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Childbirth

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

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Original poster

can you have a homebirth on the NHS?

37 replies

vnmum · 16/01/2007 17:46

i am TTC at the moment, maybe even pG now, and am weighing up my options for childbirth. after reading some of the horror stories on here and else where about the NHS i am really considering wanting a home birth but am not sure if i could afford to go private. does anyone know if they are available on the NHS and if not has anyone any other ideas for me?

OP posts:

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Bozza · 16/01/2007 22:01

Actually if you want to know the midwife who will be assisting you in labour you would need to go private even for a hospital birth. DS was born in hospital and I had never met the midwife. DD was born at home and although she wasn't my midwife I had met her a couple of times, once when she was the duty midwife checking up on me after the birth of DS, and coincidentally she had covered for my midwife at my antenatal appointment on the Thursday prior to DD's birth on the Saturday. The assisting midwife (arrived after the birth but my fault for ringing late) was one who had done some of the antenatal classes I attended when pregnant with DS.

Lwatkins · 17/01/2007 03:30

What about gas and air at a homebirth, does this come free on the nhs or do you have to pay for it?

geekgrrl · 17/01/2007 06:46

of course you get g&a free on the NHS.
I've had a horrible hospital birth followed by private and NHS home births (and did actually have my community midwife here for the home birth) and the provision, other than the guaranteed continuity of care with a private midwife, was exactly the same.
Actually, when I had the NHS homebirth I had two midwives there, with the private one it would have been just one person (as it turns out it was none as the midwife got stuck in traffic but that's another story...).

Original poster

vnmum · 17/01/2007 10:29

thanks everyone. ive been researching the local hospitals and there is a midwife led unit near windsor for if i cant persuade DH to let me have a homebirth. hes very wary as he has a bit of a phobia about complications and something happening to me or baby.

when i move and am pregnant i will have a look around the hospitals just to make my mind up really but i am definately going to ask for a home birth. both main hospitals in the area are happy to do them so i cant see a problem if my pregnancy is straight forward.

im abit apprehensive how i'll cope with the pain as i had an epidural last time after induction, but i suppose if i really cant cope i'll have to abandon the home birth and head for hospital but hopefully if i get a supportive MW or a doula they may help me to stick it out

OP posts:

feetheart · 17/01/2007 10:42

Being at home can often lessen the perception of pain as you are comfy and relaxed in your own environment. I only felt that I needed G&A in the last 15-20mins and that was just to take the edge of things.
The pleasure of getting into your own bath and then your own bed after the birth can not be underestimated. That and having your DH make you omlette and hot choc after everyone has gone home - wonderful
Also, I think most men are much more unsure about homebirth's, I know mine was. What reassured him I think was that IF anything was wrong it would take less time in an ambulance to get us to hospital/theatre than if we had been on a ward! Flashing lights etc can get you somewhere very fast!

mygirllolipop · 17/01/2007 10:43

Message withdrawn

Judy1234 · 17/01/2007 11:18

Yes they have to let you give birth at home. I had a private mid wife for mine and we planned the twins to be born in hospital as it was twins. One was born at home. Then because I chose to we went to hospital for twin two and I had an epidural there. It was all fine. With the first 3 children they were born in hospital. I wanted a home birth with baby no. 1 I was only 22 and did not easily insist and we compromise on a 6 hour transfer - so she was born that morning and we came home 6 hours later which was good too. Less chance of picking up super bugs!! Hospitals are very dangerous places.

motherinferior · 17/01/2007 11:49

My partner was very anti home birth. I just ignored him.

maewest · 17/01/2007 16:24

I took my partner along to a homebirth group where women talked about their experiences of hb - good and not so good. It was this that really changed DH's mind about having our baby at home (our first). Also doing NCT antenatal classes. In fact he got so into it that he was boring people senseless for weeks after the birth .

My community midwife was initally not very supportive of homebirth (to be fair I think she saw it as 'being realistic' rather than negative), but I just quietly insisted as she couldn't come up with any medical reasons why not. She ended up being the second mw at the birth and delivered the baby.

Goodasgold · 17/01/2007 20:47

Check which hospital the mv led birthing unit would transfer you to if there were things that they could not deal with. Some don't offer epidurals. There is a mv led unit near us but their hospital is about 30 miles away.
Even in a mv led unit you will need to get up and dressed to go home, at home you can use your own bath then get into your own bed. Super.

charleymouse · 18/01/2007 13:43

Hi I had a first baby at home and DH was not keen until the first midwife I asked said "obviously the safest place to have your baby is at home." This helped sway him somewhat.

In my area I met all the community MW that might be on call so it would be very unlikely for me to have a stranger deliver my baby. Also my MW made herself more available when it was likely I might give birth as she was pro HB and they actually seem to quite enjoy it as they don't get that many.

I had the gas and air and associated bits and pieces eg clamp for cord, gloves, absorbent mats, Syntometrine for third phase in the fridge (it stayed there) delivered 2 weeks before my due date.

I would thoroughly reccomend a hombirth and afterwards my MW said if I had been in hospital I would have had an intervention as at one stage I had not met the hospital time criteria for progression. She said a lot of intervention is done as you do not meet time targets but as long as you and baby are okay then there are no time limits at home.

I managed with 2 paracetomal and a TENS machine as I was so focussed and relaxed at home. DD was 7lb 15oz and I had a minute internal graze.

HTH good luck with TTC

cheritongirl · 19/01/2007 09:12

forgot to mention on my post that it was also a waterbirth when i had my ds at home - would really recommend this but be aware that lots of community midwives may not be happy delivering a water baby - again i was just lucky that i had a midwife who was fully trained in it and had given birth in water herself!

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