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Talk

Childbirth

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

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Original poster

Ladies who had a homebirth

30 replies

agalch · 05/04/2006 13:16

This may sound daft but have a couple of questions about homebirth.

1.If you have a homebirth is the mw allowed to break your waters?
2.Who brings the entinox?A friend told me the fire brigade brought hers as it has to be seen to be stored safely.
3.Would you have 1 mw most of the time then a 2nd later on?
4.Do you have the injection to help deliver the placenta or is it left to come naturally?

TIA for any replies

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motherinferior · 05/04/2006 13:20

No idea, mine broke of their own accord, but I would think so.
Midwife.
I had two all along - they went away early in the labour, came back when we asked.
Up to you. I ended up having a managed third stage because (a) it was taking a bit of time (b) couldn't be arsed, by that time, to hang about.

MrsMills · 05/04/2006 13:26

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Original poster

agalch · 05/04/2006 13:30

thanks for the quick replies.i am in scotland so don't know if the entinox thing is different up here.Did you have any pethidine/diamorphine at home?my friend still has dose in the house from her last birth 2 yrs ago

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MrsMills · 05/04/2006 13:37

No, just managed with antinox and Fab ice lollies. I'm sure I could have had pethedine if I wanted, but at your friend still having it in the house. Perhaps she should take it to her G.P.?

LadyTophamHatt · 05/04/2006 13:43

water broke themelves so don't know.
MW should bring it. 1st MW didn't forget it, 2nd MW didn't have any!!! But she arrived after he was born anyway so.....
see above,
I had an injection for my 1st homebirth but can't remember if I did for 2nd. I think it came out naturally....hmmmmm....did it??.....actually I have no idea if I was jabbed or not.

wwwnotreallyhere · 05/04/2006 13:46

1.If you have a homebirth is the mw allowed to break your waters? ONLY IF YOU AGREE
2.Who brings the entinox?A friend told me the fire brigade brought hers as it has to be seen to be stored safely. MIDWIVES BROUGHT MINE, NEVER HEARD OF FIRE THING
3.Would you have 1 mw most of the time then a 2nd later on? 1 TO START WITH THEN 2ND FOR DELIVERY, 1 FOR BABY, ONE FOR MOTHER
4.Do you have the injection to help deliver the placenta or is it left to come naturally? INJECTION, I DIDN'T GIVE A SHIT ONCE THE BABY WAS OUT, JUST WANTED IT ALL OVER!

Bozza · 05/04/2006 14:04

Don't know, mine broke naturally but I was already pushing at this point and DD born 2 minutes later so presumably was force of her head.
Midwife.
I think that is the general theory although due to my leaving it very late to even call the first midwife the second one arrived after the birth but was very handy for helping me to the bath, cleaning up etc.
As in hospital it is your decision. I had the injection.

kitty4paws · 05/04/2006 18:32

1.Don't know, mine went on their own for my 4 hb.

2.Midwife brings entinox, but......make sure that they also bring the TUBES !!! birth 2 and 3 missed this small but vital piece of equipment, actually ask to SEE the tubes before things get to far along.Looking at a cansiter of full entinox with no way to get at it was a form of torture !

3.I mostly had 2 mw through it all.

4.Naturally for all 4 but injection was there "just in case"

Cadmum · 05/04/2006 18:39

1 Mine broke on their own before the midwife arrived. Think it varies by region/hospital policy.

I didn't use it but the midwife offered to bring it round herself.

Things went so quickly that the second midwife did not make it on time. (or ever for that matter) The plan was to have one present for early establisherd labour but two for the birth and beyond.

Naturally, at my insistance. (It took so long that I was contemplating asking for the jab.)

scienceteacher · 05/04/2006 18:57

1.If you have a homebirth is the mw allowed to break your waters?

She can, and has a crochet hook in the birthpack. But she would need to document a very good reason before she does it.

2.Who brings the entinox?A friend told me the fire brigade brought hers as it has to be seen to be stored safely.

The midwife brings it straight from the hospital.

3.Would you have 1 mw most of the time then a 2nd later on?

Yes - the 2nd midwife is to care for the baby.

4.Do you have the injection to help deliver the placenta or is it left to come naturally?

The midwife carries ergometrine. She can use it actively if you wish.

Original poster

agalch · 06/04/2006 06:43

Thanks again.My mw will be doing a home visit sometime in May to try and reassure my partner as he's not keen on the idea.I will have a list of things to ask her and i will bump this if the fire brigade thing turns out to be right.

OP posts:

Bozza · 06/04/2006 09:27

Oh and re the pethidine. I did not have pethidine with my first hospital birth so did not expect to need it with my second. However I got a prescription from the doctor for just in case - midwife not allowed to carry it. Then after the birth DH had to witness the midwife flushing it down the toilet.

Original poster

agalch · 06/04/2006 09:36

Bozza,don't know quite how my friend managed to hold onto the pethidine.She says she just forgot to return to pharmacy but my phone call to her for advice about homebirth reminded her she had it.She is taking it to pharmacy asap.I ahve had pethidine/diamorphine with my previous 3 births for the last 2/3 cms dilitation so i would like to have it just in case i need it.

