Home Birth

[daisybe]

Hi all,
First time poster here.
Am due in a few months and first choice is birth centre.

I am however considering a home birth, too. It's a 50/50 decision at the moment.
My midwife said that's ok but to really read up about the statistics and what to expect etc.
I'd also need to re register to my local birth centre as my chosen hospital is slightly out of area for midwifes to visit, meaning new midwife.
My midwife also said that there's a 50% chance I'll need to go into hospital so to also think about that.

May I ask, as a first time mother, did anyone do a home birth and was it OK?

Did you regret it? End up having to go hospital anyway?

While I'd imagine labour would be far more relaxing and natural, I'd probably only be able to use gas and air, which is fine, I'd hire a birthing pool, too, however should an emergency arise I'm wondering if the pros and cons are worth it.
You then lose control over where you go hospital wise (my 2 local ones are not amazing), and it could end up stressful.

Any positive and negative stories as ftms out there willing to share?

Thank you

Both mine born at home. Both were calm, lovely experiences, although very different lengths - first one was about 20 hours, second one under 3.

Had a home birth with my second and also a midwife who has attended many home births.
Loved mine, had a pool and felt very safe.
I would only do it if I was low risk and not far from the hospital.

Home birth with my first, zero problems- all went fine.
I decided that if the midwife said at any point I needed to go to hospital then that's what I'd do (we live about 15min drive). It was all pretty chilled out.
I hired a pool aswell, just make sure you have enough hot water!My husband was constantly refilling it. I don't think it was particularly pleasant emptying it but that was my husbands job.He did say it would have been a nightmare without a downstairs toilet.

My 2nd was born in hospital (childcare issues put me off the home birth), however this was also absolutely fine with no issues. I think my husband preferred it as he didn't need to empty the pool!

Whatever you decide to do, please read about both pros and cons about home birth and consider seriously whether it's worth the risk. I'm saying this only because if I had not been at a hospital I wouldn't be here today and no ambulance would have made it within the time required to save me. Unfortunately, situations like this aren't that uncommon- 2 of my other friends required urgent medical care and wouldn't have made it if they had delivered their babies at home.

Thank you, that sounds reassuring and thank you for the book recommendation, I'll take a look!

This is what I'm thinking, too, get the home experience but still head in, I thought of labouring at home maybe in the bath, maybe hire a pool but then head tonthe birth centre (in a hospital)
Although I'm "low risk" I'm also going to be 38, ftm and am currently on aspirin (preventative) for potential pre eclampsia, mainly because my mum had it though she's convinced it was because of her high stress job. So in response to you other comment, I'm fully thinking it all through. Hence why I'm thinking I might do a sort of half and half situation so I at least create a calmer labour at home.

Someone upthread stated a home birth means midwifes present in the room at all times and in the hospital they pop in and out. This hasn't been my experience, although I gave birth on labour ward rather than in a birthing centre.

My midwife stayed in the room during labour, and if she ever had to leave there was a call bell right there or someone else came in.

At the same time, a consultant was watching my tocograph (I think that's what it's called, the trace of baby's heartbeat) and would pop in if she was concerned.

So, we were really well monitored the whole time in hospital.

I think with all birth plans it’s important to keep an open mind whether it home or hospital. I had my first at home - 10lb and back to back baby. We bought a birthing pool, which was great. The labour was hard. The gas and air didn’t work. I did tear. But the midwives were amazing (I had a student and another midwife). After the birth, I was up and about. They said if I’d been in hospital I would have been on the bed strapped to a heart monitor due to him being back to back and I wouldn’t have been allowed a water birth - for pure policy reasons. there was no mess as it was in pool and the midwives tidied everything away and even put towels etc straight into the washing machine! Had to wait for a second midwife to stitch me up but they did it there on my living room floor. They left and I felt really calm.

My second was very early so she was a hospital birth. My third was a planned home birth - when I rang the hospital to say I was in labour, before I could even speak the midwife said “we are full you can’t come here”. The midwife arrived, stayed for a couple of hours and was about to leave as I was only measuring 5 cm. 20 mins later I was in the pool and my baby was born - if we’d have planned a hospital birth she prob would have been born in the car!
with my third we had a night in hospital as the next day for a check up (non-birth related) and I was fine with that.
I always just told myself if I was worried or scared or felt unwell or midwives told me too, I would have gone to hospital.

