Am I too late to consider a home birth?

[MrsHelsBels74]

Am 34 weeks & have started thinking about having a home birth this time, mainly because I really want a water birth & am really panicking that the birthing pool won't be available when I go into labour.

So, am I being silly & worrying about nothing, am I too late to get things in progress for a home birth anyway, and does anyone have any experience of hiring birthing pools?

I don't think it's ever too late for a home birth. No experience of birth pools but someone will. Good luck

Shouldn't be too late - why don't you talk to your midwife about it at the next appointment?

I didn't have one, but I understand all the MW needs to do is have a quick look at your home to check for space / ease of exit, that sort of thing. I asked my MW when I would have to decide about home vs hospital, and she said "well, when you're in labour, if you decide you'd rather stay at home, that's fine, I'll just go get my stuff"

Another thing I'm worried about is whether the noise will upset my toddler, even though normally he'll sleep through anything. That's assuming I give birth at night time, what would I do if it was during the day? I wouldn't want him around witnessing it, or my mum who is coming over before my due date to help out.

All in all I'm starting to think it's not such a good idea. But I was very traumatised by son's birth & desperate to try it differently.

I live local to you and recently had a homebirth. It's not too late, I didn't book mine until 38 weeks. The midwives here don't check your home they just ask a few questions and fill in a form. Theres a homebirth information talk once a month which I found really useful, I'll pm you the number to book a place when I find it.

I loved my homebirth and would definitely do it again, it was so much more relaxed than hospital.

You are never too late!

I never hired a birth pool, I had one. It actually costs about the same to buy as to hire. Most places can send them next day delivery if you need them to.

All of mine were born at home. Dcs 1 and 2 slept through the births for 2 and 3. If you give birth in the day you just need some sort of childcare if you don't want the toddler around just like you would with a hospital birth.

Just call your MW and ask. You can change your mind and go into hospital when already in labour no problem, what you can't do as easily is change your mind and stay home right at the last second!

My ds slept through it in the next room and the neighbours didn't hear anything either, I was quite loud but obviously not too loud! If it happens in the day could your mum take your ds to the park or softplay?

Are you already in labour? No? Then you're not too late. Read www.homebirth.org.uk and get planning.

As a homebirth midwife?..great advice on here!

That's the link I'd suggest too.

Can't help with late booking, DD2 was going to be a HB for as long as I can remember.

My earliest memory was DSIS being born.

Local practice was DC1 hospital, Dc2 at home if there were no complications. Seemed sensible to me as a little girl, still seemed sensible as a grown up.

As to your second question DD1 slept through my whole labour. Despite our house being partly open plan and 4 people crashing up and down the stairs.

It's never too late!
Speak to your midwife.
Hired a pool second time and it was lovely, we had it filled ages before (kept changing the water, obv) so it was great together into it just to relax

I had both my children at home

I had all of mine at home and had older Dc('s) at home as well. I had a water pool for the first 2 - it does take a lot of time and maintenance but I saw that as a good thing for DH to be kept busy and distracted!
ds2 arrived at 4am so my toddler slept through. ds3 arrived at lunchtime so my last minute earth mother moans upset ds1 a little I think but mainly because we thought he was asleep and we were totally on our own so had nobody to check on him and distract/reassure him.

Just wanted to echo the support others have already given.

I had a home birth with DD2 and it was a wonderful experience. Relaxed and calm.

It's not too late. Midwife came out to see me and DH at home at 36 weeks and left 'home birth box' with us.

Planning another hb for DC3 due in Oct. My MIL will be here to watch on older 2 if during night and will take them out during day if need be.

As someone else has already said if you were going in to hospital you would have to sort child care anyway. With a home birth you can play it by ear and since your Mum will be around anyway you can decide last minute what to do with your older child. So it's actually much less stress than having to whizz off to hospital.

You're likely to feel more in control and much less distressed at home so even if you're making noise it probably won't be 'disturbing'.

Best wishes with everything.

Well I spoke to the midwife today & she said there was no problem with a home birth, she's made an appointment for 2 weeks time which will be an hour long to go through it all so now all I've got to do is think about a birthing pool!

My 4 year old slept through whole thing (started at 9.30pm, had ds2 at 11pm). Dd (6yo) woke up at about 1am (midwives coming and going) and popped up to our bedroom to say hi to ds2 and to the second midwife (who had delivered her in hospital). I'd just had a shower and was back in my bed.

I was booked at 37w for a home birth. We arranged with friends that I would call them when I needed, and they would come and look after our other dc, taking them out for the day, putting them to bed, or even just sitting upstairs in case a dd woke if it was at night, or in case I ended up in hospital.

It worked very well.

BTW, the fact that you had a traumatic first birth does not mean that this one will follow the same pattern. This time your body knows what to expect, and you know what works for you and how to help yourself/demand the help you want.

Have you had a debrief about your first birthing? I found it hugely helpful. I also found that a 'good' birth wipes away the distress of the 'bad' birth.

Hope it goes really well for you

I found antenatal yoga and hynobirthing really really helped me have better 2nd birth. Was much better prepared, had read more about childbirth (ina may gaskin et al) and was much more confident. Also helped that I had an idea of how it would feel - think was in shock for first labour.