Has anyone had a homebirth?

[34weeksAndCounting]

Would love to hear your positive homebirth stories :-)

I've had 4 homebirths, 3 of them water births, no pain relief other than the water as I felt in control despite my last being 10lb 5 and back to back 😂 each has been a positive experience where I felt fully supported

Name changed as outing.

I've had 3 home births out of 4.

My first was in 2006. It was the day before my due day and TH and I took DS1 to a local train fayre. I remember riding the mini steam train round the park!
I went home and starting having contractions at 9pm.

Called the midwife at midnight. DH got the pool set up and DS2 was born in the pool, still in the caul, at 6.20 am.

My next homebirth was 2008. It was Dec 23rd and at about 8pm I started having contractions. I called my mum who came round with my sister and I wasn't having a birthing pool this time.

I soon wanted water relief so my mum ran me a bath but I couldn't get comfy so I got out after about 5 minutes!

Midwives called at 2am and DD came into the world like a bloody bullet on the couch at 6am Christmas Eve morning.

And my final homebirth...

I was 39+5 And I had an appointment at the sirestadt for my term checkup. The midwife was someone who attended my previous birth and I explained I was having niggles for a whole week and could I please please have a sweep. She said she would try.

So at 12.30pm at a routine appointment she examined Me, did an uncomfortable sweep and when she finished she smiled and said 'well I know what all those niggles were...you were 5cms! I've just stretched you to 6!'

My pains started immediately though they were very mild. It took me 30 mins to waddle home with DH.

At 2pm he put the pool up and called midwives who wanted to go home because my pains were so slight.

He was born at 4pm after my contractions only kicking in properly 20 mins before!

I was very lucky to have 3 such wonderful experiences and I really wish I could do it again!

@cakeymccakington oh my goodness.... it sounds very scary but I guess when you're in the situation you don't get time to be scared!! I bet your husband was terrified though, I think my husband would have been, although he is so chilled and thinks it would be absolutely fine..... oh my!

@lampert brilliant!! I have joined that group too and loved reading all the posts but recently have come off Facebook, I've tried to join from my husbands account but not sure they'll accept a man 😂

@Lollipop30 isn't back to back more painful to deliver with baby facing upwards? My 1st was sped along as well, the doctor and midwife had an argument in front of me, the doctor was saying we need to get this baby out, the midwife said give her a chance she's only just started pushing, the doctor said I want to speak to you outside immediately, the midwife refused, obviously all of this made me soooooo chilled and relaxed 😂 then I had an episiotomy, the doc said the midwife didn't cut enough.. twice! So I had 3 cuts, argghhhh!

Thank you for this thread. In a weird way, it's making me quite excited about another homebirth.

I am loving reading all these stories!!! I am weirdly excited too @Fannyfanakerpants

I hated my first labour in hospital. Although, there's no way i could have coped with that particular back to back labour at home and without the epidural I ecentually ended up with. I hated being stuck in hospital, have doctors talk about me like my ears didn't work, overworked anaethesists snapping at me when I said my epidural had stopped working and asking me what was wrong with it. Errrrrm, I work in IT, got no idea.

My second labour was also back to back but i actually got regular contractions almost right away. Was so nice being at home. Although I mainly remember at transition/crowning stage stating that there was no way i was pushing and risking pooing on my living room floor and my midwife telling me I had no choice otherwise I'd be pregnant forever. Was so nice to have a shower in my own house and eat my own food afterwards. The midwife even unpacked my Ocado order that we didn't have time to cancel and arrived shortly after DS2 did.

I’ve had three. One was a VBAC the other two were at home and one C section (nothing to do with the home birth she came earlier).

All were fine, no problems and wouldn’t change a thing.

I had an unplanned home birth with my second (wanted a homebirth but the dads panicked 🙄). Even though it was unplanned & a bit hectic I am planning one again this time. The paramedics were wonderful, the midwives were wonderful & the relief of being able to crawl my ass into my own bed afterwards was pure bliss!

I had my first in hospital. It should have been very straight forward but was very mismanaged (the midwife refused to believe I was in established labour as it was my first...). I had my other two at home and it was amazing. No pain relief other than the water (birthing pool). Very calm and empowering and wholeheartedly recommend. Good luck!

