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Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

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Original poster

Home Birth? Thoughts?

25 replies

glitterpinky · 07/07/2015 19:29

Hello Everyone, New here, but needed some one to talk to about home birth.
myself and my partner always liked the idea but dont know how sensible it is with our first child.
Before i speak to my midwife, maybe we could have some stories or opinions?
Thanks

OP posts:

LibrariesGaveUsPower · 07/07/2015 19:32

Well, the biggest issues will be your risk profile and how far you are from hospital.

OhHolyFuck · 07/07/2015 19:34

I had a homebirth with my 2nd DS, was lovely, very calm and relaxed.
Around 8 hours from first pain to baby and lovely midwives supporting all the way through, anything specific you wanted to know?

atticusfinchatemybaby · 07/07/2015 19:36

Homebirth for both dc. Wouldn't change a thing. There's a brilliant website that should answer all your questions (and many more you hadn't thought of) - www.homebirth.org.uk.

Original poster

glitterpinky · 07/07/2015 20:07

What did the midwives say to you when you suggested it? I was worried it would be a no go because i havent had a babay before, everything is normal and 'low risk' but we live 25/30 mins away.
What were your worries surrounding the birth.
i have a very supportive family and partener.

OP posts:

CityDweller · 07/07/2015 20:42

Had one with my first. Great. Loved it. Planning one again for DC2.

But I had no worries at all, complete confidence in my body's ability to give birth and knew from the second I found out I was pregnant I wanted a homebirth. DH came on board quickly.

paxtecum · 07/07/2015 20:46

I wanted a home birth, but baby was breech.
I ended up have emergency section.

A friend's DIL had a home birth and had to be rushed to hospital, baby got stuck and was starved of oxygen.

Original poster

glitterpinky · 07/07/2015 20:54

I think i will feel more comfortable at home, i have been to visit the MLU but although they say its a 'home from home' environment i didn't feel it.
Any one else think the same
for those Mums who loved it, why was it so great?

OP posts:

Slh122 · 07/07/2015 20:57

Oh I wish people wouldn't come out with horror stories when home birth is mentioned!
Statistically speaking for a low risk pregnancy, home birth is safer than a hospital birth.
Trust your body. Don't be scared. It all depends on your pregnancy risk level - we are very lucky to have access to medical facilities for when things go wrong or pregnancies are high risk but the majority of the time, a home birth will be safer.

LibrariesGaveUsPower · 07/07/2015 21:49

Actually, for a low risk first timer an MLU is the statistically safest. But all options are safe.

BinToHellAndBack · 07/07/2015 23:06

I loved that I had my baby in my own bed and then didn't need to move for days other than for the loo! DH was on hand for everything and it felt pretty relaxed and private (relatively speaking, it still hurt like heck!).

First night was all together as a family was lovely (I know some hospitals let dad stay, but it's not the same as being together in your own bed).

No stress about when was the right moment to leave for hospital (although had a hospital bag packed in case I changed my mind or it was needed).

Also way better breastfeeding support (I struggled) compared to many stories I've heard from hospital births where the poor midwives are already overstretched and just can't give the time. I imagine this is massively area dependent, but a midwife and a dedicated breastfeeding support worker both came out to my house specifically for feeding issues (after the birthing midwives had left). They were a huge help.

Mention it to your midwife though. Being on the list for a homebirth in no way makes you obligated to have one, but if you haven't said you'd possibly like one then you can't suddenly choose to at last minute (at least not where I live).

Topsy34 · 07/07/2015 23:29

Had a home birth with ds, and booked again this time round.

wouldn't change it, it was amazing, loved every minute of it :)

paxtecum · 08/07/2015 05:57

Op has asked for thoughts on home birth. She didn't ask for all the good stories.
I was incredibly positive about giving birth, I wanted a home birth, I went to NCT classes, I practised all the exercises every day, I walked two miles everyday and I wasn't stressed about the hospital environment but ended up with a CS which was fine. However I was surprised by how many babies were in the SCBU because labour hadn't gone as planned.

That was when I changed my mind about Home births.

Roseybee10 · 08/07/2015 09:43

I had a home birth with my second. It was lovely.
I liked it because

I was in my own environment and felt more confident and assertive
I didn't have to try and get to the hospital (first time I went in, was sent home, went in and they tried to send me home again then baby came two hours later).
afterwards not being left alone with the baby on a ward up all night. Hubby took night shift that night and I got a decent sleep.
my own shower, own bed, own toilet

I would say however for me it wasn't good for our breastfeeding journey as I had terrible support.

