FTM - Homebirth?

[ShovettyMcShovetty]

Just wondering if there are any MNers who have had homebirths with their first babies. So far my pregnancy is uncomplicated (touch wood) and I am just investigating the possibility of a homebirth.

I'm in the same boat so watching with interest.

Yep, I did. All very average it was too.

I did and would wholeheartedly recommend it.

The benefits of being at home were too many to mention. It was an incredible experience .

The only factor that might have put me off was proximity to the hospital in case I needed to transfer. I was 5 minutes away so felt totally comfortable.

www.facebook.com/groups/homebirthchat is a fab group, lots of first time mums home birthing successfully in there

I did. Like tinker it was all very straightforward.

I was glad I did for this reason, amongst many others: I went from hardly dilated at all to delivering the baby in a couple of hours. I would have been a classic 'sent home from hospital because not advanced enough' and I wonder if I then would have made it back again in time...

There were very few downsides to being at home. In fact, one downside (no pain relief) was, in reality, an upside as if I'd been in hospital I would have demanded an epidural and that would have slowed things down. As it was, I just had to go with it and while it was painful, it was quick.

My one tip would be to get your breastfeeding support (if you're planning on bf) lined up beforehand. We had bf issues and I was glad I'd already got the helpline numbers/ local bf clinic drop-ins to hand.

Oh yes, and rent a birthing pool if you can. It gave enormous relief for the pain. There's a great place you can rent them online for a reasonable price - I think it's called Water Baby birth pools, or something like that.

Hello
Another homebirther of a first baby here and I would wholeheartedly recommend it too .
Like another poster said (apols can't namecheck as am on my phone) I am very close to a large London hospital so this was reassuring.
I have very fond memories of my birth. It was December so we had the fairy lights up, winter scented candles burning etc. I second the birthing pool recommendation. That, a tens machine (before the pool, obviously!) and hypnobirthing was all I needed. Don't get me wrong, I think I was very lucky too!
How do your partners feel about it? My DH was always supportive but I think a little nervous. However, in the event he was so pleased we were at home. He felt 'useful' in that he could make tea for the midwives, fetch me food and lucozade, turn the heating off and on again etc etc. He wasn't as pleased about clearing up the mess afterwards though- the midwives did all the really heavy duty stuff but he had the dubious pleasure of emptying the pool and removing the dust sheets from the sofa where I had the placenta

I did and I had a good experience. I felt more comfortable and in control. I am not a good patient in hospital. I also found it gave DH things to do. He was in charge of pool temperature and making drinks and offering food. It kept him from driving me crazy.

I would second whoever said to get bf help lined up. My MWs left an hour after the placenta was delivered and gave almost no bf help in that time.

If you have a healthy first pregnancy I think home birth can be a great option. Good luck with the rest of your pregnancy and becoming a mum.

I am having hb and its my first. I am due in 4weeks and am so much more relaxed now i have my birthing pool and home and everything ready. I have found the facebook home birth group invaluable for suggestions and comments. Check it out www.facebook.com/groups/HomeBirthChat/808838002490045/?notif_t=group_comment_reply

i did by accident (not enough time to go anywhere). So glad i did, it was wonderful not having to go anywhere afterwards

Thanks all for your comments! I only mentioned the idea to my DH once right after our first scan and he was a little bit dubious. I know he would support me though, if I really wanted to do it.

I am about 10 mins drive (with no traffic) from a hospital with a very good special care unit for newborns so I guess on blue lights this would be about 10 mins too.

This might be a stupid question but, on a practical note, if you hire a birthing pool, how do you actually empty it afterwards..? Also, I live in a first floor flat so, not sure if it is a bit antisocial to the poor neighbours who might have to listen to me!

I did, although I'd perhaps think twice if I had known the results of the big Place of Birth study that was published in the BMJ later on that said that 0.9% of babies born at home to first time mothers having a significant outcome compared to 0.5% at a MLU/obstetric unit.

www.bmj.com/content/343/bmj.d7400

It was lovely to tuck into our big bed, the three of us at the end. I did find it a bit surprising that after 2 hours the midwives leave. I was thinking, "But there's a baby. You can't leave US to look after him!"

I live (just checked Google Maps) 8 minutes from the maternity/paediatric hospital, and being close to the hospital was very important to me.

