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Childbirth

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

Original poster

Home Birth

28 replies

Aero · 27/05/2004 00:33

Had such a good experience giving birth at home to ds2 19 wks ago and as I only know one other friend (my inspiration) who's also had a home birth, I wondered if any of you have done it and what you thought of the experience.

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emmatmg · 27/05/2004 10:14

There are loads of homebirthers on here, aero.

Me being one of them.
DS2 was an unplanned homebirth with paramedics delivering him on my bed room floor. Dh had gone to get my mum, 70 miles away, both of us thought we had hours to spare!!
DS3 was a planned homebirth which was again very quick.

Very proud of myself for having them at home( planned or unplanned) especially as DS1's hospital birth was awful. However I doubt I could have done it at home with a long labour and I thank my lucky stars that both of them were all over and done with within 3 hours.

busybee123 · 27/05/2004 10:29

Oh mine was brilliant!!! I had 2 previous hospital births and hated them. Completely planned even though DH was very wary about it....he would rather I went to hospital but went along with me. My waters broke at 9 am and I was having contractions about every 5 minutes straight away. I rang midwife who came at 9.20 and examined me. I was already 4cm dilated!! Rang DH to come home quick!!! Contractions were getting more and more intense. My friend came round to look after my other 2 kids. DH got home about 11.15. About 12.30 I couldn't take anymore so went to the bedroom all set up ready and got on the gas and air. My baby boy was born at 1.36pm weighing 8lb 6.5oz. DH cried cos he was really wanting a boy but was 99% sure we were having another girl. (i knew we were having a boy from my 20 week scan but he didnt want to know so i had to keep it a secret for 20 whole weeks!!!!)10 Minutes later my kids came in to meet their baby brother and were thrilled. They were in the next room all along and even my friend didn't hear anything!!! In fact they were all just about to go out to the park cos my friend thought that as there wasn't much noise I was going to be ages yet!!! DH had to shout her to stay!! By 3pm, just 6 hours after the start of it all, everything was cleaned up and the midwives were gone and we were all cuddled up on the sofa together as one big happy family!! That was just over 15 weeks ago and I would do it all again tomorrow.

Original poster
Aero · 27/05/2004 12:44

Yup - the bad hosp experience made me determined to be at home too and dh found it easier to go along with a hormonal pregnant wife than to object, though I was aware of his worries. My story is too long but the labour was pretty quick. I felt the first familiar pains at tea-time so carried on as normal. Dh got in 7pm and we put ds1 and dd to bed as usual. I ran a bath, called the midwife who is a personal friend (this is a huge advantage as she looked after me all the way through the pregnancy and I trusted her completely). She arrived 9pm and I headed upstairs to the bedroom where ds2 was born at 11.15pm. I was so relaxed (between contractions) and I'm sure that in itself made things so much easier. I didn't emerge for two days and so rested properly unlike when I came home from hosp. I would do it all again tomorrow too if I didn't think having four children might be too much. Having said that, we're not closing the factory just yet!
I was soooo high I didn't sleep a wink all night - just gazed at my lovely wee man. Dh slept though - you'd think it was him who'd done the pushing!! He was a great physical support though and I'd have struggled without him.
The other two came up as normal in the morning and were thrilled to find their new baby brother in bed with us. Needless to say they were quite late for school that day but what fun they had telling their friends!

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Piffleoffagus · 27/05/2004 16:04

I had planned one with dd, but as they suspected cholestasis it got the kibosh on it, should have had one with ds 10 yrs ago... in both births got to hospital just in time to push, baby arrived within hlaf hour of turning up.. next tiem DEF having one!!!!!!!!

Original poster
Aero · 27/05/2004 16:29

cholestasis???? So you're going for another one then? Anyone out there with three wondering if they should even things up? Often wonder if dd (no.2)feels a bit left out but it's early days yet. Big bro is besotted with ds2.

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Original poster
Aero · 27/05/2004 19:21

No other home births today then?

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feezy · 27/05/2004 19:27

I had home birth with my 4th and it was the best experience ever and I wish I haddone it with all the others. I recovered more quickly aswell. The only downside was midwives and dh eating doughnuts and drinking coffee while I paced up and down. I love having 4 and it does even things out I suppose.

koo · 27/05/2004 19:39

I had my lovely ds2 on the living room floor during a planned homebirth. Very relaxed experience and totally do-able.

I stayed in my nightie for days and days afterwards just pottering about whilst friends and neighbours treated me like a very precious convalescent.

It was a really nice experience and ds1, after his initial surprise and delight to find a squirmy babe in the crib, took it all in his stride.

I don't think I'll have any more kids but I am so glad that I had this incredible life experience.

Original poster
Aero · 27/05/2004 20:43

Really wanted to have dd at home but got cold feet at the last minute and I live to regret that as the midwife who delivered her was awful (only one I've come across who is) and I found the whole experience so dreadful that I spent most of ds2's pregnancy worrying about the pain. What a waste of worry!! It's just so nice now to have such a positive birth experience.

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motherinferior · 27/05/2004 20:45

I had my second baby at home 11 months ago and it was totally, utterly amazing and the most wonderful thing I've ever done and reduces me to incoherent gibbering every time I think about it

Original poster
Aero · 27/05/2004 23:16

me too MI!:0

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Original poster
Aero · 27/05/2004 23:17

oops! Got that wrong - try again -

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prufrock · 28/05/2004 14:24

Cholestasis is a disease of pregnancy wher liver function is reduced. It causes a significantly higher rate of stillbirth in very late pregnancy, so if you have it you are advised to deliver between 36-38 weeks, which normally requires induction hence no homebirth.

rolymoly · 28/05/2004 19:27

Me too MI and Aero It makes me feel goo-y to think about it. But possibly I have a short memory as it is certainly not something I'd choose to do every day ...