NickyEds · 08/07/2015 17:02

Statistically speaking for a low risk pregnancy, home birth is safer than a hospital birth.

Do you have any evidence of this? Everything I've read says this is not the case. It's not about horror stories or "trusting your body". Statistically 45 % of women who opt for a home birth for their first baby are transferred to hospital so distance to the hospital would really be a major consideration for me

Seffina · 08/07/2015 17:14

I had a planned homebirth for my second baby, and ended up delivering him by myself (because I was convinced I had hours left and hadn't rung the MW in time).

Own shower, own bed, own kitchen were big plus points for me, but also not having to come home from hospital. Baby and I didn't leave the house for 5 days - it was bliss. Oh, and a guaranteed birth pool.

LibrariesGaveUsPower · 08/07/2015 17:20

Nicky - That's the Place of Birth study being quoted again. For a first timer, the safest place is an MLU. Hospital isn't statistically safest for anyone low risk.

45% of women transferring will mostly be for slow progress or more pain relief so the majority not emergencies. So it sort of breaks down to two things:

How quickly can I get there in an emergency; and
How long is the actual journey given that I am likely to be further into labour when I make it (although, frankly, my local hospital wasn't beyond turning low risk women away until they were practically pushing so a lot of people my way were doing the journey in a similar state even if they planned for the hospital!).

DayLillie · 08/07/2015 17:24

Older statistics used to include births where people had not been able to get to the hospital on time (or indeed turned away), so were unprepared.

NickyEds · 08/07/2015 17:47

I'd definitely take what libraries said into account- about the journey to hospital. I live in between two hospitals- one is over a really massive hill and as ds was a middle of Winter baby I was worried about snow. The other is along a clear bypass but is horrendous at school run times. Both would be ok in an emergency (with ambulance etc) but the journey would feel like an age for pain relief.

NickyEds · 08/07/2015 17:48

I am lucky though, because both have an MLU alongside the hospital delivery rooms.

Elvish · 08/07/2015 17:59

I had DC2 at home, having had DC1 with no complications gave me the confidence to do it with number 2.

I had a quick labour and the midwife arrived just in time to catch the baby (she only managed to get one glove on).

But after the birth my blood pressure remained high and I was taken into hospital in an ambulance.

So although I had the baby at home according to plan I didn't get any of the benefits such as sleeping in my own bed and having DD come into the room in the morning to meet her brother

I live about 5 mins drive from our hospital and MLU so I didn't have any worries. At the point my waters broke I could have got to the hospital quicker than the midwife got to me!

Our area has community based midwives who are really enthusiastic about home births, they are more likely to make you justify why not than why.

I would suggest you just ask your MW and see what they say. You don't need to commit and you can change your mind at any point up to and including during labour. So if you're considering it tell them and get it on your records then you have the choice.

BinToHellAndBack · 08/07/2015 18:06

Hmm, yes the distance was quite a thing for me, I should have mentioned that too. Although I loved my homebirths, a huge part of being able to relax well at home was feeling at ease with just how close I was to the hospital should anything go wrong (literally round the corner, so about 30 secs in the car).

But if you plan for a homebirth you can always decide at the time. Any anxiety or doubts and you can just go in the same way everyone else does, no need to explain yourself.

HighOverTheFenceLeapsSunnyJim · 09/07/2015 04:25

Isn't most transfer in actually for maternal exhaustion/pain relief, rather than 'emergency'?

I've planned a homebirth everytime, DC1 we transferred in due to fetal distress (so we could have closer monitoring, this was not an 'emergency' as such in that she still wasn't born for another 12 hours after transfer), DC2 and DC3 were born at home.

NickyEds · 09/07/2015 11:12

High You might be right but even if it is for pain relief/maternal exhaustion with such a high transfer rate, for whatever reason, distance to hospital would be a major consideration for me.

HighOverTheFenceLeapsSunnyJim · 09/07/2015 11:50

Oh yeah distance to hospital would be a big consideration for me, I just think it is worth noting that transferring in doesn't often mean '10 mins to save this baby's life!' scenarios.

RugBugs · 09/07/2015 20:10

I had my first in our MLU, 2nd at home and have 3rd booked in at home for anytime after next Tues.
All mid/after labour transfers are done by ambulance here (even though it would be quicker to drive ourselves).
ILs have form for showing up in the MLU unannounced so a relaxed home birth with a bolted front door is bloody lovely.

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