Homebirth risks!

[StarlightMcKenzie]

I'm almost 38 weeks and due to having to jump through ridiculous beaurocratic hoops have only just been taken on by the local hospital.

Well, I finally get my 'booking in' appointment tomorrow. And then they want to do my 'homebirth assessment' next Friday .

I asked what happened if I went into labour before that. They told me to call triage at that point who would go through my options. I had to point out that as far as I was concerned my 'options' included the homebirth I was having.

The midwife then explained that I wouldn't have had the assessment though.
I asked her what exactly the assessment involved that would discount a homebirth for not having had it.

She said it was to go through the 'risks' of homebirth to make sure I knew them.

FFs! I mean, she was nice enough, but no-one ever insisted I had an assessment/talk to go through the 'risks' of a hospital birth to ensure I understood before I had my other two. Like being 4 times more likely to have to have an emergency c/s for example.

Emaergency c/s might not be what you ideally want, but it is unlikely to harm you or your baby long term, and might save your life/ lives. It certainly saved my DD1. I was extremely grateful that I gave birth in a place where they were able to react very quickly to a dangerous situation and perform an emegency c/s (ie hospital).

Are you sure you really want to do a home birth? Personally I would never contemplate taking the risk. I think it is important to be informed and think it through

I'm with Starlight on this, I think the risks of a hospital birth are also significant. You are not comparing 'safe' hospital birth with 'dangerous' homebirth, you are comparing two sets of risks and you make your choice.

They are different to the risks of homebirth, but you go with which risks you are more comfortable with. I would never plan to give birth in my local hospital, not if you paid me. And that is even after having planned 2 homebirths and actually having 2 sections

I only went in to have the sections when it was clear that the babies weren't going to come out, (homebirth or not I would have needed sections it turned out) I asked for an elective section with the second - they said no so I booked a homebirth. I felt a VBAC in my hospital was way too dangerous and would only contemplate trying at home. Would bet my last £ that if I had wanted a VB they would have wanted me to have a CS

You have a right to a homebirth. I suggest that you contact AIMS
www.aims.org.uk/

The hospital cannot force you to come in. It may well be that you need to contact the supervisor of midwives in your area.

for advice. I never had a homebirth assessment as my area doesn't do them.
An NHS homebirth is safe. Its not as if you are planning to have an unassisted birth.

bugster, homebirth is safer than hospital birth, if you have a history of faster labour. Hospital birth is not always the safest option. An NHS homebirth is not an unassisted birth.

Thank god I had an NHS homebirth, otherwise my daughter would have been born at the side of the M1. Hospitals are only safe places if you can actually get one!

moaning what was so dangerous about your hospital? I don't understand what happened with your second - you said you tried VBAC at home but actually had a c/s? So you must ahve gone to hospital surely?

With my DD1, she needed to come out as soon as possible. Every minute counted. A trip from home to hospital would probably have made it too late.

Why take the risk?

I was neglected and then assaulted during my first hospital birth, and my Ds was born with SN I believe as a result. I suffered trauma and PTSD and the mishandling caused me to suffer pph.

Yes the equipment and expertise is on site, but I doesn't mean it will be used timely or appropriately.

Many neglected/mishandled hospital births end in interventions to save the baby, where the baby only needed 'saving' due to being in hospital in the first place.

I agree with Bugster. If I had gone for a home birth both DS and I would have died due to unforeseen complications, despite a straightforward pregnancy. My GP told me that if he could he would advise all women to give birth in hospital, because the risks of home birth are just too great.

"Many neglected/mishandled hospital births end in interventions to save the baby, where the baby only needed 'saving' due to being in hospital in the first place."

Could not agree more. If childbirth was so dangerous then the world population would not be 7 billion.

StarlightMcKenzie, I hope you get the home birth you have asked for.

I agree with you that hosptials tend to treat women as a piece of meat and even have the audiacity to expect the women to be grateful.

Is affording an independent midwife a possiblity? Ofcourse a homebirth should be provided on the NHS, but an independent midwife would maximise your chances of a homebirth and reduce stress.

Have you contacted homebirth support groups in your area?

I do wish people stop comparing a worst case homebirth situation with an idealised hospital situation i.e. an unattended birth at home with one where the hospital staff are just sitting around waiting to give you their full attention when you come in.

In practice it doesn't matter how wonderful the facilities are if they are so busy that you are virtually or actually left unattended and no one knows the first thing about you. Some emergencies might well be avoided with the one to one care offered by a qualified well equipped midwife at a homebirth.

(I too was glad that I had a homebirth and didn't give birth by the roadside on a foggy winter's day.)

Really, I just booked a doula who I am seeing tomorrow. She set up a local homebirth group so I think I am in good hands (although haven't got to know her well yet).

It's just been so SLOW in getting on the midwives books (first contacted them end Feb) and now because they haven't ticked all their boxes there is a question mark about a homebirth.

And I feel like some naughty girl turning up term and demanding things, when it's really not the case.

reallytired, the world population would be much higher if many people in the developing world had access to the much maligned 'medicalised' births that we in the west are fortunate to have.

But the 'risks' thing really made me .

Surely most women who opt for HB are well aware of the risks of both hospital an homebirth. The ones that need 'informing' IMO, are those that blindly go I I hospital unquestioning, as I did with my first.

And why can't they use the words 'chance' rather than 'risk'.

I.e if it looks like there is a chance of you loosing a lot of blood we would cll an ambulance - etc.

That's a really good point! A phone call followed with an email to the supervisor of midwives explaining that you appreciate their concern but you have done a lot of research and are satisfied that homebirth is the right choice for you ought to do it?