@34weeksAndCounting

Supposedly back to back is more painful but I found it the other way round as I was more chilled at home. I had no pain relief for either DD2 or 3 but needed loads for DD1 who was right side up but in hospital.

Had a homebirth with my first. Mostly went well and I’m glad I did but I did have an episiotomy at home (a small one apparently ) so I guess I just wanted to point out it doesn’t mean that midwives will be completely hands off/no interventions. I still wonder if it was entirely necessary but I had been pushing a while, DS’s heartbeat dropped once (and then went back to normal) so they wanted to get him out. I guess the other option would have been transferring so I think it was best.
Still very pleased with how it went overall (despite everyone except midwives telling me I wouldn’t be able to do it for my first) and like PPs have said, being able to get in my own shower and bed and order pizza afterwards was amazing!
I’m very nervous about the prospect of doing it again with a second. More so than last time. Which is odd; I think I’ve got a proper sense of how high the stakes are now I’ve got a DC.
Good luck OP!

@ActuallyIdo thank you!!! Love that you ordered pizza after! Yum! Haha, think something like that will have to be on our agenda 😏 yes I know what you mean about having a child already, as you have to factor them in to everything!!! Hoping my boys sleep through 😝

We ordered pizza too after DC1! Had runny egg all day breakfast after DC2, in a cafe when she was 12 hours old before we collected DC1 from school. He’d had a sleepover at my mum’s when I realised labour was starting.

My third was a home water birth and was the calmest and quickest of the three. Having my own bed and bathroom afterwards was bliss!

Like a previous poster, I reached a point where I needed the older two children gone and gone NOW! DD was born 17 minutes after they left (and before the second midwife and student arrived).

Thank you for this thread. It's making me quite excited about a home birth for our second. I had my first in a midwife led birthing unit. It should have been very straight forward but was very mismanaged (the midwife refused to believe I was in established labour as it was my first and I almost had our daughter on the floor in the corridor).

The one question I have after reading everyone’s home birth posts and positive experiences is what region each lives? We are East Hertfordshire, and have no experience of the maternity services in this area.

@Brox
I’m in South Oxfordshire. I really rate the midwifery service I received. Every single midwife I met before, during and after I had DS was lovely, so supportive of my desire for a home birth and amazing at helping us with breastfeeding!

@34weeksAndCounting sorry for the delayed response, no I wasn't expecting to go over at all as DD1 was on time!! I'm now at 40+5, the pool is still up and ready but I'm getting a bit worried I'll end up being induced at this rate which I really don't want

This is a great thread... it makes me want a third!

@PurplePoppySeed can you decline being induced? I'm sure I've read about people doing that as long as baby is still moving and happy

I went to 42 weeks - that was a Thursday. I really, really wanted a HB again. MW gave me until the Monday and I was going in to be induced.

5 sweeps, and running about at sports Day she came that evening in a rush. It was a bit touch and go as to whether the MWs were going to get to me (Friday rush hour in London). They warned me that there’s a greater chance of being blue-lighted in to hospital.
She came out in an hour, born in the sac, in my bedroom. For all it’s speed, it was a beautiful gentle birth for us both.

The MWs tea hadn’t even gone cold and they were done. It was wonderful.

My top tip is to put clean sheets on the bed, cover with plastic decorating sheets, towels and old sheets. Have your baby, have a shower, MW whips off top layer, you get into clean sheets, with new baby, tea in your favourite mug, and some hot buttered toast.

If I wasn’t so old and had so many DCs already I could do it again. I hope you all have wonderful births. And if it doesn’t go how you hoped, Holding that newborn is the best moment in life. Wishing you all the very best xx

What region do you live in? Would be really interesting to know which counties have supportive midwife services for homebirth.

Brox - not sure if you were asking me or the OP but going to jump in anyway Because I think it’s an interesting question! I was in SW London and had a choice of hospitals Chelsea/St George’s and Kingston I think it was (was 10 years ago). St G’s were very pro HB, Chelsea & Westminster wouldn’t support it. Same area. Thing is, I was with C&W but felt they wouldn’t commit to a HB and gave me a ‘let’s see what happens’ but had told a friend of mine categorically ‘no’. I switched hospitals. But this was DC3 so I was a bit more clued up by then.

Thank you for the response. I think it’s an interesting debate if that’s the right word (I’m not sure), which counties or even boroughs will support and which won’t. Seems like a bit of a postcode lottery.