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 home births with my DD1 and 2. Fantastic! My DH delivered DD2 as she was a bit quicker than anyone anticipated! DD1 went to Grandma's whilst in labour with DD2. As far as I recall midwives and ambulance crews are pretty well equipped to transfer from anywhere in an emergency.
Pethidine is offered as well as g & a. I used tens and warm bath at beginning of labours. Kept walking round and used chairs etc to lean over to help.
As for mess my midwives were fab! They cleaned it up whilst I was in the bath and changed bedding. They were stars! We used plastic sheeting to protect stuff aswell.
Echoing Lilliput I was on such a high for days afterwards.
Can't praise it enough for straight forward pregancies!

I had my oodles of stitches at home, then they ran me a bath in my own bathroom, and left me with my Boy, my baby, and my bed

I had my second ds at home and it was fab. The home birth was planned but ds managed to pop out before we even got an ambulance crew.

Ds1 slept through it all. I think this is quite common. He has a stair gate on his bedroom door. My labour was 15 mins from 1st contraction to delivery so if he had woken up he would have just had to have shouted for a while. I'm actually very glad we had planned a home birth - otherwise we may have woken him up just at the wrong moment.

I was given some pethedine on perscription at 38 weeks. The midwife doesn't carry this but will administer it. They do bring gas and air if you want it.

The mess is no problem. The midwife even cleaned the kitchen a bit whilst she was waiting for ds's temperature to go up. I had a mattress protector and also bought some thin plastic sheeting from b&q. Have spare bedding handy and the midwife will make your bed up fresh whilst you take a bath. You also need loads and loads of towels. I kept all the baby's bedding and clothing in a pillow case so it was all handy.

The best bit was being in our own bed for the rest of the morning - all 4 of us. It was so much calmer.
My midwife is very keen on homebirths which helps.
Good luck.

Another big fan here. First dd born in hospital - which was fine (well, very, very long labour, posterior baby and ultimately had epidural and syntocin, but she DID come out eventually!!). But wish I'd considered homebirth. Second time round when I knew more about what my options were I knew I wanted to give it a go. It was the most magical experience.

Definitely did a lot of hollering, but the neighbours claim not to have heard, and it was overnight, so maybe true! Dd1, then 2.5 years slept through the whole thing and woke to new baby sister at 7am. We had options for sending her to friends or to her childminder if the labour had run into the day.

We did have a pool, which I gave birth in. Very good for containing the mess too . Plus it gave dp a JOB to keep him out of mischief.

I had no other pain relief, as I left it FAR too late to phone the midwives. First one arrived with 25 mins to spare, second with only 5 minutes before the baby. So never got round to planned gas and air. Instead had it whilst I was stitched.

Good luck.

sounds like everyone has laboured at night! That would be ideal, i don't have to worry about the children coming in !!

Hey

Haven't had time to read whole thread - sorry - but wanted to reply as I really enjoyed (if that is the word) my home birth!

I didn't labour at night I'm afraid, waters broke 4am, established labour at 11.30 and birth at 4.20pm... didn't have a pool either (although thought about it) due to worries about structural integrity of second floor flat!

Used the tens machine but really didn't help me much, had a couple of baths and then had ten minutes of gas and air for pushing bit. Have to admit that was a real help to me after going through the rest with tens or nothing! Kept having to remind myself to stop taking it when the contractions stopped! You can't get any other pain relief except for gas and air in Scotland but maybe you can get more where you are?

I did the usual wandering around leaning on things bit - up against the Welsh dresser for a large part of it! And later on a was on my hands and knees quite a bit. Gave birth on my knees leaning on the bed.

I gave birth on an old mattress covered with asheet and plastic matting, am sure it was a bit messy but after labour that just got taken away and chucked out and you would never have known I had just given birth in there!

Afterwards, I had my third bath of the day, got dressed and had some champagne with family, then slept in my own bed which was bliss as I just really don't like hospitals!

Was my first so I didn't have to worry about having other kids around but did have my teenage sister next door watching MTV!

Anyway, it might not be for everyone but with such short labours I think it could be for you! I mean you might not even make to hospital in time anyway...

Re noise, I was pretty quiet in labour - Tom would be impressed so no worries there...

Hiya m2monsters, answers below, I have 2 children, both born at home:

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
NO POOL FIRST TIME, LABOURED IN BATH FOR A WHILE THEN ON BED. POOL SECOND TIME BUT GAVE BIRTH ON BED

If you have more than one child, what did u do with them while u were in labour? MY MUM HAD DS WHILE I WAS HAVING DD

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) NO, DS WAS BORN AT HOME IN FLAT IN LONDON, 3RD FLOOR, 10 MINS FROM HOSPITAL

what pain relief can i have? not intersted in epidural anyway but not keen on gas and air either
GAS AND AIR, WHICH IS FANTASTIC IMO

What is the mess like? NONE, MIDWIVES CLEAR UP. BUY A PLASTIC SHEET OR SOMETHING YOU CAN CHUCK. REALLY, YOU DON'T GET MUCH MESS

think thats all for now!

OH, did u enjoy it? please tell me either way!
YES, FIRST TIME, EASY ISH LABOUR, HARDER SECOND BABY AS SHE WAS BIGGER (9LB 8OZ) BUT STILL GLAD I DID IT AT HOME.

BTW with dd I went into labour at 2.30pm and she wasn't born until 10.15pm so not all born at night. ds, went into labour at 4am and he was born at 2.30pm.

labour started mid-afternoon and gave birth 11pm ish - so like www (hello there!) not all at night. ds went to a friend's as we had no idea when it would all be over/how he'd react so thouhg better out of the way.

hi mumofmonsters just wanted to add my story I had a HB 18 weeks ago for my 2nd baby.