I attempted a homebirth for my first and the community midwife was very supportive and did my booking visit at 36 weeks so that I was ready to go at 37. Have you got your meptid script sorted if you want it, I would also attach a copy of my birth plan if I were you when emailing the supervisor of mw.

Having had an EMCS I have got a bit of a splintery arse on this one but I agree that being "on site" is no guarantee of a safe birth and if you can be bluelighted into hospital in less than about 15/20 minutes I'd be very surprised if homebirth is any more dangerous for most women. One of the reasons I wanted a homebirth was safety - in hospital the midwives sometimes have three or four labouring women to deal with, whereas at home you have one midwife who is able to focus completely on you and your baby, with 2 for the delivery if the timings go to plan.

I won't be having one but I would still recommend homebirth to anyone else, providing they are happy about it. Being at home was much better than being stuck in a grotty cubicle with no pain relief...

I transferred in to have the sections, I would not have attempted a vaginal birth there.

My first section was a crash section under GA(Cat 1 for 'fetal compromise' )that was partly because after hours and hours of monitoring and decels on the baby, they wouldn't do a CS (I asked) and they insisted on giving me an epidural and trying to induce me. Babys heart beat then plummeted and I had to have GA because the epidural only worked on one side.

It was the most horrific time I have ever had. Was like being in an episode of ER. Neither me nor DH saw our baby born, it was extremely frightening and traumatic, and was avoidable.

When I transferred in with the second baby I only got the relatively calmer CS with spinal because I flatly refused to let them do anything else( they tried to insist on giving me an epidural again and breaking my waters, I refused)
Baby was already started to get distressed (on the cord bloods) so I was very happy I didn't let them delay the birth any longer.

I do not trust my maternity unit at all.

The world population woukd be much higher if developing countries stopped trying to emulate the West, force women to give birth on their backs without the medical back up for the intervention that is more likely to be needed and brain-washed mothers out of breastfeeding.

Ffs people. Starlight has asked a reasonable question. She has not asked for a debate on the merits of home vs hospital birth. If you want to have that discussion perhaps it would be a good idea to start a new thread? And perhaps discuss the evidence rather then anecdotes and uniformed opinion?

Starlight their assessment consists of checking out the parking ime. If you want a hb in your area you call the delivery suit and say you are having one as soon as you go into labour. If you want the correct telephone numbers PM me and I'll dig out my notes.

Aims are good but at this stage there's not much they can do other than advise you of your rights.

If you go into labour before they have finished their paperwork I wpould do the broken record thing - 'no I won't be coming in unless it is medically indicated, I am having a homebirth. What time will the MW be arriving?'

'no I won't be coming in unless it is medically indicated, I am having a homebirth. What time will the MW be arriving?'

'no I won't be coming in unless it is medically indicated, I am having a homebirth. What time will the MW be arriving?'

Rinse and repeat. I am sure you will have had a look at the homebirth.org site - loads of great evidence based information on there.

X-posted. I think my ffs was a bit unreasonable now. Maybe just a would have been better.

As you were.

Should have also said good luck OP! I am going for ELCS but if I thought I had a good chance of a successful VBAC I would have investigated the possibility of home VBAC (with the caveat that I live very, very close to not one but 2 excellent CLUs with full theatre/SCBU etc).

I am really grateful for my EMCS as it saved me and my baby from dreadful injury or worse but I do think that (attended) homebirths can be fabulous and would probably suit many many more women than are encouraged to consider them at present (gets tweezers for bum splinters...)

I didn't mean to derail btw, sorry if it came over like that.

Lexie ALL the research which compares like for like shows that homebirth is at least as safe as hospital birth. Be aware that some things which go wrong in hospitals do so as a result of interference in a normally progressing labour.

Going off topic here - the world population would be much higher if people in the developing world had access to clean drinking water and good sanitation.

Undoubtedly many births in countries such as Afghanistan, Bangladesh, sub-Saharan Africa would be much safer if the women had access to a qualified birth attendant. We do have those, so comparisons with health care in the developing world are not very helpful.

I just don't get this 'wait til it goes wrong and then medicalise your way out of it approach'.

No problem Lorriaine.

I'll be happier tomorrow I think when I've actually SEEN a midwife I hope, and chatted to doula properly.

I have had antenatal care btw, as have snatched it where I can across 3 PCTs.

One problem I am preempting is that I don't have my 20 week scan details as old hospital refused to give them to me and said that new hospital should request them directly. Theorectically this should take two mins and an email to sort by I BET I is going to present another problem!!

the info i got about Clu vs MLU vs HB is really lacking - it basically tells you all options are 'safe' for low risk women and mentions you can't get an epidural at home/ in the MLU.

fuller info should state

relative rates of intervention (11% emcs vs 2.8% HB vs 4% MLU, 8% forceps vs 2.3% vs 3.6% MLU )
relative rates of foetal well being primary and secondary (where there is a slight increase in risk for first timers at home, but not for the MLU, and both have much lower rates of neo-natal admission to hospital - safest place for a second baby being home!)
and availability of pain relief

i quite often hear people discussing last nights OBEM saying how wonderful hospital birth and how they would 'never take the risk' of home birth - but for most low risk women and babies they would be much better served in terms of outcomes by MLU/HB care.

and i hope the midwife is really nice. a really nice midwife can make such a difference to how you feel about things

I was told by NCT that the intervention rates for mlu attached to a clu are much higher than a stand alone mlu and sometimes as high as for a clu.

I thought that was interesting. I would like to read the study though being a skeptic.