If you do decide to go for a home birth, remember that you can change your mind at any time so there is no pressure to go for it if you decide against it. I'd keep an open mind about how it will actually go. There is a higher chance of being transferred to hospital, not just for complications but also for more pain relief, in first time mothers.

I am a doctor so am very happy in and about hospitals, but DH is in a more geeky profession and I think he liked being at home and being able to make tea, wander about etc with a bit more freedom than hospital. That said, he's been happy enough with the next two births in hospitals (high risk for different reasons so had to be in hospital).

DC4 is due soon so a HB is a possibility that we are considering.

Many thanks Dino. I did read a little something about this BMJ study, but not the whole thing.

Just double checking, are they comparing obstetric v non-obstetric units including midwife led units? In my hospital, low risk births automatically go to a midwife led unit anyway. Although it is obviously a lot closer to the obstetric ward (in the same building).

Many thanks Dino. I did read a little something about this BMJ study, but not the whole thing.

Just double checking, are they comparing obstetric v non-obstetric units including midwife led units? In my hospital, low risk births automatically go to a midwife led unit anyway. Although it is obviously a lot closer to the obstetric ward (in the same building).

The Place of Birth study only looked at low risk births and stratified them based on where delivery was planned at the start of labour, so that included low risk mothers delivering on the obstetric ward as well, perhaps at the mother's choice, if the MLU was full etc. The risks really were similar and not really statistically significant between a MLU (whether freestanding or attached to an obstetric unit) and an obstetric unit, and might even show slightly better results for the MLUs.

I didn't, but I had a HB third time round with twins (not planned HB) and now regret ever ever ever having a hospital birth.

Great thanks for your advice Dino - sorry, you must feel like you are at work answering questions like this!

Thanks to you too Lally. Wow, twins at home must have been quite dramatic! Glad you enjoyed it though.

Always have a plan b for a hospital birth (bags packed, enough change for car park etc), I've had 2 hospital births...both were planned home births I felt horrible after ds1 as I felt cheated out of 'my' birth (if that makes sense)
Fingers crossed I get a HB this time!

Good luck. X

Both of mine were uncomplicated (first got complicated at 38wks, so had a bit of notice there, second (37+5 delivery) my waters had gone 4 days before delivery so risk of gbs).

shovetty, I'm afraid I like stats and medical papers so I don't mind at all! It annoys me how bad reporting of medical and scientific papers is and how often how little the report resembles the actual paper!

www.theguardian.com/science/the-lay-scientist/2010/sep/24/1

Anyway, back to discussing HBs!

Haha no shame in that Dino!

Re your question about emptying the birth pool Shovetty- we bought the accessories kit sold by 'birth pool in a box' which included a pump thingie that you submerge (and stick the other end of the hose in the drain- or I'm guessing down the sink in your case). This is after you gave sieved out any solids . Luckily DH didn't have to remove any poos but there was quite a lot of 'tissue' I suppose you could say. Hope nobody's having their tea!!
Ooh, also I think the type of midwife care you get can be very variable. My two stayed with me for about 3 hours afterwards and in that time I got a lot of breastfeeding advice. Then they were back the next day with some more

Good to know MrsH! I did wonder.

Yes, just rent a birth pool in a box (I rented from the Water Baby site I mentioned above) and it comes with a kit to empty it out. Also, hilariously, with the smallest sieve I have ever seen (to fish out the 'tissue' as Mrs HY1 put it). I nearly pissed myself when I saw that sieve. Luckily, I was too busy squeezing out a placenta, or gazing at DD, or eating maltesers to even be aware of DH emptying the pool. He still goes a bit ashen when that gets mentioned, but quite frankly that's nothing compared with pushing out a baby and then having to spend ages squatting over a tray to try to catch the placenta, so I have no sympathy.

We live in a flat, in a block. I thought I'd find that inhibiting - knowing that I might disturb people, but I bellowed my way through the final hour or so of labour, which were in the small hours, not giving a crap who heard me. I know I woke one neighbour up, but he was terribly sweet and British about the whole thing.

The mw hung around for ages with us 'cos DD got quite cold after the birth and then took ages to warm up again. But they mostly left us to it upstairs. They were then back the next day and so on. It is a bit fucking terrifying when they leave, but I think it'd probably be equally as scary leaving hospital.

Haha I look forward to making DH sieve 'tissue'. He is being annoying this evening, so that thought is quite funny to me. Evil cackle!