I had two home births, with ds2 and ds3. With ds2, I intended to use a birthing pool - we hired one, and dh did set it up, when I’d been in labour for some hours - but when the midwife came and checked me, late in the evening, I was only 1cm dilated, so she suggested I had a bath and went to bed. She was sure I wouldn't be needing the pool for several hours (I have long labours), and told dh to empty it.
I had the bath she suggested, and dh and I went to bed, expecting to go to sleep, and for Labour to start up again properly the next day - but my labour really took off, and eventually we called the midwife out again, when I couldn’t bear it any more - I was actually in transition, but hadn’t realised it, because I was sure the midwife was right, and labour wouldn’t start ‘properly’ until the morning.
By the time she had arrived and had set up the gas and air, I was fully dilated, my waters went on the next contraction, and I had ds2 in two more contractions.
With ds3, we decided to go for a home birth again - despite the length of my labour, and the swiftness of the third stage, and despite us not getting to use the birthing pool, it had been a very positive experience, and I wanted the same for ds3 - but we decided not to bother with the birthing pool - it had been difficult to find one to hire back then (the mid 90s).
My labour started in the morning, when my waters went, but again, my labour was long - 20 hours in total. I hosted an NCT coffee morning while I was in labour, and did some baking in the afternoon, and then a friend who was training as an NCT antenatal class teacher arrived to observe the birth. Ds3 was born in the middle of the night - and like ds2, whilst most of labour went on forever, the final stage took less than 2 minutes.
He was actually born with a true knit in his cord - luckily it was loose - if he had managed to pull it tight, he would have died.
All in all, both my experiences of home birth were great - better than my experience of hospital birth. I was in labour 37.75 hours with ds1 - my waters went around 11pm, as dh and I were going to bed, and we were told I had to go straight in. Dh stayed with me through that night and the next day, while my labour continued very slowly, despite me going for walks, but when we headed into a second night, the antenatal ward staff sent him home. I was given paracetamol for pain relief, which did nothing, and then pethidine, which made me sleep between contractions - but I woke up again for every one, so it felt like the night was one long contraction, and I was all on my own, in a side room - it was a horrible night.
When they examined me in the morning - clearly believing that I had still not progressed at all overnight, the midwives were shocked to find I was 7cm dilated, so they hastily got dh back in, and dispatched me to the labour ward, but once there, things slowed right down again, and I was not fully dilated until 1pm, and I was pushing for another 90minutes - in the end, I had an episiotomy, as the senior midwife said that was the final option before a forceps delivery.
The home births were better experiences not because of the care I received - the care I was given in hospital was good, and the length of the labour was my body’s fault, not the midwives’ - and my subsequent labours were long too - 24 hours, and 20 hours - but it made such a difference being in my own surroundings whilst my labours went on (and on and on).
I’m happy to answer any questions you have, @Homebirthvirgin - and apologies for the essay!