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Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

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Original poster

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

73 replies

wem · 14/04/2008 20:31

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...

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sweetkitty · 14/04/2008 21:03

On our bed, covered with shower curtains and a smartprice sheet. Was January but remember being naked with the windows open, I liked the intimacy of the bedroom.

kategarden · 14/04/2008 21:12

Don't know if UK midwives do this but our Spanish independent midwife had two or three home videos from births that she had attended where the parents had given her permission to show them to others. It was fantastic to see for real what it can be like & to see how you can make the birth right for you.

Tangle · 14/04/2008 21:15

In the living room, kneeling on the floor and draped over DH's lap. We had a birth pool in the dining room which I used at one point (DD was breech and midwives hadn't done breech in water). The bedroom never felt like where I wanted to be, even when thinking about it before hand.

DD was my first, and I'd do it again. Oh - and I wound up being almost silent all the way through, just cos that seemed to be the way for me to do it.

Original poster

wem · 14/04/2008 21:18

Um, so do the midwives clear off as soon as the main event is done with? Would they hang around to help establish breastfeeding etc? Bit worried about being left to our own devices as a couple of shellshocked novice parents

OP posts:

Pannacotta · 14/04/2008 21:22

DS1 laboured in front room and pool (in the same room), but gave birth on our bed - was a cold winter night so this felt cosier.
DS2 laboured and gave birth in pool in our conservatory - born at dawn and in May so was much warmer.

fairylights · 14/04/2008 21:28

i had a birthing pool in the dining room and gave birth in there, was basically the only space in the house where we could put the pool up and leave it (i was paranoid about not having time to fill it, needn't have worried in the end, 27 hour labour..)
we made it comfy and friendly though with fairylights, cushions etc..
i know what you mean about not being able to picture where it could happen..but when you are in labour you become very instinctive (if allowed to) and will find the place that you are most comfortable. All the best
ps have a read of "homebirth" by sheila kitzinger, its inspiring!

cazboldy · 14/04/2008 21:29

1st on the bed

2nd on the living room floor

3rd on the bedroom floor

4thin the bath

Beauregard · 14/04/2008 21:30

With dd2 i had an unplanned unassisted home birth on my bathroom floor(either that or was down the loo)

hollyhobbie · 14/04/2008 21:30

both times (but 2 different houses) with DH sat on the bed and me squatting between his legs on the floor.
Then helped into bed with freshly born DC and piled with blankets and duvets.
The midwives cleared off into the kitchen to eat some food, then checked we were ok again, then left, but came back within hours, so you never really felt very alone, but also had some time to bond as a family with no 'strangers' around.

cazboldy · 14/04/2008 21:32

wem - yes they do stay. In fact I think they have to stay with you for about 2 hours IIRC - well one of them anyway

fairylights · 14/04/2008 21:35

also, if this is your first (as it was with me) have a think about having a doula - i had one and it was the best decision i ever made in my life (apart from marrying dh!). Have a look at www.doula.org.uk for more info. Apart from giving us wonderful antenatal care and advice and being amazing during labour and birth, after the birth my wonderful doula changed my bed, made me food, helped with getting bf going and came back to see us after a few days to see how we were doing etc..such a reasurrin presence

ellideb · 14/04/2008 21:36

I'm due mid september wem, so i'm 18 weeks now, when are you due? have you had you 1st scan yet? having my 2nd in a fortnight!

sweetkitty · 15/04/2008 09:01

DD2 was born at 4am and MWs were cleaned up and out the house at 5.10am, however I had phone numbers and one came back at 9am to pop in and one again about 4pm.

I had a straightforward birth and DD2 was feeding well so they left me to it. I think for a first timers they would have stayed a bit longer.

mumofk · 15/04/2008 09:27

I'm planning a homebirth this time (sometime in the next couple of weeks!), DD was born in hospital. I asked the midwives how long they stay afterwards and they say to expect around about 1 hour if all is fine this time (I ended up anaemic after last time so we'll all be watching carefully for blood loss).
If you ask your midwives they'll be able to say what to expect where you are.

bozza · 15/04/2008 09:36

DD was born with me leant over my bed. We shoved the bed to one side a bit to increase the amount of space and it worked well. I had been planning on all fours position but leaning over bed was what worked. And I was up and down the stairs several times while in quite advanced labour. But I had no intention of having a water birth.

