Considering a homebirth for DC3. Come and tell me what I need to know!

[212VIP]

Just that.
9 weeks and hoping to have a homebirth this time round.
Two very hassle-free and speedy(!) births previously so looking forward to trying it at home.
I'd really appreciate anyone's thoughts, opinions or advice please.

Don't do it. Messy, smelly and disrupting for little children already in the house. Have the baby in hospital and get a 6 hour discharge and go home to nice clean house, not one strewn with dirty towels and a half empty paddling pool filled with bloodstained water.

Don't be daft - the midwives and dh sort all the mess out, you won't even notice it.

All you need to know is that if it works out, you'll love snuggling up in your own bed straight away, drinking champagne tea and eating biscuits. But sometimes you'll have to go for the hospital option, or transfer half way (I'm assuming you are only a short transfer away), so dont set your heart on it (and you can always bugger off home from hospital to your own bed ASAP).

Oh, and my dd1 went to bed only 10 mins later than normal and slept through my very noisy labour, even the bit where the ambulance arrived for the transfer. I was back in my own bed before she even woke up in the morning! But seriously - you will need someone dedicated to looking after the kids, hospital or home, so you can focus on yourself.

brainonastick's right, the midwives sort all the mess out and take it all away. I never even noticed any! They bring everything needed believe me! (Well except for serious pain relief that is). I had both mine at home and don't regret it. Its essential to organise in advance someone to look after any other little ones when the time comes, and have family or good friends staying so they can step in to help support you when you are in labour, do domestic stuff etc. My daughter (second child) was born in the evening and I had arranged for my son to stay at a friends overnight which he was fine with. If its a third baby I am sure the midwife will be fine about your choice and will discuss fully the ins and outs especially what pain relief may or may not be available. I only had the option of gas and air. Some midwives can prescribe pethedine tho. One thing that was a beautiful moment for my husband with ds our first one, I was exhausted after a long labour and so was baby, my husband had him snuggled up skin to skin in his dressing gown all night and even got up to change the nappies for me! It was a lovely bonding moment for them, and a heck of a relief for me, Dads don't get to do that if you are in hospital. Sorry I seem to have got carried away and written a whole essay! But I hope you get the choice that you want.

needanothacuppa DH had skin-to-skin when DS was born, it was so lovely (both mine were home birth).

For 2nd baby we had my mum to stay to look after the toddler, plus good friends on standby in case she didn't get there on time.

I didn't have a pool either time, did use the bath a bit first time. MWs brought G&A and I had a tens machine. We had old sheets and towels down on the floor which my mum chucked straight in the wash. Not much mess really...

Daft I am certainly not, brainonastick. After experiencing this once...NEVER again.
Let the professionals deal with it all in hospital where you can just walk away and not have some stranger giving you an internal in your own bedroom.

I had a home birth, but with a midwife that I knew. In my area, we have an NHS funded 'One to One' service where you have the same midwife for all your ante-natal and post natal care, plus if you choose a home birth they will come and deliver you at home too. They can't deliver you in hospital but will come with you if you want them to.

I would be a bit more hesitant to have a home birth with a midwife I didn't know tbh - staying at home was brilliant for me, but I knew and 101% trusted my midwife. And I didn't have any internal exams at all.

There was some mess but not much really - and all the blood came out of the towels. I don't remember it being smelly at all, and DD1 slept for most of it - although I did briefly have to read her Wibbly Pig whilst having contractions as she woke up when she heard my DMum arrive (she was on standby in case we went to hospital).