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Childbirth

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

Original poster

Thinking about a home birth but ...

31 replies

bumbleweed · 20/10/2007 21:38

.... worried about having to go into hospital afterwards for stitches.

Anyone any experience of this?

My midwife says they can stitch a small tear but would need to go in in an ambulance for anything more.

I had a 2nd degree tear last time, and have been left with a ridge of scar tissue which is still sensitive 2 years later. Obviously concerned that less elasticity with the scar tissue so more risk of tear.

Due in 6 weeks.

OP posts:
97PercentGingerbread · 20/10/2007 21:39

Is it stitches in particular that you are worried about or just having to go into hospital for whatever reason?

Tangle · 20/10/2007 22:23

I had a homebirth with DD and had to transfer for stitches after a 2nd degree tear. What kind of info are you after?

Given the choice I'd rather not have had to have transfered in, but I'd still opt for a homebirth next time round.

Original poster
bumbleweed · 20/10/2007 22:25

reason for home birth plan is to avoid a very medicalised birth like I had last time where hospital procedures take over and one thing leads to another, and risk of infection etc

doesnt seem any point tho if there is a good chance of having to go in afterwards - worried that someone coming in after having a baby just needing stitches would be low priority and not get seen quickly, and whole trip would be uncomfortable and irksome with new baby in arms trying to establish feeding etc

OP posts:
Lio · 20/10/2007 22:26

The possibility of going into hosp post-birth for stitches wouldn't have been enough to put me off my home birth. I didn't want to be 'managed' by the hospital during the birth, although would have been quite happpy to go there afterwards if necessary, then come home again.

motherinferior · 20/10/2007 22:26

They'll stitch quite deep tears at home. I tore into muscle and was stitched at home. By the light of an angle-poise, as we hadn't got round to getting a torch. Oh, and it was my second birth after a vicious episiotomy first time round. I think you only go to hospital for really big serious stuff.

Original poster
bumbleweed · 20/10/2007 22:27

hi tangle - how long after giving birth did you go in? did you have to wait long for an ambulance? were you seen to quickly and treat well? did you take baby in with you? how long were you in for?

OP posts:
Original poster
bumbleweed · 20/10/2007 22:30

I dont want it to put me off - its just started bugging me, prob because I found the tear and stitches and after effects one of the most traumatic things about childbirth last time

I am thinking it would depend on which midwife ended up attending on how big a tear they were capable of stitching depending on their experience - mine said only a small tear. I think she was trying to put me off as she also warned me 'you realise you have to wait for an ambulance if you need to go in at any time during labour and that can take up to half an hour which is a long time if your baby is distressed or you are haemorraging'!

OP posts:
Tangle · 20/10/2007 23:22

I went in about 3 hours after giving birth. Ambulance took

Mintpurple · 21/10/2007 08:46

Hi Bumbleweed - please dont let the thought of having to go in for stitches put you off a homebirth, chances are good that any tear second time will be smaller than first time. Also, if the midwife can stitch a small tear then she can stitch a big one too, its more just a case of getting good access and light really, but if you can lie on the end of the bed and have 2 people hold legs up and a good light (have seen midwife in one birth centre using a lamp which fits on the head, like a miners lamp - looked crazy but worked well!) there should be no problem.

The rest about ambulance / transfer time etc is just rubbish designed to put you off hb.
We had a hb transfer into our labour ward for stitching of a really nasty tear which was beyond the m/w recently, and she was stitched, given some tea and toast and out again within the hour, so its not really a big deal, as long as there is not too much blood loss, and if there was, you would probably have been transferred in anyway.

So go for it, I dont think you will regret the hb, even if you do visit the hosp for an hour or so...

belgo · 21/10/2007 09:06

Tangle - you gave birth to your first baby in breech position at home? That's interesting, and unusual. Was it hard to find a midwife who would attend the birth?

kazbeth · 21/10/2007 12:06

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Lulumama · 21/10/2007 12:09

my friend had a homebirth for her 3rd, she tore in the same place as she had done for her previous two births, second degree tear.. and it was left to heal without stitches, and healed just fine.. so it is not neccesarily an issue..

