To those who planned a homebirth or MW unit birth....

[eenywifemum]

Hi there! I'm sure this question has been asked before, please bear with me.

I would like to hear from MNers who planned either a homebirth or a midwife unit birth, and basically if they got what they wanted & planned for or if there were complications.

I am due in 6-8 weeks and am planning on having a water birth at my local MW centre. If anything goes wrong it would mean a trip to the local hospital during labour. I am just trying to get an idea of how many labours go wrong like that... I asked my MW for some sort of statistic about how many of their mums have to be transferred to hospital and surprisingly she didnt have any idea... So... is it pretty common or pretty uncommon?

I really want my water birth there and I am just nervous I wont get it, IYKWIM. So your thoughts and experiences would be much appreciated, I can compile my own MN statistics!

Thanks!

With DD1 I planned the birth in midwife birth unit. The birth was fine but she has Down's syndrome so we were moved along a wing to intensive care and then the SCBU. All fine eventually and after 5 days there we went home togehter.

Birth no 2 - I planned at home. HAd a very supportive midwife who allowed this even though I was out of the area etc. Birth went very well and everyone concerned was happy etc.

Good luck to you eenywifemum

I planned a home waterbirth - my first birth.

All was going really well - slow, but not difficult. I used TENS and then the pool and needed no gas and air at all, even for pushing. BUT I pushed, and pushed, and pushed, and then, still pushing, it was clear we needed to transfer for ventouse. The mws gave me a choice of ambulance, or in our car with my best friend driving - we went in the car with me kneeling up in the back seat giving directions. I felt ok about it, because it was clear to me, even with my determination to stay at home, that we weren't getting anywhere.

DS was OP, and it did take a struggle to get him out with ventouse (I demended an epidural for that - couldn't lie on my back otherwise).

I am glad I went for the homebirth - the registrar told me that had I been labouring in hospital 'that baby would have been out by section hours ago', and I didn't find transferring too problematic.

I really do blieeve that if you are as confident and relaxed as possible in labour, your chances of managing intervention-free are better - but then if you need help, so be it, you go for it.

All positive from me. Had my DS (first baby) in pool at home.

Can't think of anything worse than being transferred in labour, but as previous poster said, you would have at least one, probably two midwives and your partner to support you. And you are only 15 mins away.

FWIW my midwife told me that, in terms of pain relief, it would take longer than 15 mins for an anaesthetist to get to me if I was on a ward to start with.

I had a really good birth experience - good luck!

I had my DD (2nd baby) at home - not a waterbirth, stood up at the side of the bed and it was lovely. I knew the risk of transfer but didn't see how it could be a lot worse than the drive to the hospital at rushhour for DS - when I got there I was 9cm dilated and it was a horrendous journey.

What I am trying to say is that unless you are induced you have to get to the hospital whilst in labour anyway.

Hi eeny, I followed Salamander's link. I would have fallen into the 'maternal request for epidural' category on the list of reasons for transfer.
I booked in for a home waterbirth with DS but they didn't have enough midwives available to look after me there, so I had to go to the hospital which conveniently has a MW unit and a high tech unit on the same floor of the same building.
When I got to 3cm the MWs were reminding ME that I had asked for a waterbirth on my birth plan but I found the whole thing so sodding painful (I had a 'back' labour, which you might have heard aboutit hurt like hell just to get to 1cm let alone 3cm) that I just screamed 'get me an epuidural NOW!' So I would have been one of those people that got transferred, as they need an anaesthetist to administer epidurals. Would I have stuck it out had I been at home/in a MW unit? Hmm. Hard to say really, but I doubt itthe only thing that would have made a difference would have been a skilled person to help manoeuvre the baby into optimum position (apparently there are things that can be done to encourage this whilst you are in labour)
Re-reading this am not sure if it's going to help you, really! I suppose I want to say, most people don't need to be transferred but it's always best to keep an open mind about how you might feel on the day itself.

Thanks again everybody for posting. It really does help me to hear from women who have been through it, whether or not their experience was positive it's good to get a balanced view of what I am about to undertake!

For homebirths I have the figure of a 40% transfer rate for first babies in my head. I don't know what year that is for - the stats must be out there somewhere, it's just a case of searching. I thought your birth centre would have that kind of statistic to hand, so I'm surprised your midwife doesn't know.

If that 40% figure is true then that means that 60% achieve their home birth. A lot of the transfers are likely to be for pain relief as well, so the odds are in your favour.

thanks rubles. Yes I was surprised as well. I asked her and she said she really didnt know but that there werent fatalities etc. as a result of the transfer. That was all the info she had to offer me. On the whole I have been really pleased with the MW care at this unit but there have been a few times, like that, where they seem to drop the ball a bit.

Eenywifemum,

The largest study I've been able to find that covers rates of transfer for first time mums is the National Birthday Trust Homebirth Survey (a summary of the results is here under 'research')

This supports the 40% transfer figure, with the single largest reason for transfer being slow or no progress, accounting for 37.2% of transfers. Premature rupture of membranes accounted for 24.8% of transfers, and most of these occurred before labour started. Foetal distress accounted for 14.8% of transfers. Well worth reading this summary to get info on your chances of, and possible reasons for, a transfer.