I would never advise anyone to have a home birth as it’s individual choice for me I know I was lucky. It was for right choice for me and my babies. Good luck! Xx

I planned a home birth for my first and labourer at home with a midwife for 6 hours, which was calm and relaxing. My labour then slowed as baby was stuck so midwife advised a transfer to hospital. The ambulance came within 20 mins and I had a forceps delivery 2 hours later. I’m glad I laboured at home for as long as I could, and felt safe in the knowledge the midwife knew when to call time on it.

I had a local centre birth. Goad I did as first time parent. I had no idea how much blood you can loose. Plus Inhad no idea I was a loud labourer and for 6 hours I was awfully loud. And at one point shouting "I need a poo". I dont think my neighbours need to hear that at 4am! I also live in a town house so yeah.

I wanted to labour in the birth pool and be fully submerged so glad I went to the center. Listen to your get instinct. As I lost a lot of blood I dont think I would have hen prepared at home and no doubt needed a carpet washer the next day.

If you are opting for home. Have a waterproof complete waterproof sheet plus LOADS of puppy pads just encase.

My BFF had 4 home births she is 5'1 and all her babies were 9lbs-10.5lbs. She used the shower a lot during active labour.

P.s my local centre are pro home birth and centre birth as someone stated in hospitals they are on a time limit unfortunately. So even if your labour is safe if you go beyond a certain time they will push and push for interventions and if you are unprepared mentally that will work. I worked in the NHS so your on the clock as soon as you check in and they throw some triggering worfs to coax you into submitting. They need your consent.

If safe to do so labour at home for as long as possible. I went in after 4-5cm to the midwife centre at midnight had LO in my arms at 9am. So no time pressures.

This time I plan to do the same as birthing at home I dont think is possible with LO who will he 2.5yrs old. As we have no family and friends near by so can't drop off to anyone. Most likely have to labour alone in the birthing centre which is fine as the midwives locally are lovely and so suppprtivr.

I had a hospital birth with my first and it was traumatic due to an escalation of intervention that I have mu doubts that I even needed.. but one intervention lead to another etc..
Tried for a home birth with second but had to be induced in the end so was in hospital..
Am aiming for home with my 3rd.
I have a birthing pool I've borrowed from my friend who had all of hers at home including her first. She had a wonderful experience with having her first at home. However she did have to go in a few days later to have some stitches done or something but was only in a few hours.

I had a homebirth with my first - I couldn’t recommend it enough. Everything went perfectly, I didn’t tear and was tucked up in my own bed with crumpets 2 hours later! My husband and I didn’t come away traumatised by birth like so many of my friends , and I started motherhood feeling confident and strong. I firmly believe this helped breastfeeding get established and meant I had no baby blues etc.

There is a 40% risk of transfer for a first time mum if you look at the birthplace study. However some of these transfer after the birth for things like suturing/stitches. When you look at it like that then you have a higher chance of doing at home than not! You can read up the full birthplace results and statistics. Remember the study is quite old now, and for first time mums at home sometimes the event rate is so low it’s hard to get an actual reliable statistic- you’d need thousands of women in a study which often isn’t feasible. More recent systematic reviews put homebirth as being just as safe as hospital birth for low risk women. Ultimately you can find research to back up whatever you think so it’s up to you!

I would recommend reading the Cochrane review into homebirth. It really reassured me. The most recent review and the one prior to the most recent outline the statical risks of things happening which I found helpful. Only you can determine if the statistics given sit right for you.

Things I would say helped me:

1. Most first time mums transfer in for pain relief - try to preempt this by doing hypnobirthing, hire a tens and a pool. You might not use it but you need as many options as possible as you don’t have the additional pain relief options available in a hospital setting.
2. prep your body so do yoga, keen exercising, walk lots. Do the daily spinning babies activities and/or see a Webster trained chiropractor/osteopath.
3. don’t tell anyone your homebirth plans or you’ll be constantly defending yourself
4. tell everyone your due date is two weeks later than it is to give yourself some peace and quiet in the last few weeks!
5. drink raspberry leaf tea and eat dates in the last few weeks - might be nothing in it but every little helps!
6. follow the naked doula and Megan birth ed on Instagram, alongside reading the books mentioned earlier in the thread.
7. join the homebirth Facebook group - you get quite a few out of guideline women on there but if you focus on women like yourself who are low risk etc then you end up having a good resource of low risk first time birth stories which is reassuring to read to get your head in the right zone (as so many home birth stories online are second time mums)

good luck!

