Considering a Home Birth can anyone help?

[minnierose3]

Hi, so sorry for long post!! I'm posting here as don't really know who to talk to about this! I've just very recently found out I'm pregnant with my 3rd baby, it's a little sooner than we'd anticipated so I'm still taking it all in at the moment!

Anyway, since having my DC2 Ive been thinking about how id really like to have a home birth. Just to give you a bit of background my DC1 birth was pretty bad, long drawn out back-to-back labour, sent back from hospital twice as not far enough along, i had every drug going and had an epidural in the end, I didn't want to originally but by 35+ hours I was just so exhausted I couldn't take much more! DC1 heart rate dropped/changed(? - can't remember it was all a bit blurry) and we ended up in theatre, as a precaution in case c-section needed eventually it was a forceps birth. Big baby almost 10lb

DC2, no way I was going through the being sent back home thing again so stayed at home as long as I physically could 😩 went to hospital and could barely walk haha I was 8 cm dilated and baby was born 2.5 hours after arriving in hospital, we went to a consultant led unit (previous traumatic birth and baby expected to be big) but no consultant intervention, just 2 midwives (1 + 1 student) placenta wasn't delivered and they did say if it didn't come soon id need to go to theatre, eventually it did. I lost blood and was on iron tablets for 7 days
Another 10lb baby!!

Anyway, after dc2 born the midwives said I could be discharged straight away or at least be back home that day (it was about 4pm) but due to staffing/time of day it ended up being over 24 hours before I actually could go home ☹️ I know the NHS are overstretched and they were all amazing but it was so frustrating! Had DC1 at home with DM and then MIL and DH coming and going as and when they had to work/go

My question is, would I even be able to have a home birth based on my history? Is it too much of a risk? Who can I talk to about my options if local midwife not keen? What is it actually like? As in where were your other children while you were in labour? I would want my DH there but not necessarily anyone else....

I can already imagine the local midwife not going for this idea based on my experience of her the last two times!! And my mum will just think I've gone mad, I'm not even sure she'll be that happy when I tell her I'm expecting a third child never mind considering a home birth!!!

Any advice / word of wisdom welcome. Ps we are 30 mins from hospital althought that can be up to 45 in traffic

Thank you!!! Xx

You can give birth where ever you want so don't let the midwife tell you you can't have a home birth.

Do your own research into the risks and outcomes and only them can you make your own informed decision.

I had a home birth and it was amazing but I was blue lighted in with a pph after the birth. I still wouldn't change my home birth though. I had done my research and planning.

Congratulations Minnie, hope the pregnancy is going well! I too had a homebirth and really really positivr experience, wouldn't have it any other way. I'm not sure what the midwives will say based on your previous experience but no harm asking.
I had hubby there throughout and my son was in the next room, mainly slept through the whole thing!
I only ever told my DH about the home birth as I didn't want anybody putting me off it! I knew mum/rest of family would have been against it and really didn't want the hassle
First was born in a hospital, took gas and air and Pethadine but nothing at home(through choice)
I really would recommend it wholeheartedly
Best of luck whatever you decide

Thanks for your replies guys! I'm going to speak to my midwife at my appointment, it's still early days. Obviously baby being born safely is my priority but this is something I am keen to explore x

That sounds lovely @aswad x

I had all mine at home, even though my first was a 10lber. I was high risk and under consultant led care. He was luckily very understanding and though I had to have two weekly scans in the 3rd trimester, he was supportive of my HB plans when it was clear I wasn’t having an even larger baby.

I had a home birth with no2. Reasonably straight forward birth eith no1 - I was induced and bled a lot afterwards and on the verge of a transfusion.
Much more relaxed at home and therefore easier. Placenta didn't arrive straight way but a walk upstairs helped.

I think you would be fine for a home birth. May be look at booking in with your caseloading midwifery team as they would be most supportive.

Do you @sarahani? I don't even know what caseloading midwife team is?!

They are the home birthing midwives!

It's an amazing service, they hold a caseload of women (usually around 40 each for the year) from booking in to discharge. Home births are they're speciality but regardless, you see the same midwives all the way through.

I've been caseloaded in both pregnancies and even had the same midwife with mine. Didn't have a home birth with either in the end due to complications in labour but I had a awful first birth with sepsis, PPH, forceps and they were totally support of a home birth for my second.

Sarahani that must depend on area. Where I am on Scotland it’s our community midwives that attend homebirths. Mine is really excited by the idea and seems to love being on duty for the birth of one of the ladies she’s seen all the way through. She’s very practical though and advised against last time as I was at slightly elevated risk of a PPH and since my veins are so rubbish she’d had to use a butterfly needle to take my bloods she did say basically ‘I can’t stop you having a homebirth but please don’t make me have to put a cannula in you in an emergency’ which I though was reasonable! All low risk so far this time so it’s looking like the homebirth plan is on. I’m your circumstances you need to find someone who is generally supportive of homebirths but understands your medical history enough to advise. Not sure who that would be.

If you're seeing the same midwife all the way through it will mean you're caseloaded. They are still community midwives but deliver babies as well as provide usual antenatal/postnatal community care. Its the ideal in terms of maternity care really.

There's been big changes in service delivery in Scotland to caseloading in recent years, so you're very lucky up there, they are fought over in England!

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/uk-scotland-38690582

Thank you @sarahani, well the last 2 times I've seen the same midwife the whole way through so I think it must be caseloaded, I'll have to have a proper chat with her when I see her, she is lovely but not sure shell be keen on the idea, may be wrong though.

Thanks @sarahani I didn’t realise that was unusual. I have to say I feel very lucky with my midwife but really feel for people stuck with the awful one in the next village along - sadly can’t choose who would be on call out of the community midwives in the day.
We are also so short of midwives that all the local MLUs including the one at the main hospital are currently closed - so the system would be good if we had enough people to staff it!

Your first birth sounds almost identical to mine! Back to back, went on for hours, pethidine, epidural etc.

Anyway.. I don’t see why you can’t have a home birth. If something happened they would transfer you anyway, how far are you from the hospital? Is the pregnancy going well?