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Childbirth

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

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Original poster

Home birth - question about doctor examining the newborn

29 replies

insywinsyspider · 24/07/2007 20:14

a question for all you experienced people out there (I've kind of asked it before but still not sure about the answer!)

am planning a home birth for number 2 - for ds was out of hosp in 6 hours, but was told I couldn't leave until doc had examined him so what happens in a home birth? do I have to take dc to hosp at some point or does GP visit asap after birth? am asking as well because thinking if I do transfer and want to go home asap after the birth how much attention do I have to pay to MW insisting baby is examined?? ie can I discharge at 2am and get GP to call by the next day like in a home birth? Hope that makes sense, I'm trying to work out all my options as determined not to have to say in hosp if all goes well, obviously a home birth is my first choice...

Finally - anyone had a Doula? I'm considering some having some continuity to my home care but have no idea, how do I find one? and how much do they cost?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

RubySlippers · 24/07/2007 20:15

no idea about the doctor thing
there are a few doulas on here - lulumama, hertsnessex etc
if you keep this bumped they should find you

NAB3 · 24/07/2007 20:15

I doubt you would be able to discharge yourself in the middle of the night! I also don't think you take the baby to hospital to be checked. I assume a MW does that and if there is a problem you would be referred, IWT.

Ceolas · 24/07/2007 20:16

The community MWs here can do baby checks if you've had a hb or discharged early. Might be worth checking if that's available to you.

When I came home less than 24 hours after my 3rd birth, the GP came to our house and did checks.

Can't comment on the doula though!

DobbyMOO · 24/07/2007 20:17

There was a thread on this last week, but basically either the GP can come out and do the check or some midwives are able to do them now. You can discharge yourself from hospital and ask the GP to do it, although that might meet some resistance from hospital staff.

You can find a doula here They usually cost £300-£500 for an experienced one or up to £150 for a trainee who may have some experience, just not be fully meeting the requirements for recognised doula status just yet.

lljkk · 24/07/2007 20:19

Check with your surgery; GP came to our house after DD born to examine her. GP mis-measured the head circumf. which HV noticed with a few "tut-tuts!" a few days later.

If you do get transferred I think you "can" discharge yourself and baby as soon as you like, but they would really put up a fuss about it.

1 of the best things about HomeB is not having to wait around for the hospital machinery to grind its cogs and approve your release...

liath · 24/07/2007 20:20

The midwives do a brief baby check after the birth. My GPs don't do newborn babychecks so we had to take ds to the hospital for this a few days after the homebirth. You may find that even if the GP does do newborn checks that they won't do a home visit but will expect you to bring baby to the surgery.

I had a post natal doula after my HB, she started the day after and was a huge help & support. Cost £15 an hour (ouch!).

HTH

Lilliput · 24/07/2007 20:23

After my home birth the community midwife who delivered ds had had additional training in the paediatric checks done on newborns. I was then lucky enough to have the GP call round aswell.
Where abouts are you, I am a trainee doula.

Original poster

insywinsyspider · 24/07/2007 20:24

thanks, like I said I have asked the question to you guys before but having baby brain and trying to remember everything!

NAB3 - if I have a straight forward birth in hospital I will be leaving as soon as I can, I didn't get married to do this on my own, I could be over reacting but breakfast in bed after my ds and support from my family was bliss and you don't get that on a postnatal ward (in case you think I'm nuts I would never put baby in danager they would always come first)

Cheers for Doula link DobbyMOO I'll check it out

OP posts:

Original poster

insywinsyspider · 24/07/2007 20:26

I took too long writting the post!

Lilliput - I live in warwickshire

OP posts:

PrettyCandles · 24/07/2007 20:28

I was due to have a HB and was told by the m/w that the GP would come out within 24h to check the baby. Though if the baby was born on Saturday she would come on the Monday. In the event I ended up in hospital. They said I had been bumped to the top of the list for the paediatrics check in the morning, as I wasn't meant to be there (was meant to be at home, obviously) and they wanted to let me go home asap - if I wanted to. But that day there were many paediatrics admissions through A&E and there was a shortage of paeds available for the pn ward. Several new parents decided to discharge themselves in frustration waiting for the paed. I'm fairly sure that they were made to sign waivers, and told to take the baby to the GP asap after they got home. I didn't discharge us, and eventually got the all-clear from the paeds (it took 3 of them!) and returned home late in the evening.