Original poster
Aero · 28/05/2004 22:06

Thanks prufrock - that sounds awful so defo better to be in a place where you're in good hands.

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midden · 28/05/2004 23:20

Both my ds and dd were planned home births. Very very special experiences. Both times the lovely midwives took quite a back seat and just let me get on with it, not sure I could have done the same in hospital. Very empowering.

My only grievance was that when pg with my dd I was told not to expect a home delivery as there were too many women due in my area at the same time as me.

They refused to give me a "box" of equipment despite my previous quick labour, until I went to the head of midwifery and was then given one. End result was they had thrown it together and was minus the mask and tubing for my gas and air. (which I never got the chance to try with birth of ds - was saving it til the end then progressed too quickly)

Second time round I knew exactly which point to cry out for the stuff and couldn't have it! M/w got equipment sent down from hospital by taxi. My sister who had come desperate to see her niece be born ran out to meet the taxi and missed the birth by seconds!

Original poster
Aero · 29/05/2004 12:14

My sis was here too (she live here at the time) but I didn't want her to see me in pain and she felt uncomfortable too so sat on the stairs like an expectant father (of the old days). She made the all important phone call to our parents and all I heard was this excited squeal of 'it's a boy' from outside the door! She was in not long after that though to coo over new nephew.
re the entinox - it was leaking so mw sent for another which she couldn't get opened so went back to the leaky one for a swig or two but got fed up of it and just concentrated on the job in hand in the end. Didn't really need it as he was born within 7 mins of first swig!

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emmatmg · 29/05/2004 12:45

MI, Aero, etc etc, I'll join the wittering on about it club too.....anyone who'll listen will get my story regardless of how many times they've heard it already

I never in a million years thought I'd have one when PG with DS1, too messy, too painful and I simply didn't think I'd be able to do it so after DS2's surprise delivery, I was all for it again, DH wasn't so keen so our original plan was a the domino scheme but lovely community MW's said they'd talk DH through the whole process and show him all the homebirth equipment that they would leave here for me. He went along with it in the end although I doubt he was 100% happy about it.

If we were ever to have another baby, which is highly unlikely(my heart will always want another but my head says 'No Way' I wouldn't even concider a hospital birth and would choose a homebirth again in a heartbeat.

emmatmg · 29/05/2004 12:46

Don't know how that 2nd winky got there.

should be after ds1's birth not when pg with him

papillon · 29/05/2004 12:56

Our dd is 7 months old today!! and home birthed.

Really fantastic experience. I don´t like hospitals and wanted to be independent and not have the feeling I am not in control of my body and space, which is the feeling I get when I am in a hospital environment.

I spent alot of time by myself which I liked because I felt completely calm and had nobody in my face. Dh woke up in the early hours of the morning and was really supportive and relaxed as well. We really worked well together.

Midwife arrived to find I was fully dialated. Had a bath straight after the bath with dd. Then we got into bed and I really did not get out until 2.5 weeks later!!! Midwife orders

Original poster
Aero · 29/05/2004 14:16

happy to read all whitterings! Thanks for all replies.

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Beetroot · 29/05/2004 14:32

This reply has been deleted

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inkstigmata · 04/06/2004 11:55

copied from other homebirth thread:

I had dd1 and dd2 at home ? dd1 was born in a hired pool; dd2 would have been but - see below. For some reason the fears about "what if something went wrong" were always a lot littler for me than a profound desire to avoid being in the hospital. We didn?t tell people in advance of dd1 because we didn't want to field any concerned or dissuasive reactions.

With dd2 we had contingency plans for taking care of dd1 ? if labour happened in the night we proposed to just leave her in bed since she sleeps well and the room we were using for birth is three floors below dd1?s room. In the event, dd2 came very fast ? after a warning/false start late one evening, labour started full-on at 5am and dd2 was born at 6.40. In fact the midwife did not arrive in time and dh delivered dd2 himself (respect). dd1 rises at 7am and we?d just had time to call a friend to come around then and take her to her house for breakfast, but in the end that wasn?t necessary and dh got her up (a little later than 7) to meet her baby sister. Midwife arrived 5 mins after the birth to cut the cord and everything. By 8.30 midwife had gone and new family was all together having breakfast.

I thoroughly recommend home birth though I think I?ve been very lucky as I did not need assistance or pain relief either time. I recommend calling the midwife (and maybe a paramedic) immediately for second labour though. In fact, if we had been planning a hospital birth, I doubt we?d have got there in time.

PS the neighbours heard me having dd2

musica · 04/06/2004 11:58

I had ds in hospital and dd at home, and would thoroughly recommend homebirth - it was SO relaxed and easy - mw arrived 9:40, dd arrived 10:10. I would second the advice to call the mw straight away with a 2nd baby - dd nearly beat the mw in arriving. Ds went to the park with his friends (and dd's godmother) and when he arrived back we were all settled and happy. There was no separation as such, and he has had no problems with dd.

unicorn · 04/06/2004 12:06

I had an emergency homebirth for ds(2)... and it was absolutely fantastic...
largely because dd(1) was an awful hospital emergency C experience and I really wanted a vbac- but the hospital were reluctant..
Anyhow my little boy decided he couldn't wait to go to hospital.. so was delivered (just in time)by midwife on the hall landing!!!
I made loads of noise and felt completely in control- my territory etc..
Would recommend for any non complicated deliveries (and especially if you are a young thing- unlike myself!!)