Homebirth Experiences

[SisterA]

I have read some threads on here but looking for some more information/more recent accounts of anyone who had a homebirth for their subsequent children, especially if you sustained a third degree tear with your first (or any) labour?

I had my first child 3 years ago in hospital on labour ward which resulted in forceps, an episiotomy in one direction and a 3rd degree tear in the other. I generally didn't find this experience that bad but was taken to theatre to be stitched and was separated from my newborn for only a few hours but I found this to be incredibly distressing.

I feel I've done a lot of reading and research & have a much better understanding of labour and childbirth this time around and really want to avoid forceps & also more than anything avoid being in a position where I have to leave my baby and I feel really confident that a homebirth will support me in this but would love to hear some real life experiences.

I had my second at home, first experience very similar to yours also.

Happy to answer any questions.

I had a home birth with my 3rd. 1st baby was ventouse, 2nd baby was rapid but much smaller. Had a difficult delivery with number 3 at home and despite loving being at home for all of the labour, with hindsight I would deliver in hospital, which I did with number 4.

I had a planned homebirth with my third, after having a dramatic unplanned homebirth with my first.

It was absolutely my best birth experience, although I was very low risk.

My midwife came at 9, my daughter was born at 10.30 and she left us at 12. I have quick births so didn't have time for pain meds . It was so lovely and peaceful afterwards not like the chaos of a ward.

I think I would have been very nervous to have one on my first baby (planned anyway) but felt much more confident by number 3!

Thanks for all the responses thus far.

I don't really have any specific questions as such but it's just good to hear of some experiences.

It is early days really as I'm not due for another few months but I suppose after last time it's something that takes up a lot of headspace!

It's massively reassuring to hear of experiences like yours @MOB247 - I am low risk too & my previous injury healed really well so I am hopeful there won't be a repeat.

@girlabouthome how was your home birth experience compared to your hospital delivery?

Sorry to hear about a difficult delivery at home for you @BabbleBee but glad you used your experience to change things for your next baby :)

Thanks again all for sharing your stories it's interesting for me to read!

1st baby was a textbook hospital birth.

2nd baby a homebirth and I absolutely loved the experience. I did have a massive post partum haemorrhage and I was value lighted in but I wouldn't have changed my home birth for anything. I felt a lot more in control, like I had more power as I was in my own space, I could go where I wanted, and get in positions I wanted as I was in my space. I ended up giving birth sort of hanging over the sofa and it was amazing. My eldest daughter and husband where there (my daughter was an adult and wanted to be there).

If you want a homebirth get it booked in ASAP, you cam always change your mind and go in to hospital at anytime. It is harder to get it arranged last minute for a homebirth.

I had a home birth with my third baby in November 2020. It was incredible! He was born in a pool in my living room and it was everything I wanted from a birth and so relaxing afterwards! My eldest son was even self isolating at the time (back when they had class bubbles) and it wasn't an issue.
I had a quite bad second degree tear with my eldest but a straight forward hospital birth with my second.

Hi everyone! I had my 20 week scan recently & baby is looking all really healthy & well so I'm quite excited to start planning the homebirth. I just wanted to wait for some reassurance as the scans haven't been that clear yet!

It has transpired my placenta is anterior and slightly low - though I've been told the chances of this moving much higher up are very high so I'm not worried & planning for everything for now. Will have a scan further on to determine placenta position.

No one asked for an update but thought I'd just give one should anyone else see it again or has any tips in planning etc... :) thanks to all those who have shared their stories so far as it's been really interesting for me to read!

I had my first in hospital - textbook labour but very complicated tear and awful recovery. I was very unwell and had to stay in hospital for a week with two blood transfusions (bleeding from the tear not due to a uterine haemorrhage though)

With my second I was intent on a MLU delivery as this was 3 miles from my home and I really didn’t want a 45min drive to hospital in labour. I had to push for this with extra blood tests etc near the time as due to my history everyone was worried I’d bleed again and need a transfer (again despite my bleed in my first not being from my uterus!!). Eventually I was allowed…

and then I had an unplanned homebirth! I really didn’t want a homebirth. After my first delivery where o had flashbacks and trauma I didn’t want my home to be associated with any bad feeling so was dead against it. But my dd had other ideas and there was no way I could get in a car to travel the 3 miles. Ambulance and midwives arrived when I was fully dilated and dd was born half an hour later.

My homebirth was an amazingly positive experience despite ruining my living room carpet as we were very unprepared. Ds slept through the whole thing despite there being 9 people in the house at one point and best of all I could sleep in my own bed and use my own bathroom. It was glorious to wake up the next morning in my own bed with my baby and my son to walk in to meet his sister. If ever I was to have another child (not bloody likely!) I would DEFINITELY without hesitation choose a homebirth.

Wow @PinkandBlueMotherofTwo what a story! That's exciting. I live about 45 minutes away from the hospital but the homebirth team in my area are v experienced as there's a relatively high homebirth rate due to being semi rural. I think they said there used to be a lot of maternity units dotted around but they all got absorbed by the main hospital in the city.

Due to this though there are certain small specialist hospitals now nearby so ambulances are nearby I think.

I had a home birth and knew early on I wanted it. What solidified my position was the stats. Most worries people had for me were the same: Is it safe? Is it messy? And the answers are: yes (depending on individual circumstances); and no.

Planned home births and hospital births have the same chances with regards to positive/negative outcomes for both mum and baby. And home births have far less chance of intervention, essentially as it’s not the ‘easy’ option. There’s also less pain medication available, so it depends on what you want, as you’d have to go to the hospital for an epidural (I particularly didn’t want an epidural). Mess-wise you just want a bunch of old towels to hand and some bin bags ready and the midwives will do the rest.

I saw your recent message: I had a low placenta and it moved so I had no problems. In about 90% of cases they move up (as the womb expands) and you’ll know before you’re due as they’ll do extra scans if it hasn’t moved by your next one, so you can plan appropriately.

I can’t comment on the anterior position as mine was posterior, but as far as I’m aware an anterior placenta just means that you may not feel baby as much. I don’t think it has any bearing on the actual birth.

I had a homebirth with both of mine so can't really compare. The first was a 'textbook' homebirth. The second would've been a homebirth even if we hadn't planned it it was great to be prepared that way though and the midwives made it for the last few seconds of the birth. I was fully prepared though and can't really imagine going into a hospital after I've had both my experiences. Getting into your own bed with your newborn is just so special and lovely. I do realise I have been incredibly fortunate in my experiences though and wouldn't have done either of them had there been any hint of problems in either pregnancy.

I had a homebirth with second. First was in birth centre. Tore both times but second time recovery was better as I knew not to do too much sitting/kneeling and let it heal. I think the reported shortage of ambulances at the moment would be a concern in case of needing to transfer. That said it was a positive experience and stitching the tear was done well by the midwives at home.