tell me about home births

[MerlinsBeard]

I am currently 8(ish) weeks pg with my 3rd. Both mine were very quick to be born (3 hours and 1.5 hours) and thinking of staying home this time. Got my booking in with midwife and want to have at least researched home births b4 i see her.

so...

what i want to know is...how did u labour? I can't have a pool, no room and i don't want to give birth in it anyway

If you have more than one child, what did u do with them while u were in labour?

Am i being ridiculous to think of it when i live on the frist floor (thinking of emergancys and transferring to hosp - 5 mins away)

what pain relief can i have? not intersted in epidural anyway but not keen on gas and air either

What is the mess like?

think thats all for now!

OH, did u enjoy it? please tell me either way!

I had a home birth last year and I can honestly say it was fantastic!! I didn't have a pool or anything like that, I just chilled out, walked around the house a lot, lounged on my bed etc. My dd went to be looked after buy grandpa. I had my mum and two midwives there and then my dh five minutes before ds was born (that's a whole other story) so I had great company.
I tried not to think about emergencies as I am 40 minutes from the nearest hospital, I think you have to be really mentally positive to get the most out of a home birth.
The only pain relief I had was a tens machine. There was gas and air if I needed it but it all happened pretty quick in the end so I didn't need it. If you need diamorphine you have to arrange it with your Gp to give you a presciption, that is something the midwives are responsible for. I was told that it was good to have on standby but it can affect the baby respiration and therefore can create another risk factor if having your baby at home. I guess it depends on the policy of the midwives so check with them about that.
There was very little mess when I had ds which was just aswell because we had just moved into a brand new house with brand new carpets. I had my waters broken so that kind of contained the mess. I would suggest being prepared with plastic sheeting from homebase and those bed protecting things by pampers, they were brilliant. The midwives also brought some incontinence sheets with them too.
I really enjoyed it and was out for a family walk 24 hours later, I was completely high for days at my achievement. If you do go for it try your hardest not to worry and really relax, it will make for a far easier time. Hope that helps.

thanks lilliput.

Good point about the diamorphine, i will ask about that.

I loved my home birth with DS2!
DS1 was downstairs watching telly with one of my friends, and was oblivious to anything else going on!
I had tens machine, and a couple of puffs of gas and air, but mostly just breathed.

My tip for containing any mess - I gaffer taped a pound shop shower curtain to the back of an old duvet, and I spread it on the bed so it was comfy and protected. We just chucked that out after (although there wasn't that much mess anyway.)

Had one with DD earlier this year. Fab. I did have a pool (and gave birth in it) so can't answer about the labour really. I just wandered/lounged about before getting in the pool.

Plastic dust sheets from B&Q are advised for protecting carpets, beds, sofas, whatever.

Statistically, homebirths are safer/better than a hospital birth for a low risk pregnancy.

And the best bit... you get your home address as "place of birth" on the birth certificate :o

I had home births with 3 of my dc.All in a first floor flat.
I had pethadine with 2 of them plus gas and air.just gas and air with 3rd home birth.
Wonderful just being able to wander around get your own drinks etc.
With mine while i had a bath after giving birth the midwifes stripped and re-made my bed.
Agree with plastic sheets for the floor and old sheet on the bed.
other dc stayed with a friend for the 2nd and 3rd home birth but came home to meet the baby within 2 hrs.
And yes i enjoyed it compaired to hating 1st birth in hosp!
good luck.

I had one with DD and gave birth stood at the side of the bed. I had a tens machine, pethidine prescription which I didn't use and a small amount of gas and air at the end. DS was downstairs watching tweenies because his grandparents didn't arrive in time. DH got some plastic sheeting from work which we used to cover the carpet and mattress. And I bought a smartprice sheet to cover that and then throw. It all worked out well and the midwives tidied up really well. Most of labour was spent pottering around the house.

thank you for replies, certainly lots to think about.

can't make my own drinks tho. my kitchen is the only ground floor room and don't fancy the stairs mid contraction

Hi

I have had two homebirths - the first was unplanned (because it was quick), the second was planned (and also quick!).

To answer your questions:

I laboured by walking around, leaning over chairs, that kind of thing.

When dd was born, ds was asleep upstairs.

No, you're not being ridiculous!

Re pain relief - ask your midwife what they can offer you.

The mess was fine. The first time the midwife laid binbags on the floor. The second time I stressed about what plastic sheeting to buy but we ended up not putting it out in time - just used old towels!

My first birth was a bit scary, but that is because I wasn't expecting it to happen at home. The second was fab (despite the placenta taking an age to come out and us nearly ending up in hospital).

If you can manage it, there's nothing like being in your own home afterwards :)

Took me ages to write that. Three of you have posted since I started :)

I went up and down stairs several times during labour. The last time was probably about 20 mins before DD was born when I went downstairs to get my notes for the m/w. I did have to stop halfway up to have a contraction, mind you but just leaned forwards onto a stair and it was fine.