Good luck, anyway, whatever you decide to do. I'm going through a similar set of questions myself but I don't think there is a black and white answer, only a balance of probabilities

Two babies - first planned in m/w led unit. Had her in m/w led unit - in water (that hadn't really been thought about til they suggested it when I got there).

Second - planned home waterbirth... didn't get in the pool in time, but got my homebirth.

No complictaions with either.

Gizmo, That site is great & I will be reading a lot more on it. I think what all this is doing for me is reinforcing what I already thought - I am nervous and confident at the same time but overall I think I will take my chances with the MW unit and have faith that if anything goes wrong I will be able to cope with it. I know there are no guaruntees in life... but its better knowing the odds of choices you are making.

I planned first a home birth, then a MW unit birth and got neither! But the reason form no homebirth was farce like- the electricity company decided to do random cuts to our village around edd. So we decided it might not be wise!!! Then I had a blood test, marginal but OK. Saw Ob who said another test, which I did. That was .09 too low iron. Then I found out bloods had been requested in error, but by that time it was too late to go back..

As I went into Labour, the MW suggested I hotfoot it to the MW unit anyway as it seemed fast, but I told her I couldn't- apparently the low bloods hadn't been recorded anfd they'd never have known. So damn, damn again and triple damn!!!!!!!

Have to say tho, that far from being the torture centre it had been for my first labour, the MW and Big Unit did a fab job with DS3, really gentle and nice. The best was ds2 however, who was born in a MW unit, albeit one that I had moved too far away from for the third.

WellKnown - Wow that is a funny set of circumstances! I have to say the one thing I havent taken into account is the electric company's goings on!

In the US it is more common to have your delivery done by an OB, however I had planned to have a midwife deliver ds, although in the L&D unit. Unfortunately, ds wound up being emergency section.

jabberwocky - I am actually American so I knew that! Small world. But I've lived in England a long time, my DH is English. I'm sorry you had to have an emergency section.

Where are you from? We are in Nashville, TN.

St. Louis, MO. Are you American or an expat?

I had ds in a mw-led unit (waterbirth, totally fab) - but he was my third so I think my body and I both knew what we were doing

However (and this is my reason for posting) I had to be transferred to the big hospital after the birth with a retained placenta, so I was still "in labour" (painful contractions, though nothing like stage 2!!) - but it was totally fine, I was so bowled over by ds that I didn't really mind (despite the fact that it was a 2 hour drive!). It hasn't put me off and I'm hoping that when I have another one I can have it in the mw unit.

Miaou, when you were transfered did your DS go with you? Was it by ambulance? Ok a 2 hour drive is insane!! I am feeling like a big wimp for worrying about a 15 mins transfer!

An American - a bit unique situation on MN I think. I stumbled on the site when I had PND and now I'm hooked!

Eenywifemum, I have had 2 planned homebirths - I was in london and I was told that the chances of any complications may be detected sooner at home anyway since you normally have a midwife with you from the beginning and then another one has to join near the final stages. So you get FULL attention which sadly isn't always the case in hospitals. Statistically it is just as safe to have a baby at home - I had two wonderful births - had a waterpool downstairs ready to go for the first but didn't end up using it - was kneeling over my bed for most of the labour, in b/w walking to bathroom! Second labour was in my guest bathroom with candles lit etc. Water broke at 7pm, baby arrived at 8.30pm! Midwife just got there in time but DH very relaxed! Mum and MIL in kitchen making cups of tea!! My DS came into our room the following morning and found his baby sister in the cot - all on video - very cute!! Good luck! PS You are more likely to be seen to quicker in an emergency if you had to come in by ambulance than you would if you were waiting in hospital... (ie no bed) and it takes at least 15 minutes for them to set up surgery in which time you would be on your way to hospital and ready to go! This made me feel better about my decision!!

Yup, the ambulance had ds, dh, a mw (who got travelsick so was as much use as a chocolate teapot ) and two ambulance men in it ... rather busy! Best of all, the placenta came out really easily and we were all finished before the ambulance drivers had finished their breakfast, so we got a lift back down to the mw unit where I stayed the night - fab

I do live in the middle of nowhere, 2 hours in an ambulance is pretty normal up here!!

jabberwocky - let me know if you'd like to email sometime! My CAD thingy doesnt work. Well no I should say I havent signed up for it!

bozzy - your birth stories sound really lovely! What a great experience you have to look back on! I really hope mine is what I hope for it. I've had a pretty hard pregnancy and I've heard 'hard pregnancy, easy labour' - ok NO ONE please contradict that, even if you KNOW it isnt true, I am clinging to it!

Miaou - You too had a good experience, even considering your transfer! Funny about your MW getting travel sick! Sounds like it was alright though.

I've got CAT, I'll email you

caT that's it let me know if you've emailed & I havent responded as I dont know if you can CAT me if I'm not signed up? I dont mind putting my email address on here anyway.