OP posts:

pupuce · 06/04/2006 09:45

Interesting people's thought on the syntometrine injection - do you guys realise that it increases your risks of a retained placenta... and if you are having a home birth.... having to transfer for the manual removal of the placenta can ba real downer!!

I would suggest that you can always have syntometrine later (10 mins, 30 mins later) but if you have had no drugs in labour why suddenly risk things and believe that your body can't deliver the placenta? Curious.....

pupuce · 06/04/2006 09:46

Agalch - if you are having it (though it is VERY unuslay to use it at home!) you need to get the antidote (for the baby) as midwives don't always carry it! Your MW will be able to tell you if you need to get it.

pupuce · 06/04/2006 09:47

... though it is VERY unusual to use it at home! (I meant pethidine/diamorphine)

Original poster

agalch · 06/04/2006 10:00

thanks pupuce
I am hoping to use tens/breathing/water/entinox as pain relief at home.I am scared tho because i had to use real painkillers in hosp maybe i'm not capable of doing the whole birth without it iyswim?
Also didn't know about the syntometerine,that it could be given after if nothings happening.Do you think all mw's would be happy to let the placenta be delivered without the injection?
There is so much more to homebirth than i ever imagined lol

OP posts:

motherinferior · 06/04/2006 10:05

Pupuce, I had a managed third stage because it wasn't coming. I tried and tried; I was exhausted; and yes perhaps I should have hung on, done the breastfeeding bit, etc, but under the circs I said 'ok, go for it', she injected me and it slithered out.

pupuce · 06/04/2006 10:07

MI - at least you tried... the point is those women who are not informed of the risks and just injected ! This is why you cna get the injection later.... just give your body a chance (you clearly did).
At the end of the day it's your choice

motherinferior · 06/04/2006 10:08

Me, I'd just lost the adrenaline and was getting cold and shivery and wanted to move onto the next thing!

pupuce · 06/04/2006 10:15

MI - how long did you wait for the injection. It is my experience that after 10 mins or so quite often the mum just need to give it a bit of a push... no need for injection. You need to just make sure the placenta has separated form the uterine wall.
Actually i would say that all those mums I have been with who decided try not have the injection (but said they would if it was too long) did not get it as after so many mins they got bored/fed up (understandably) and were told to give small pushes... it came out. There was never the need for synto... but every case is different.

motherinferior · 06/04/2006 10:19

Pupuce, I'm sure I could have done it; but it's also something I don't regret because the birth itself was so utterly fabulous

sweetkitty · 06/04/2006 10:38

hi agalch I'm in Scotland too and had a homebirth 10 weeks ago today

MW broke my waters, when they arrived I was 8cms dilated but the head was still high due to my waters being intact, she asked if I wanted my waters broken to speed things up and I agreed (of course) mears informed me that in her district they are not allowed to break waters in a homebirth. Baby was born about 5 minutes after she broke my waters.
The entonox was delivered about 2 weeks prior to my due date, it all came in a big pack delivered by the hospital, I was told to inform my house insurer and the fire brigade I had dangerous gases in the house.
I had 2 MWs straight away due to my previous fast delivery, they knew I would be faster this time so one arrived 20 mins after calling, the other one arrived about 10 mins after her.
I asked not to have the injection, I was very clear I wanted a natural 3rd stage and wanted to wait until the cord stopped pulsing before it was cut. The MWs had already brought syntometrin in case I needed it. Had a few pushes and the placenta was out in about 10 mins.

Things I would change:

Be very sure that if you are using G&A that it is hooked up and the MWs all know how to use it. The MWs I had weren't experienced in homebirth (despite about 40 years midwifery experience between them) anyway they struggled with the canisters to get them set up etc. Also I had 3 canisters delivered, 2 black (gas and air) and one blue (oxygen for the baby) during the MWs setting up they couldn't get the oxygen canister hooked up turned out it was the other G&A despite it being marked, would have been bad if DD2 needed oxygen and they were trying to give her G&A. Next time I will make sure EVERYONE knows how to work the canisters. I knew but was too out of it with the pain to know what was happening.

Another thing was with the third stage I believe the MWs weren't comfortable with a natural third stage having been so used to giving the injection, it was me asking them to wait for the placenta, think they were a bit worried.

I had morphine on standby too was a nightmare getting ahold of it and I threw it in the bin afterwards.

In saying that it was a brilliant experience (once DD2 was here and everything was fine) MWs cleaned everything up (no mess) and we all got back in bed and DD1 came through at 6am to meet her new sister.

rosycheek · 06/04/2006 13:11

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Original poster

agalch · 06/04/2006 18:18

Thanks for all the replies .

Sweetkitty did you have a hospital birth previous to your homebirth? What if any pain relief did you have at home compared to in hospital?
Why a nightmare getting the morphine?
Sorry for all the questions but i now nothing about homebirth and i like to be well informed

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