Homebirths: Where did you give birth - bedroom, front room, kitchen floor?

[wem]

I'm 12 weeks pregnant with my first. I like the idea of a home birth, but I can't actually picture it happening in my home. Our bedroom's not the biggest, with me, dh and a midwife (or two?) we'd be tripping over each other. There's more space downstairs but it seems less cosy or right, or something, I don't know.

Perhaps I just can't get my head around the idea of giving birth at all...

living room carpet (with those pampers bed mats laid down)

had planned kitchen (bigger / warmer / waterproof floor)but it just happened where I was- over too quick to think any further than that LOL!

well, mine was an unplanned at home birth baby was born in the bathroom (luckily quite a large bathroom), as long as you're comfortable it doesn't matter where, IMO

I also birthed on living room floor - nver went near my bedroom.

Had birthing pool set up and have downstairs loo - much easier. I had a 20month ds upstairs asleep so it made sense to be downstairs.

Plan to do the same for no. 3 due in october

I'm also having one in July (had no idea you were pregnant Hatrick - congrats) and we are having him in the recording studio we own because the space is much bigger than our cottage next door (and better soundproofed).

You don't need lots of room though - ideally you have some bright and some dim lights available (anglepoise lamps or torches work too though), heat (you need to be able to warm the room up for the baby - space heaters are fine for this) and finally, ideally a source of water for both tea and washing. Midwives also like it if you have an accessible bathroom. But again, if you have to go upstairs to pee and want to give birth in the living room, it's still doable.

If they voice any concerns on this front, do feel free to point out that Jesus gave birth in a stable with donkeys (allegedly)

Hatrick - a birthing pool is something I've thought about too - but how on earth do you fill a big ol' pool in the middle of your dining room?

Or do you just hook up a hose to the kitchen taps?

Or then, once you've filled it, how do you empty it??

You can buy a kit with a pump to empty it through the hose pipe and yes you get a bloody long hose pipe.

Kitchen rug. Half on half off sofa, half on half off birthing ball. It was very elegant.

I needed lots of space (for pacing and melodramatic leanings against walls and various pieces of furniture).

Jesus gave birth? Haven't heard that version before

Sorry, I'll be off to the pedants' corner...

Living room, leaning on sofa.

Did have to go upstairs to use the loo, but climbing stairs can help move labour along (certainly worked for me). I didn't hire a pool but did use the bath early on.

Thanks for all your replies by the way.

Anyone know how much it is to hire a pool? Or where from?

ROFL - obv I meant Jesus was born in a stable

Mind you, my version sounds more miraculous

Had lovely homebirth 2 weeks ago in living room with woodburner blazing nicely (Entinox good distance away!). Put plastic sheeting and old towels on floor and midwives brought Pampers changing mats. Was extremely cozy and intimate-had good laugh with midwives between inhalations of G & A, they were here for 6 and half hours and when pushing time came were incredibly calm and reassuring-complete contrast to my previous 2 hospital labours! Little baby Elin arrived, midwives tidied all the mess away, had toast & tea then left DH and I to feel smug and happy with our newborn!

whomoved. Giving birth in a recording studio sounds unique - will you be releasing a remixed version?

kitchen floor!
at the time, nicest room in the house, wooden floor (paleish carpets elsewhere), downstairs loo, if pool did fall through floor it had a whole inch to go before landing on the earth...
lots of candles, soft music, midwives wandering over from the kitchen table (other end of room) every now and again to listen to the heartbeat...peaceful. Go for it!

Nah, it's a cunning ploy to make sure the studio gets a decent clean (I'm told the midwives clear up the ick afterwards so I plan to wander into any dusty corners and squat down)

Front room.

With the shower curtains folded nicely on the sofa

DH spent the next few weeks scrubbing placenta stain as often as he could

wem there are plenty of websites that sell/hire birthing pools and depending on the type you want they cost upwards from £160 for 4 weeks hire.

I'm in the same position as you, 1st baby, planning on a home birth, would really like a water birth too and i'm lucky because we are hiring a doula and she knows someone who bought a birthing pool but never used it and is lending it out for free. I'll try and find a link for you here

"Look at www.thegoodbirth.co.uk/birth_pool_in_a_box?gclid=CL_0ivWo25ICFQsXQgod9kBo-Q"

sounds lovely littlefrog, very serene, and howlingcow (tho your name suggests slightly less serenity!) Was it your first?

on the livingroom floor, kneeling up against the sofa, lots of cushioning under my knees. Also spent a fair amount of time in the bathroom - just seemed the best place to be for some reason! We moved all the furniture around a week or so before it all happened to make room for the pool (have open plan kitchen/livingroom) but it all happened too quickly to get it inflated. We'd also just had a new carpet put in the bedroom so i was determined not to labour/give birth in there - wanted to have a room that was all neat and cosy and clean to retreat to afterwards.

Thanks ellideb, and good luck - when are you due?

Hi Wem! No 3rd-had to be induced with 1st and didnt really consider it with 2nd though really wish I had. A friend of mine had her 1st at home though in a birthing pool and wouldnt do it any other way! Definitely not serene, though thankfully neighbours slept through the wolf/cow noises!!! Who'd be a scientologist thats all I can say!!

In DHs bathroom (he has a deeper bath than mine) which is quite a small room but DH & midwife managed perfectly. We left the 2nd midwife downstairs with the dog.

We laid out plastic-backed sheeting (from B&Q) covered with old sheets, duvets, pillows etc to protect the carpet and to have something comfy if I wanted to go on hands & knees.

Of course my waters broke on the one bit of carpet that we didn't protect, but with a bit of scrubbing (thanks mum!) it didn't really stain.

In the middle of the living room floor. Partly becasue it was practical- we had wooden floors downstairs, but I put a big duvet on the floor to make it soft. (Cleaning the duvet was a whole 'nother saga, though!)