FlameBat · 21/10/2007 12:11

I had what felt like embroidery done at home.

The thing is that you need a midwife who is qualified to do the stitching - I kicked up a stink until they got one who was qualified to come to me.

belgo · 21/10/2007 12:20

I was so lucky to have such an experienced midwifefor a homebirth, who supervised my stitiching very well. The student midwife who was present did the basic stitching, then another midiwife did the more complicated stitching, both being supervised by the midwife in charge. Interestingly she said that it's always best to stitch even the smallest tears.

Loopymumsy · 21/10/2007 20:12

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Tangle · 21/10/2007 22:29

Belgo - when we started talking to our NHS CMW about homebirth she raised so many potential (but very unlikley) complications, and brought up so many things that she didn't feel confident in (water birth, siting a Venflon...) that she completely destroyed our confidence in her as an attendant at the birth. By association, we had reservations about the other members of the CMW team and so decided to look at independent midwives.

I talked to 3 IMs, all of whom were happy to support a breech birth and perceived it as unusual (very useful word ) rather than abnormal. 2 of them agreed to share care and attended the birth.

Quite what our CMW would have said if we'd insisted on a home birth with a breech baby I dread to think...

kittywitch · 21/10/2007 22:34

Hmm, I had 2nd degree tears fro my first three vaginal births, one of those was at home too and I had no probs, infact it didn't need stitching as it was a neat tear.
The last hb needed no striches. I thought I would def have torn again but amazingly I didn't.
You can't really tell what will happen, but the midwives could stitch a 2nd degree tear at home.

belgo · 22/10/2007 06:52

Tangle - I suspect your independent midwives saw it as an invaluable learning experience for them. Breech births are so unusual that some midwives go through their whole training without seeing one.

I'm glad it worked out for you

Tangle · 22/10/2007 10:49

Belgo - one of the midwives is extremely experienced in breech babies, and the other has been working with her to gain experience. One of them also had a student assigned to her at the time who we met and was going to come, but she had a heavy cold when I went into labour and decided she wouldn't be very popular!

It worries me that so many professionals see breech birth as something to panic over. As you say, so few are now done that the skills are being lost. I haven't seen any good research to suggest CS is a safer mode of delivery for a breech baby per se, but it will become so if there are no midwives with suitable experience. Which is fine for known breeches, but worrying for those that are only identified during delivery

spookykitty · 22/10/2007 11:01

hi I had second degree tear with DD1 and like you have scar tissue, I had a homebirth with DD2 and was scared about the stitching again. I told all my MWs who might attend me in labour about my fears put it in my birth plan as well.

The MW who delivered me was great, she said she saw the scar start to go again so made me wait and do loads of panting and breathing and slowed everything down. I managed to give birth to 9lbs 3ozs DD2 with only a slight graze.

Original poster
bumbleweed · 22/10/2007 13:33

tangle, I really appreciate your giving such detailed response about your birth experience. you must be a brave person going for a breech home birth.

I feel enormously reassured by reading these home birth experiences including tears and stitches

I wish I could afford an independent midwife - some of the midwives I have met in the team do not inspire me with confidence, I feel they would be quite directive ... but then again I will feel more in control in my own environment

OP posts:
susie100 · 22/10/2007 14:01

bumbleweed - I can totally understand your concern. I found the stitching of my tear the worst part of my otherwise lovely 24hr labour at home. Had gas and air but found it unbelievably painful and uncomfortable and next time (if there is one) I want any stitching to be done with a spinal in hospital. Sorry - I am being negative I know but I wanted to give the other side of the story!!

ADragonIs4LifeNotJustHalloween · 22/10/2007 14:04

I had a 2nd degree tear repaired at home. It all depends on the MWs you get and how experienced they are.

Twitsthatgobumpinthenight · 22/10/2007 14:06

I had a coulpe of stitches at home, luckily the mw i had was one of the best at stitching. I didn't hear anything about being transferred in if stitches were needed. Good luck with whatever you choose.

ADragonIs4LifeNotJustHalloween · 22/10/2007 14:06

Susie, I think you'd be lucky to get anything bar a major repair done under a spinal.

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