The 2 women in ny antenatal class who attempted home births both end up in hospital with EMCS.

We were also put off by the 50% statistc.

We would have considered a home bitth for our second, if the first birth had been without complications. Maybe see how this one goes and consider home birth for your second if you choose to have one?

Thank you everyone, such a nice range of feedback from all sides. I've read every single reply and will continue to do research before deciding based me my own circumstances and feelings ❤️

I'm really sorry to hear that Thursday. One of my best friends says similar, she was rushed in from a home birth to hospital when the baby got stuck, but we live nearly 30 minutes away, her child has lifelong very severe complications as a result of that delay to get to a c-section and none of them really have a great quality of life now.

@VikingsandDragons
I'd just like to say that this type of tragedy can happen in hospital too. Its not necessarily due to homebirth. You can be waiting considerable amounts of time for an anaesthetist or for your section to get okayed/set up.. this happened to me. My son was stuck for hours. And I was in hospital from even before I went into labour as I was induced... There was no anaesthetist available for me as there happened to have been a big car accident or something
Luckily for me there was no lasting damage to my son...
However that really was luck.
The sad fact is birth can go wrong anywhere and end in tragedy. We like to find things to blame so we can try and avoid it... but it's not that often that there are clear reasons.
After my experience in hospital which was appalling and put mine and the babies life in danger I've gone on to plan two homebirths.
But I know that there's a chance similar things could have happened with my first birth wherever I was.
I live 30 mins from the hospital but like I said.. it took them so long faffing about with me when I actually spent my entire time already in the hospital that I don't see whst the difference is to be Frank. At least if you come in as an emergency they might be prepping things on the way for you...
It's beyond tragic when babies die or are permanently injured by childbirth but all you can do is look at the statistics, look at how your previous births went, use the information available to make the right choice for you.
I'm currently coming up to my 3rd birth which I've decided to have at home fully supported by the midwife team. I'm low risk, it's my 3rd baby... data is on my side for this being a safe option for me. Could it go wrong? Yes of course there's always a risk.. but from the information I've been given the risk would be the same as if I were in hospital. And I know from first hand experience how badly wrong things can go in hospital. It's no guarantee of safety

Please also consider the time you would have to wait for an ambulance if you needed to be transferred to hospital. My neighbour (81) had chest palpitations and pain and the wait was going to be four hours so I took her to A&E myself.

Waiting time for an ambulance is not really a consideration, it's not like calling 999 where you are triaged. The midwives call a separate number for a transfer. Totally different service.

If there are ambulance shortages then they will suspend home births.

My friend had a home birth and it was absolutely right for her. She also got something else - pethidine or diomorphine? Some other kind of pain relief basically so I’d look into that to make sure they can bring it with them if you’re really struggling. And yes lots do end up in hospital transfer so just prepare for where you’d go/how it would be managed :) apparently you are absolutely priority for ambulance over anyone else.

Also I know of people from my yoga class who got transferred but said it was still worth it to mostly labour at home.

There is a difference between a planned homebirth and a 'birth before arrival at hospital'.

I have read lots of studies... and its wasn't until I attended a homebirth after many hospital births, that I could really understand, there is something different about a woman labouring in her home environment, being left to follow her own instincts.... the evidence supports this... even though we may not fully understand how this reduces risk.

I was six minutes from the hospital so to my mind, I’d have been in theatre as quickly as if I’d gone from the ward. As it was, I didn’t need to worry. All went well.
he was my second though. First (in hospital) was fairly chaotic. I always said if there were any more (there weren’t) I’d never go to hospital again.
No pool, as it was too much fuss, but being in my own bed and having my things around me beat the out of the window birth plan I had first time round.