home or hospital birth?

[leannestudiowest]

Wondering what peoples opinions are about a home birth and hospital birth. Which one did you choose and why?

Hospital birth for first as I was too scared to have a home birth for various reasons.
Long back to back labour but managed with just gas and air. On the whole, a positive experience but had horrible mw who told me I was being ridiculous and not even in labour yet when I couldn't lie or sit and was banging my head off a wall to distract myself from the pain. She tried to send me home - turns out I was going from 3-10 cm in less than an hour and was actually in transition.
I found that the most stressful part of my labour as I thought I was going to have to get back in the car in that state.

Home birth for baby no 2 as I knew I could manage on gas and air so wasn't worried about pain relief. Very straight forward first birth with very fast active labour (2.5 hours recorded). Was amazing. Very relaxed, no stress about getting to hospital and being in the car in that amount of pain etc. No mess.
I did a lot of research and weighed up the risks and felt that the risk was minimal compared with me giving birth on the motorway.
As it turned out I wouldn't have made it to the hospital anyway and would have had an unplanned homebirth or roadside delivery.

It's not the right option for everyone but I wish the scaremongering would stop. It's about weighing up the risk based on your own circumstances. I'm glad I didn't have a home birth for baby no1 but due to the experience of my first birth I felt equipped to make the decision for baby no2. If I had another baby I would definitely opt for a home birth.

Hospital.
First birth required emergency c section (not predicted, baby's heart rate plummeted and luckily it was possible to be in theatre 12 minutes later.) I wouldn't risk it.

I live aprox 40 min from the nearest hospital (not sure how long an ambulance would take) and I just wouldn't risk it.

I had a hospital birth with DD and it was a great experience. I needed medical intervention and having that avalible there and then was great. Im a nurse so knowing that all the midwife has to do is pull the emergency bell and the room will be filled with help really put me at ease, I just wouldn't feel safe at home. I am quite a worrier though! A HB does sound lovely but I know it's not for me.

I had a fairly straight forward labour with my 1st at a midwife led unit, I never even considered a home birth & wish my mw would've talked about it a bit more. There were quite a few things I wish I'd done differently (or wish I'd have known that I had options). So with my second I read a lot more about it & was able to take control of my birth & had the home water birth I wanted inspite of my rather bullying midwife who kept saying she was pro home birth whilst trying to push me to have unneeded & unwanted interventions such as sweeps & inductions. Not planning on having another but if I did I would definitely plan another home birth.

The crucial part of this question is choice. Your body, your labour, your baby, your choice. You should plan for wherever makes you comfortable