I laboured firstly downstairs on the toilet, then ran upstairs between contractions, I go from 0-60 in minutes so didn't have much time to think about it. The rest of the labour I spent on my bed which was fine.

DD1 who was 18 mo at the time slept through the entire thing in the next room I wasn't quiet. DD2 was born at 4am. I called the MWs at 1.30am.

I had gas and air (love the stuff) but had a morphine presciption just in case (also had stematol (spp) as morphine can make you sick.

Hardly any mess at all, on the recommendations of mumsnetters I bought some cheap Asda showercurtains (£1 each) put 2 on the bed with a cheapie fitted sheet over and one between bed and toilet just in case. MWs pulled them all off while I was in the shower and remade the bed. I got into a nightie and got into bed with DD2 absolute bliss!

DD1 came in at 6.30am and the whole family got into bed together and it was brilliant.

Altho my HB didn't work out I would really recommend it so here's a few points....
My dd1 was awake from 2am - 6am but played upsatirs with my MIL and then went to my mum's after brekkie. She wasn't bothered by my labouring at all but I did wake the neighbours up when the 2nd gas and air canister was empty after one puff and I had to wait 40 mins for more!! And I was in the conservatory! They weren't offened tho.
I could go up and down stairs in between contractions and also had two on the transfer to hosp which were bearable.
I had to go because it is hosp policy not to break waters for a HB (MWs are trying to change this). However I was discharged straight from the delivery room 3 hrs after the birth so felt like half a HB!
My authority don't give pethadine at HBs because of the risk of dopey babies but when I started using the G and A properly it was fab and got me through a long 12 hours.
Good luck.

Just to add i am planning a hb for my 4th in July and my mw is getting me pethidine and entinox for pain relief.I'm also in Scotland so must depend on which local authority you are in.They will also rupture my membranes if i want them to.

Hi there, like others on this string my baby was unexpectedly delivered at home but on the strength of that experience I will be having a hb for the next one.
Started at 2am, walked around the house tidying up and bending over chairs for contractions, watched some TV on my birthing ball, had a bath with some candles whilst hubby was in bed. Woke him up at 5am and he made me some toast.
(I convinced him i thought it was a false alarm as my waters hadnt broken and I wasnt ready to go to hosp)
Had 2nd bath upon which got the mother of all contractions, waters broke and pushing started.
Called 999 and had fabulous lady paramed who just helped him out.

Unfortunately I wasnt controlled and tore a bit.

My husband panicked and used our best white towels when the waters broke but I was in no mood to correct him!!!
Midwives were great, stiched up, put the towels in the wash, cleaned the bathroom up completely, made a cup of tea and helped me to have a bath before leaving. Not much mess at all!

The only downside if any was that the neighbours were in their gardens listening to me screaming and wondering if my husband was doing me in!!

A friend of mine also recommended stitching up some shower curtains as mentioned previously.

Thank you for such wonderful replies!

Made a note to warn neighbours (i haven't even met them yet - lol!) and will def get cheapo shower curtains (sure i have one knocking around from my "just in case" with DS2)

Sounds like alovely way to give birth, thank you very much for replying :)

shower curtains not actually waterproof according to my midwife!

b and q do cheap plastic waterproof sheeting

I had a lovely home water birth can totally recommend (3rd also, previous quick labours)

Had a big long chat with midwife and told her all my worries, and she was very supportive and encouraging. I have booked in under midwife led care but am going to change to home birth when DP and i have had chance to have a proper talk about it (also, seeing as i am due nYE its the easiest all round LOL)

Thank you very much for your replies and for suggestions of things to ask :)

Had my 2nd and 3rd births at home. Dd was very quick - 3.5 hours, it did hurt but only right at the end, didn't have any pain relief at all. Felt really elated afterwards

Ds2 (3rd birth) was about 11 hours, and really hurt for the last 4 or 5 hours, when things weren't progressing really fast, but really painful contractions. Again, no pain relief, but that was because I felt that I was going to be sick any moment, and felt the gas and air might cause me to be sick!

BUT the lovely bit imo is afterwards - cuddling up in your own bed, dh not having to leave, having a bath in your own bath. And also in my case having my own mw do the deliveries.

With Ds2 I had to take him into the hospital the following day for a new baby check, and was SO glad he hadn't been born there - it just reminded me so much of why I'd chosen to be at home - the alarms going off, general grimness in decor etc, rules about every last thing.

Im booked for a home birth but was just wondering do you have to go full term to have one? what if the baby is early and how early is too early?mmmmmmmmmm

I had an unplanned homebirth with my daughter. I didn't want this to happen,but I could not sit down in the car... the ambulance was on it's way to take me to the birthing centre, but by the time it had arrived it was too late. DH was worried about the potential mess on the carpet but I really couldn't have cared less! My daughter came about four minutes after my waters had gone, without any pain relief, and everything was fantastic. It was such a relaxed and calm atmosphere , and my midwife was absolutely fantastic! I would recommend this to anybody.

I was told I had to get to 37 weeks - which apparently they consider 'term'.

We found the waterproof sheeting under a sheet or towels was useless- really really slippy and dangerous. second time we were told to get the giant bubble wrap (from garden centres) but this popped when I knoelt on it or whatever and was distacting ( although quite funny at some points)

Ds was born on the carpet about half a metre from all the carefully laid out protective stuff!

Just remembered that I filled in an 'ambulance priority form' (seemed a little ironic!) but then they knew that if I called I really needed to go in. As it happened I transferd in our car but was good to know that the ambulance would have been super quick if needed.

37 weeks for a HB in my area too.