Nanoon · 15/04/2008 12:15

i gave birth to DS2 in the living rrom bending over the sofa! we laid down a couple of cheap shower curtains which did the trick. no mess at all.

a fantastic experience

belgo · 15/04/2008 12:17

In our bedroom, in a hired birthing pool. It was the room where I felt most relaxed and could get into bed afterwards.

shrinkingsagpuss · 15/04/2008 12:24

downstairs, in front room, plastic sheet on floor, old duvet on top and cushions, and inco pads from m/w. No mess on anything that mattered.

By the time you are in proper labour, I doubt if you'll care!! It was nice to go upstairs to comfy bed, while m/w and Dh (to an extent) cleared up downstairs. mmmmmm.
Not that I'd do it agian mind (labour that is)

motherhurdicure · 15/04/2008 12:50

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Slacker · 15/04/2008 13:13

1st (unplanned) - Bedroom - on my bed on my back . Ruined the duvet

2nd - (BBA) kneeling on living room floor over birth ball.

3rd - in birth pool in bathroom

4th - standing next to birth pool in living room - was thinking about getting in when things progressed rather quickly and before I knew it baby was out.

Next time (!) will hope to have built an extension so we have a downstairs loo, nearly didn't make it back down the stairs last time.

Original poster

wem · 15/04/2008 13:36

Thanks all Really interesting to read all your stories, and reassuring/encouraging to hear all the good experiences you've had. Although the couple of unplanned ones sound a bit scary.

I've found out there's an information evening on at the hospital tomorrow about homebirths, so will be going along and hopefully get to chat to a midwife there

OP posts:

sprogger · 15/04/2008 13:39

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

milfAKAmonkeymonkeymoomoo · 15/04/2008 13:42

Dining room in a birthing pool, demanded the lights be turned off so we were all there in the dark (it was 3.20am!).

Niecie · 15/04/2008 13:56

I had an unplanned home birth as well. I was in the bedroom leaning against the bed with only a hand towel to protect the carpet - obviously DH thought that was enough.

The carpet was dark blue but the staines did come out.....eventually.

The midwife arrived about 5 mins after DS2 was delivered by the rapid response paramedic (who arrived with about 3 minutes to spare). She was great. She stayed for over an hour to help with skin to skin bonding and establishing bf. I think she left for 20 minutes to get some more kit from the surgery (bit hazy now) but she came back to check on us and then cleared everything away in the hospital waste bags and helped DH change the sheets and tidy up whilst I had a shower and put some fresh clothes on. She even made us a drink and got me some toast as I hadn't eaten all day.

Despite the speed and the whole thing being completely unplanned it was one of the best experiences of my life. I was seriously worried about the hospital I was supposed to give birth in for several reasons and didn't want to go - different from the hospital where I had DS1 and not as nice imo.

I still remember standing in the shower a couple of hours after DS2 was born and grinning from ear to ear because I had done it at home. Lovely.

mummypig · 15/04/2008 14:04

hi I had a planned hb with ds2 and spent most of the time in the 'dining' room and gave birth kneeling/propped up over a huge beanbag covered with an old sheet. Our bedroom and bathroom were also on the ground floor so I was able to make frequent trips to the loo. We had indep midwives and they were great, put inco pads and our old sheets all over the place, helped to get ds2 attached for his first breastfeed, didn't rush me to push out the placenta, sent me to the bath when I felt ready and put the washable stuff in the washing machine for us. There was no mess afterwards and I was amazed by how well the blood came out of the sheets (in fact I still use one of them for ds1's bed).

This time round we're in a different house but again I'm planning to do most of the labouring in the living/dining room, which conveniently is right next to a toilet. I must get some blinds for our windows though otherwise our elderly neighbours might get a shock

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