Can I just but in and ask are any of youvery far from a hospital? I'm an hour and a half but would love a home birth (great thread, mumofmonsters) next time. My first birth was A1 textbook so I have good reason but I worry I'm being a bit stupid. Mumofmonsters I get the jist from these ladies you should go for it.

Yay Stac!!!! Mum had B, so no other child to worry about. Spent my time wandering about, and finally had him on my lounge floor. Gas and air is truly lovely - if you don't like the taste, have a lucozade sweet just before the first breath.

No real mess except for placenta splodge, but was my own fault for not remembering to put my shower curtains on the floor.

Loved it and would recommend it to anyone. If you want to talk properly about it we can do msn or even (shock horror) a phone call!!!!

I am about 45 mins from the hospital. That was partially what convinced me. I hated the journey when in labour with DS.

Oh, and also up and down stairs several times - was upstairs when my waters went and it wasn't long after that that he came.

i am only 5/10 mins away from hosp, can see it if i sort of twist my neck funny looking out the window

What about noise? were u noisy? not sure if this would inhibit me at all if there was someone else in the house.

Was actually mw who suggested it when she rung to arrange booking in (same one as both ds's so i trust her)

I screamed into the duvet as I was leaning over the bed for the very last push, muffled my bad language too!

Had both mine at home, fantastic, loved it.
Had them both in living room on fold out futon. For 2nd older child slept through it upstairs. Didn't have pain relief 'cos didn't want any, but gas and air were available. Mess, not too much of a problem, but midwives had brought masses of inco sheets and we had old towels and sweet dh upstairs after the birth washing sheets out!
Can't recommend it enough if you are keen. Good luck!

Reading this thread is making me think. I am wondering if I have ever heard anyone say they had a homebirth and they didn't like it/it wasn't for them and they wouldn't recommend it to someone else?? I don't think I have. Even people who transfer in seem to say something along the lines of 'I was glad to have been at home for as long as I possibly could'.

Mine was a homebirth and it was an event I think back on with much pride and fondness. I don't think you are as likely to require pain relief because you tend to be more relaxed at home.

You may find your midwife is totally pro home births and you don't have any arguments, but preparation is good. Do you have a lift to your flat? I have heard of one woman in rl who encountered problems with getting her home birth arranged because they said they couldn't get her stretchered out in an emergency.

Reading this thread is making me think. I am wondering if I have ever heard anyone say they had a homebirth and they didn't like it/it wasn't for them and they wouldn't recommend it to someone else?? I don't think I have. Even people who transfer in seem to say something along the lines of 'I was glad to have been at home for as long as I possibly could'.

Mine was a homebirth and it was an event I think back on with much pride and fondness. I don't think you are as likely to require pain relief because you tend to be more relaxed at home.

You may find your midwife is totally pro home births and you don't have any arguments, but preparation is good. Do you have a lift to your flat? I have heard of one woman in rl who encountered problems with getting her home birth arranged because they said they couldn't get her stretchered out in an emergency.

They didn't even ask me what my place was like. Although I guess I did have one emergency visit to my house, so they knew what it was like maybe?

I was a quiet bunny in labour, so noise not an issue. What were you like with the other 2?

i screamed with DS1 but was quiet ish with DS2...concentrating loL!

No lift, my kitchen is on ground floor and there are stairs up to rest of the rooms.

are there any negative stories about homebirths? Interested in hearing both sides so to speak.

Also, what if i need stitches? don't fancy birthing at home only to be transferred afterwards for stitches?

stitches will be fine at home - had mine there, done usually by mw even in hospital, so don't worry!
definitely prefer home-brith - failed to progress 1st time at home so went in, 2nd time gave brith at home and much better!

As your first two births were quick then the likelihood this one will be as well. Having the baby in your bedroom would be fine - and the mess is all contained and cleared up by the midwife.

I had ds2 and ds3 at home. Ds2 was unplanned and because it was likely to be quick ds3 was an 'advised' home birth!

I hadn't had to use pain relief for the first 2 so didn't plan on anything for ds3 either, and because I thought he would be quick didn't bother with a pool. I had thought that I would have him in the bedroom, and had got some plastic sheets / old sheets and towels ready. In the event, after contractions started and the midwife arrived I ran a bath and sat in there for a while, realised the baby was about to make an appearance and that there was no way I moving even one inch, called the midwife into the room and gave birth in the bath!! The midwife had pulled the plug out when she came in and realised I wasn't joking about the fact that it was happening! From first contraction to baby arriving was just under an hour.
So, no real mess at all, midwife cleaned the bath out as I climbed into my bed.

There is one story on the \link{http://www.homebirth.org.uk/
\homebirth website} from somebody (Shelley) who wouldn't recommend a HB for a first baby.

That said, I'm hoping for one :) I would think if part of your flat is on the ground floor, it's no different from any woman who chooses to labour upstairs in a house. You wouldn't think twice about that.

not first baby tho. will be my 3rd (am still about that!) Plenty to ask midwife when she comes tho, ty for that link Laura, will have a proper nosey round that site. Hadn't fancied googling as i didn't want hundred and hundreds of horror stories!