Birth Planning

[Mummabug18]

Hellooooo! I'm 30+5 and have been looking into lots of options related to my birthing. Problem is, there is SO Many and I'm very open minded.

For context...
This is my 2nd and likely my last. With my DS I was in latent for 3 days at home, no problems. Left for hospital around 6pm and DS was here at 2.51am. I only had entinox to relieve pain and was cut off when I had to start pushing. Although it worked wonders for relieving pain, I had no idea that my waters had broken and was very woozy through pushing. I had an awful midwife who had no intention of letting me have the water birth I wanted. I struggled to keep going and DS had to be taken to resus (which I didn't know until later when another midwife told us). I will be making contact with Birth Afterthoughts at some point about it all but, regardless, I don't want a repeat and have this birth be as disappointing, if I can help it.

So I am currently stuck between sticking (if possible) with the zen, natural, home water-birth with my son there to greet his newborn brother
OR
Go in to hospital when ready and having an epidural in the hope that I can have a less painful, easier, mentally present birth.

We don't drive so I don't want to stress about getting to the hospital before it's too late for epidural and then risk not being strong enough to bring our son into the world.

Please help? 😵😩

I guess you could always plan a home birth, hire a brith pool and see how it goes? If you want you can always choose to transfer in and have the epidural

Transport is not a definite option. 999/111 would only transfer if urgent 😒

P.S. Also worried about the epidural being painful when inserted. Can anyone help me decide if I should even risk opting for one? TIA x

Had an epidural with DS1. DS2 arrived too quick and they brought it round as I was pushing. I had gas and air with both and it didn't touch the sides, didn't make me woozy, didn't touch the pain. Can't remember the epidural hurting the hardest thing was having a gap long enough between contractions for it to be inserted.

I think you're best to discuss with a midwife and with birth matters though. It's also hard to "plan" labour even when you've done it before. I'd always said there was no way I'd give birth without pain relief after DS1 but ended up having f to with DS 2 and it wasn't that bad after all. Does your trust offer continuity of carer? It's when you see the same midwife throughout antenatal, Labour and postnatal or is there a birthing centre local to you which gives you the best of both worlds? From reading your post it's sounds like you didn't have a good connection with the midwife which is why I asked about continuity of carer

So I had the same midwife for most of my 1st pregnancy and postnatal and have her again this time but she wasn't on duty the night I actually had DS1. The problem was that only 2 were on duty, one being the Midwife in charge and our SIL. SIL nor my husband and I were comfortable with SIL being there unless absolutely necessary which the MWIC was pissed about and seemed to have no intention of hiding the fact. If this situation was to occur again (however unlikely), I just wouldn't go in to hospital unless the baby was at risk.