Original poster

insywinsyspider · 24/07/2007 20:33

PrettyCandles - I guess thats what I'm worried about is having to make that call that we're safe to go home, its a tough decision

OP posts:

mummyfixit · 24/07/2007 20:34

I had a homebirth and my GP came out to my home shortly after DS was born (MW had left by this point). All very easy, checked DS over, made sure I was okay and off he went again. Hope all goes well.

Angeliz · 24/07/2007 20:36

I had a homebirth for my third baby and my G.P's surgery were great.
My Doctor said that a G.P would come out probably the day following the Birth to examine the baby. If for any reason they couldn't make it, then i could either take him to Maternity ward or wait till G.P came and if i was worried to take him to Hospital.

As it happened. I had him and the G.P came out the next day. In and out in minutes.

Angeliz · 24/07/2007 20:37

Good luck whatever you do.
I had 2 lovely hospital births but the homebirth was so relaxing.

Beauregard · 24/07/2007 20:37

I had an unplanned homebirth and the community midwife came the following day to do checks.

PrettyCandles · 24/07/2007 21:03

It wasn't a scenario we were prepared for, but were I in those circumstances again I would have discharged us and gone to the GP the following day, or sooner if I had any concerns.

Hallgerda · 24/07/2007 21:13

I've had two home births. The GP came round the next day iirc to look at the baby. The midwives left once they'd done their job (there are generally two present at the actual birth).

DobbyMOO · 24/07/2007 21:24

The thing with discharging yourself from hospital is before you've had the paed check then it's really no different to being at home and waiting to see the GP. Plus all babies have a basic check at birth and if there are any obvious concerns then you will be told.

Original poster

insywinsyspider · 24/07/2007 21:50

thanks everyone - helping my choices be much more informed

OP posts:

flightattendant · 25/07/2007 05:33

Ah sorry to put a downer on it! But I had a planned home birth 6 weeks ago, and I was asked afterwards to take the baby in to be checked by the paediatrician at the hospital! They were utterly insistent, it was awful because there was no way I was up to it (it HAD to be within 72 hours - government thing apparently) and despite me and even my mother, begging them to send out a GP, they refused to.
In the end, we just didn't turn up. We haven;t got a car and there was no one who could take us on a weekday, we were going to get the bus but I just collapsed in tears before we left as I couldn't face a crowded, smelly bus with a 3 day old baby and DS (4).

Eventually after loads of people ringing up and demanding we explain ourselves, plus having it scrawled all over my notes that I was a 'DNA' - did not attend, they hate those - I went the following monday when baby was 6 days old. (I felt guilty about being a bad mum).

We did go on the bus. It was not fun. But atleast they did all the hearing, PKU etc. in one go.

I was SO angry that they made us do that. Hopefully your PCT isn't like ours (Kent) and you'll get someone out. I think it was our practice that doesn't do home checks.

flightattendant · 25/07/2007 05:35

BTW I was very proud of DS2, who weed all over the paediatrician

That's my boy

oxocube · 25/07/2007 07:04

My GP called within about 4 hours to check my son

geekgirl · 25/07/2007 07:24

my GP also came out the day after ds was born

(have to add that I feel completely cynical about the whole thing - dd2 was checked over by a neonatologist at the hospital following a home birth, who managed to miss both the fact that she has DS and a major heart defect )

Loopymumsy · 25/07/2007 09:36

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

NineUnlikelyTales · 25/07/2007 09:54

Flightattendant I am really sorry you had such a horrible experience. The NHS really knows how to look after newborn babies and mothers who have just given birth I was really ill after DS and was given appointments for both of us - nothing remotely urgent for DS at least - starting 2 days after discharge from hospital where I had been for a fortnight. I don't have a car either and there was no bus, so I had to walk nearly 2 miles each way.

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