Precipitate labour -where to birth? Home birth experiences?

[mummabear18]

Hi all, looking for some POVs / shared experiences. I’m currently pregnant with number two, it’s early days but the signs so far are positive 🥳

With my son I had a very quick labour, so I was told, and I’m now unsure as to whether I should be pursuing the birth centre again or looking to a home birth. I’m 32 this time (previously 30) and also low risk. With my first I had a water birth. 1st stage of labour (4-10cm and active labour) was 1hr 34m and 2nd stage (pushing to in arms) was 25m.

It was a very distressing birth (as I recognise most are); for me it was because it all happened so quickly, the midwives wouldn’t listen and kept telling me I didn’t know my body/the signs and as a first time mum I’d be labouring for at least 8 hours 😑😑
I live 22m from the closest hospital.

What would you do in my position? I’ve heard home births are safe for low risk and can even be safer for subsequent pregnancies as there is less ‘reach’ for interventions but I worry the midwives may not make it in time and that their travel to me is out of my control...is this unfounded?

Any experiences of at home births and your experiences?

Grateful for any thoughts

I had numbers 1 and 3 at home, 2 and 4 in hospital. I loved my home births, I was more relaxed and the midwives seemed to enjoy being able to focus on 1 person. In your place I’d definitely request a home birth.

I had a home birth with a hypnobirth and loved it. If you haven't already, check if your hospital does a 'meet the matron', mine does and I spoke with a midwife about my traumatic hospital birth, including a run-down of all procedures I had and why they happened. It really helped me with my choice to home birth

I had my second at home - similar first birth so planned second birth at home. Husband delivered ds as midwife and ambulance didn't make it on time. Definitely wouldn't have made it to hospital though! I was much happier at home than friends who gave birth in their cars / ambulance on the roadside trying to get to hospital as they didn't want a home birth 😂

This doesn’t really answer your question but I also had a quick first labour (induced). My midwife went for lunch and I suddenly had the need to push and the lunch cover midwife was practically shouting at me to stop it as it was too soon (this was less than 3 hours after they broke my waters) - I 100% had no control over what was happening. Turns out I was fully dilated and good to go and baby was born born 3 hours before they said they’d even consider checking again. I am going to insist that they note in my birth plan that I had a quick first labour and they need to check more regularly (and before telling me off like a disobedient school kid!)

Our NHS trust has just cancelled home births due to COVID. Might be worth making sure it’s an option before you decide?

If your first was so quick, the second could well be quicker, and you might not make it to the hospital.
I would ( and did) prepare for a home birth for DS3.
Speak to your Midwife, explain your concerns, see what her recommendations are. Then put your concerns in writing and note the advice given. Even if your Trust aren't doing homebirths, there are still preparations you can put in hand, like making sure you have a plan if it all happens quickly - who you can call, plastic sheeting and towels easily available, etc. Unfortunately, calling an ambulance ( as I did for DS2 when I realised I was too close to giving birth to actually get in a car) and having it arrive very quickly might not be a realistic option these days.
Even with a home birth, the midwives might not make it to you quickly enough. Make sure your notes flag up that you are likely to deliver fast so that you are taken seriously when you call.
In your shoes I'd be thinking seriously about who amongst my friends and neighbours I would want to be on hand, in the case of emergency.
Good luck!

I don’t have experience of home birth but was having similar worries about speed. 1st birth I I was a FTM waters went but no pain told only was 1cm within 15mins of the exam pain was horrendous but was told to go home… they agreed to let me go to birth suite as they were quiet….I arrived shouting I needed to push- they were shocked to find me 10cm and baby came soon after. That first 1hr was awful as I felt to out of control and thought if this is 1cm how the hell can I do this?! Second time round I found everyone much more ‘believing’. I rang the minute I had a contraction said had fast labour last time and was a STM and then went straight in. Baby here within 1hr 20 of arriving at hospital. I found there was much less messing around and ppl just accepted that I knew what was going on. So whatever you decide know that yes it might be quicker but you will not feel so out of control because you know this time what is happening and you will be believed. Good luck!

Just wanted to add that I had a very similar experience to previous posters. Very quick induced birth with DS1, who was born 1 hours 20 after the first pessary was inserted, despite midwives assuring me it would be at least 12 hours before anything would happen! I also had the sense of panic and of not being listened to / believed by midwives who seemed to think I was making a fuss over nothing, right up until they realised I was 10cm and I was wheeled off to the delivery room. My second labour was even quicker (35 mins then about five mins pushing) but was a lovely, calm experience which has healed the trauma of the first one I felt much more listened to second time around and my concerns were taken seriously. I had been really worried about making it to hospital in time but in the end it all worked out fine as I recognised the signs that things were starting to happen earlier on in the day and was able to get myself to my local birth centre. Just make sure it's in your notes that you had a fast Labour previously, and keep telling every midwife that you come across! The advice I was given was to go in at the very first indication that anything could be starting, even if it turned out to be a false alarm. I think they trust you to understand your own body a lot more second time around.
Good luck - I hope you're able to make a plan that you're happy with and that it all goes smoothly for you

I've had 2 homebirths and the experience is a world away from a hospital labour. It took the midwives around an hour to get to me but they had already prepped me by telling me to phone as soon as I thought it was starting, it was all over my notes that I had laboured fast previously so they set off as soon as my contractions started to feel like definite labour and were there in plenty of time. I would much rather have been at home than rushing to get to hospital and possibly giving birth in the car, I would have found that much more frightening. Also at the moment I would want to avoid hospital wherever possible!