave birth in and the care I received.

I had ds3 at home.....much nicer and calmer

Pregnantpause yes DH, DD1, DD2 and I had a picnic lunch all in our bed.
DD2 was 6 hrs old and the winter sun shone through the window.