Can I suddenly opt for a home birth?

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So I'm due to give birth next week and my hospital I've just read has shut most of the wards due to a virus outbreak.

I want to avoid as I know dp would wonder off and get ill and then pass it on to our 11 month old dd and then myself and our newborn ds. I also think maybe I'd be better at home as dd is taken care of etc. But is it too late notice if I need a midwife etc? It's the closest hospital to me and I really don't want to risk my family ill.

I can't understand why your partner would be stalking other wards of the hospital. In most hospitals I've ever been in, that would not be physically possible, even if someone was bizarre enough to try it. Wards have a closed entry and you need to have a reason to be there. Why do you think he would do that? And would it not be simpler to ask him not to, rather than to turn your preparations upside down, without enough time for adequate risk assessment or without any regard to what you actually want?

Most maternity wards in any case are seen as "clean" wards in hospitals; patients there in the very large part don't have infectious diseases so it's a different area than a medical ward for example.

But really I'm baffled at the very idea. Could you explain a little more your thinking? Hugely relevant to any home birth decision is your own medical history and risk profile.

I'm under no risks this pregnancy. An ill explain the situation, the hospital is laid out very strange and labour ward and delivery ward place is all together with the other wards.
Now the toilets in the delivery suits the dh's aren't allowed to use as there's one shared between two women. So he was not allowed to use them and told he needed to go to x one on the wards. It's mental to me because he had to keep going out to go for a wee etc. He doesn't just randomly stalk wards.
But they provide no hot drinks etc so he has to go to the shop if he needs anything in the hospital. Which to get to is through the wards.

Of course you can have a homebirth. Ask your midwife to go through the process with you

Yes you can. It sounds like the best decision for you.

I'd get on the phone to your midwife asap. I opted for a homebirth and you have to fill out a form and then you have two midwives come out and do a risk assessment of your home and they will brief you on it. This is to check for things like parking - will the midwives be able to park on your street? Access to your house (if they need to transfer you to hospital), they may need help from your OH to bring some of their kit into your home etc... once it has been approved, your form will then go to the Labour ward at the hospital so that when you call in they are aware that you are a planned homebirth and the on call midwives will be able to get your form. The only pain relief you can have is G&A and if your baby passes meconium (which mine did), it is an emergency transfer to the hospital.

Just some things to consider, but if you'd like to opt for a homebirth I would say get on the phone today. X

Yes, definitely. I’ve had two home births (though both well planned that way from the start). But in our area you’re asked when you first call the labour line in labour where you’d like to birth and you can still opt at that point to have a midwife sent out to you to birth at home. Obviously it’s much easier when you’ve done a bit of planning but yes, I’d ask your midwife straight away.