Homebirth with first baby - am I being stupid?

[GingerbreadPudding]

I'm not great with pain, I'm not an earth mother type but I'm seriously considering asking the midwife on Tuesday if I can have a home birth. I'm 38, suffering with awful rib pain, pregnancy hives and can barely move about and I want to know I can definitely have a water birth, my doula has a pool we can set up at home.

Hospital is a five min drive away and I'm not dead set in it being at home, I'd like to give it a go but am willing to give it all up and go and get me an epidural if I'm not coping.

I've read lots of stories of women who've had second and subsequent births at home but not many/any about a first baby. If any of you have had, or tried to have, a home birth with your first could you share your story?

I'm not great with pain and managed on gas, air, water and afterwards a local for the many stitches.
I'm not woolly or woo. It fucking hurt. But it was manageable and psychologically more comfortable for me (every low key thing reminded me it was going well and I was ok).

I would agree. If you don't want pethidine (which some areas allow at home anyway) the real issue is that an epidural is not available at home (obviously!).

But for most people that isn't their first option with their first birth. So it's not that different to work through options up to that point at home, as opposed to in hospital. You can always transfer in.

Plus, at home, if you want to use the pool for pain relief, it is your decision and your call. In hospital they often have very strict rules about how dilated you need to be to use the pool in case it slows things down. That happened to me. At home, you can say "Sod it, I need a half hour rest. If it slows things down I'll get out"

Ask your midwife how realistic it is that you would be able to transfer to hospital and receive an epidural - because the chances are she will try and talk you out of it at the time e.g. 'baby will be here any minute, you can hang on a bit longer' and even if you do transfer the chances of you getting an epidural straight away are low.

Had my first baby at home and now wouldn't do it any other way! GL

It may not be that painful. DD1 was just pressure rather than pain. DD2 was quicker and painful but certainly copeable. I think the endorphins had less time to build.

I had both at the local MLU. Stayed in 4 days with both. Just lovely.

Had 3 hospital births and a HB, if I could do it again I would choose HB for all of them. I was lucky enough to have good birth experiences in hospital but the aftercare wasn't the best because they were short staffed (but doing their best).
I had pethadine the first time and it knocked both me and DS out for a while. I refused it for the second birth.
If you have good support then go for it - DH needed persuading but when we were sat on our own sofa cuddling newborn DC3 eating toast and watching the sun come up he admitted it was the best idea

2 hospital births - not sure where the extra child came from there!