Homebirth experiences

[2mumlife]

Looking for anyone whose had a homebirth and how you found it? Particularly if you happen to be in the Forth Valley NHS area.

This is second baby. First baby was born in the alongside midwifery unit. I only used TENS machine, birth pool and gas and air for most of labour, but had a little bit of meconium, long labour and long pushing stage without making progress. so birth ended in a non-emergency forceps delivery.

I felt that moving from home to the hospital was really disruptive to labour, so considering a home birth this time around, which midwife was supportive of. My NHS area seem to have very little available information on home birth (nothing on risk assessment needing done, when gas and air gets delivered, what to expect from midwives attending) so any experiences appreciated. Particularly looking for reassurance from those who previously had a forceps delivery but had a successful home birth that its doable :)

@2mumlife @Suchardchoccy dc1 want bothered in the slightest, he was only 17 months so was more concerned with snacks and extra tv time. We didn't have any outside care so I was either birthing alone at hell hospital or at home as a family.

Dc1 gave me a 3c tear which obviously required surgery to repair. Dc2 a 2nd degree which was repaired at home on the sofa.

We spoke a lot about the birth with dc1 and got many books to explain what was happening. During labour he really wasn't interested in me and greeted his sibling by poking him in his left eye, then wanted to go to the park.

I've had two home births, not in Forth Valley but in Scotland. Both were great experiences.

Midwives bring everything, we had the home birth pack delivered to the house a few weeks before birth, including the Vit K injection to be kept in the fridge.

My midwives also gave me a list of things to have myself. Plastic decorating sheets or similar to cover the floor. Lots of towels, anglepoise lamp for checks on progress. There was more but I forget, it's been a while.

@LongLostSock 🤣🤣 poking him in the eye and wanting to go to the park made me laugh. I'm hoping my two will be similar. DC1 will be 2 years and 8 months by the time DC3 is born and DC2 will be 16 months by the time DC3 is born. The midwife said I can have my toddler in the pool with me if I like 🤔 I don't think so haha!

I've had a home birth. 1st baby
My community midwife was actually on the home birth rota so was really helpful our trust even has a home birth meeting every few months for people to come and ask questions.

The midwives gave me box with some of there kit in on my 36 week apt. And they brought the gas and air and resus stuff when they attended for the birth.

I hired birth pool and tens. We hasd just been decorating so I saved plastic sheets to go on floor and had puppy pads but not much mess at all! My waters didn't go until baby was born though.

Only thing I needed more of was towels! Baby just kept pooing every time we wrapped him up! But midwifes also brought extra blankets and big pads for our sofa when I delivered placenta.

I found it a great experience although had mind set that i was happy to go hospital at any point. Midwifes were also very resuring and emphasises that I could change my mind and go into birth unit as well if I wanted.

And I'm at least 40mins from hospital and rural. They did not seem to think it was a problem

Yes, cord attached for maybe an hour after the birth. It’s much longer than I imagined! I was comfortably snuggled up on the sofa with newborn in my arms and didn’t really notice the cord.
my DP kept putting towels and blankets on us 😂

The white sofa didn’t recover though…

@Twoshoesnewshoes The poor sofa! 😂😂😂

Thanks for everyone's experiences, feeling a bit more confident about pushing ahead with a homebirth :)