Has anyone had a home birth?

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If so, what was it like? Would you recommend it?

Best experience of my life. Lovely and calm. Had a water birth. Nice and easy, 3 hour labour, 8lb 9oz baby boy. I did a hypno birthing course before hand and that helped keep me calm.

That’s so lovely to hear, thank you for sharing! I’m definitely going to try a hypno birthing course as well.

If it’s in the next few months. check if it’s an option (corona). One of my friends wasn’t able to have hers, but she would recommend them- it was going to be her third!

I think you getting a midwife for the whole time is really valuable, and something you don’t get in hospital.

I've had two. Both amazing experiences and genuinely pain free thanks to hypnobirthing. My husband delivered the second as the midwife didn't arrive in time!

I was booked in for a home birth but couldn’t go ahead as I needed to be induced. I was very lucky I wasn’t able to have one, as my cervix didn’t dilate properly and I needed an emergency C Section.

I have had a hospital birth and a home birth. The home birth was so much more relaxed and I felt so much more in control.

I was blue lighted in after the birth, and that was managed really well, and all was ok. It was a PPH for me and baby was absolutely perfect.

If you are low risk, it really is a great experience.

Amazing experience here too. It was very calm, and above all, it was so nice to get straight into my own bed after giving birth.

Yes. It was lovely and relaxing.

But it was my second and first had been quick and easy, so I was reasonably confident I could cope (obviously no guarantees as all labours potentially different).

Also we live very near the hospital, so wasn't too worried about delay if I needed to transfer in.

Had third in hospital but only for logistical reasons. If hadn't had MIL in house looking after dc1 & 2 would have done it again.

Yes it was lovely. I’d already had 3 uncomplicated hospital deliveries so I was as confident as possible that we’d be okay.

In the event I had a total of four midwives with me at the time baby arrived (shift changing plus student) which was a lovely change to delivering in an understaffed hospital.

But yes, the best bit was going in my own shower and my own clean bed afterwards and DH bringing me nice food.

Ours is a new build and we’d not been in it long when DS was born. Since then FiL has died here after a short illness. It really feels like our roots are here now. I love that DS sleeps in the room where he was born.

I had planned a home birth, started off at home, had the birthing pool up which was lovely and relaxing. Waters broke 9am Sunday morning, by 5pm Monday I was exhausted (back to back baby) only dilated 6cm and had been the same for over 8 hours and my midwife started to worry about infection risk. I decided myself to be transferred into hospital (my husband drove me). I had some pain relief and a drip to move on the labour and my baby was born at 1am Tuesday. I don't regret any part of the experience at all, I would have had to go into hospital anyway as my baby was jaundice and I had suspected sepsis and my baby had to have antibiotics and tests etc. Hospital wasn't bad at all and as a first time mum I actually liked being able to ask questions and have feeding support but was lovely to stay at home as long as possible and I wanted to get home ASAP as I wasn't keen on the wards. Luckily I actually had the whole ward to myself the first night!

When I was planning a home birth my biggest worry was needing to be transferred into hospital but it was fine. I'd plan another home birth again.

I had a homebirth last year for my first, it was amazing, I look back with such fond memories, it was the best day of my life. 6 hours from waters going to birth, such a rush to fill the pool, my husband was pouring kettles of water one end while I kneeled are the other. we had 4 midwives and a student at one point because it was moving along quite speedily, they only got to mine at 5pm and I had her at 6.30pm. Baby came out calmly in the water with her arm by her face so 3rd degree tear meant I went in to hospital for surgery. We had 5 hours at home with cake before making our way to hospital. I had trouble feeding so I stayed in for 3 days to establish BF which I managed to, I wouldn't have been able to do that at home and would have almost certainly swapped to formula had I not had round the clock midwife support on the ward.

So I had best of both worlds I think.

With my first I laboured at home 9pm one night to around 6pm next night. I enjoyed my home labour and loved being at home. Unfortunately I didn't get pushing contractions so had to go in to hospital, I ended up with an EMCS, long story but things went wrong in various ways. My time in hospital was very traumatic.

For my second I had an independent midwife, I didn't want to go into hospital after my previous bad hospital experience. Everything went well at home and I had a beautiful home birth. As another poster said, it's bliss being able to have your own bed, food and shower etc. That's way better than being stuck in hospital. To me there's no comparison, to give birth at home was so much better.

I had one hospital birth followed by three homebirths. I was very low risk for all of them and had three uncomplicated, fast deliveries. It was fabulous and far more relaxed than my hospital experience.

It's not for everyone though and I think if you go ahead it is quite important to keep an open mind about pain relief (which is v. restricted at home) and to be happy to be transerred if required. Whatever you decide I hope it all goes well for you.

When it goes well it's wonderful, when it doesn't it's disastrous. You need to weigh up what your risks are and make a decision based on facts,

Water birth at home with Ds2. From my end, reasonably stress-free and fairly quick. DH found it harder as he was responsible for keeping the water temp right and was running back and forth a bit. The actual birth was virtually pain free and I would do it again.

Shame I dropped a huge clot in the shower afterwards and had to go to hospital for a synto drip, because that finished at 11pm I had to stay overnight in the postnatal ward which was horrendous.

Planned homebirth/pool with lovely homebirth team.

Got home birth. No pool.
No midwife. DD was speedier than expected It's a personal choice and you have to weigh up risks/benefits for your individual scenario.

Will definitely ask for HB with second if we have one, and the midwife from my first had recommended it (and promised they won't leave me next time!)

I’ve had 3. The first one wasn’t planned, just a very quick baby😂. But even though he came so quick I felt so calm being in my home that I had another 2. They were really enjoyable, I felt very relaxed and at home. I would recommend it.

Yes, planned HB with DS2. Best night of my life and would do it all again in a heartbeat. Hypnobirthing, TENS machine and pool. The only thing I'd say is that I used my (mostly negative) experiences from DS1 to make the second time round so much better. Hypnobirthing was easier to understand and prepare for having been through labour once before. I wouldn't have coped well with a HB for my first.

Planned a home water birth with my second. DS arrived faster than the pool could be filled and was born on the floor next to it!
One midwife arrived around 15 minutes before the birth, the second around 45 minutes after. I was happy in my bubble but I think DH was probably quite stressed as he was trying to fill pool, control water temperature, answer door to MW, check DD was still asleep upstairs etc.
I'd do it all again and would recommend it if your pregnancy is low risk etc.

I have had 2 and both were amazing experiences much better than my hospital births. I do however live a stones throw from the hospital and could have been there in minutes had I needed to be. I also had labours of under 2.5 hours which made things easier

Yes. #2 Home water birth. Absolutely perfect both.
#1 was also a water birth at a birthing centre

DS3 was a planned home birth 22 years ago. It remains one of the most wonderful experiences of my life. It was just perfect.

One hospital, one home birth. The home birth was wonderful, very relaxed, felt totally safe and looked after. care from two lovely midwives and a student throughout, whereas in hospital different midwifes had been popping in and out and there was no real continuity.

Yes, 3rd baby at home. Best ever experience. Still bad labour in terms on pain, and got stuck in transition, but otherwise went well.

Brother and sister seeing baby brother at 1 minute old was precious. Two midwives all to myself.

I had DD 2 at home. It was a fabulous experience. I'd had an awful birth with DD1 in hospital and I wanted to avoid a repeat of that. DD2's birth is the single most empowering experience I've ever had.