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Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

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Original poster

Question on home birth in an apartment

11 replies

fretfree · 07/03/2012 19:49

Hi - this is really just to answer a question that has been bothering me, as I will deliver in hospital, not at home (first and 40 years old) - but has anyone had a home birth whilst living in an apartment? Obviously as a first time mum-to-be I am not an expert, but I get the impression that birth can be quite a noisy experience (!) - so how does that work with very close neighbours??? especially if it is a night birth??

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Reallea · 07/03/2012 20:24

My friend attempted one but got carted off to hospital to finish off. As she left at 3am she found her upstairs neighbour on the front doorstep having a cigarette nd looking rather fed up

bumpybecky · 07/03/2012 20:27

not in an apartment, but in terraced houses (four attempts at home birth, three at night, in two terraced houses). Noise wasn't an issue. It's only a few hours and the neighbours never mentioned it. Noise of a woman in labour in no where near as loud as a small yelling baby!

SecondTimeLucky · 07/03/2012 21:14

I know lots of people who've had home births in flats. It really isn't an issue.

Firstly, not all women are loud in labour. Plenty are quite quiet.

But also, if you make a bit of noise, who cares? It's one night. I bet every neighbour has had a noisy dinner party at night or something. People really don't mind.

Mine is a terraced house, and my lovely neighbours claim to have heard nothing - but we do have thick victorian walls.

nannyl · 07/03/2012 21:34

I had a home birth in a terraced house. (first baby)

i was silent throughout labour and just sort of panted during the birth.

My neighbours didnt hear anything, and were very surpised when they saw me 48 hours after they last saw me, not pg anymore

and quite simply if i had felt the need to whale / scream / screach / cry, or whatever i wouldnt have given a monkeys about my neighbours hearing.... i was GIVING BIRTH and my priority was myself / my baby.

SecondTimeLucky · 07/03/2012 21:39

That's a great typo Nannyl - 'whale'. Exactly what I felt like by the end of pregnancy!

ImpYCelyn · 07/03/2012 21:39

Had DS1 in our flat, and DS2 will hopefully be born here next month. The neighbours didn't even notice! They were really shocked when I told them.

Mind you, the midwives said I was one of the quietest women they'd ever seen, and were totally caught by surprise when DS1 popped out as they'd tried to gauge my stage by the noise I was making :o

Even if I had made loads of noise I would consider it more than fair revenge for the number of times I've been kept awake by upstairs' long, long sex sessions with bed banging and creaking and loud vocal accompaniment

And I agree with bumpybecky, the baby will make far more noise, over a far longer period of time, than a mother will giving birth.

Original poster

fretfree · 08/03/2012 06:40

Very good points re the comparison to parties, creaking stairs, dogs barking, etc - I had been wondering about a home birth as a option, but as I mentioned, the age thing has led to me choose otherwise, and it was a question that kept popping back into my mind (the one time I watched part of OBEM the ladies there were definitely not silent - plus I had just been reading the thread by the lady who thought her neighbours had been murdered because there was loads of screaming, then silence :o).

Whilst I hope my baby will be relatively quiet, I must admit there is a very small part of me that is relishing getting my own back on the occupant of the apartment next door who does have very late, noisy parties but obviously likes to sleep in in the morning.......

Glad to hear all of your births went so well :o

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Grumpla · 08/03/2012 06:44

I had my first in a flat. It was fine and nowhere near as loud as my upstairs neighbours having sex but I would maybe warn them first! Apart from anything else there will be midwives bustling in and out & you don't want your neighbours to worry about you.

Purplecatti · 16/03/2012 18:11

I live in an apartment building and I'm planning a home birth. I'm going to put a sign on my front door saying 'woman in labour, do not disturb', in case I turn out to be a screamer and someone comes to the door to see if there's anything wrong.
I'm not bothered about the noise. I've lost count of the times I've been kept awake with drunk people stampeding in the corridors and music blaring out until 5am has kind of put me into payback mode. Particularly to the guy opposite trying to learn the saxophone in the wee small hours.

happy2bhomely · 16/03/2012 23:10

I gave birth at home in a flat at night, but I just did a bit of moaning and mooing really.

thegauntlet · 19/03/2012 09:27

i am 40 +3 and planning a home birth in a residential college centre. All my co-residents are aware; my hubby was a bit worried about noise; as I was pretty noisy last time; but I think that i will be quieter this time; as actually my squealing was about feeling out of control and the need for attention and someone to 'help' I know I can do it now. I have a birth pool set up in a wet room ( great acoustics actually ;) ) go for it. My midwife has delivered several babies in flats; she said she would be happy as long as the mother is happy and most comfortable; and there is a safe exit route for a stretcher. Good luck!

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