Home birth success stories? (Or disasters)

[Brooomhilda]

I'm considering a home birth. I am not interested in a birthing pool, so am thinking of getting a blow up mattress for the living room floor, some waterproof sheets and use some old bedding.

Any success stories? I'm trying to avoid hospitals if I can as they make me nervous. If it comes to it, then so be it but avoiding would be good!!

At least three deaths in the last year in Ireland of the mother so I would be going to the hospital. I'm sure lots of people have success stories but I wouldn't be able to live with myself if something went wrong..

Home births are very common where I live, but you need to be prepared and have someone assisting. A blow up mattress is a terrible idea. It's not supportive and won't be high enough for health care providers to assist you. You'll sink into it and be all at the wrong angle for any type of good labour. Get a waterproof cover and absorbent pads for your mattress, potentially bed raisers, make sure a HCP can get all the way round it, that there are plug sockets in the room and that lighting is good.

@StamppotAndGravy I have a Japanese style floor bed so that's unlikely to work either!

You need to beg, borrow or steal another bed then. Having a floor bed is simply not fair on anyone assisting you. They will find it much harder to get you up if you need to be moved in an emergency. Even if everything is going to go well, you're going to struggle to stay mobile if you want change positions because you're going to find it difficult to get on and off the floor. That's going to be a factor in recovery too.

Would a birthing centre not be a better option (possibly with counselling) ? Less medical, but actually practical. It doesn't sound like you're set up for home birth in any way.

I had a lovely homebirth. I didn't hire a pool either....i spent some of my labour in the bath but I preferred my TENS machine so got out to use that. Birthed on a few absorbent pads on the bedroom floor (had also bought a shower curtain to use to protect the carpets). No mess apart from one bed sheet and a couple of towels to be washed. The midwives that came dealt with everything else.

As long as you have no risk factors, homebirths are on the whole safe. Midwives watch for early warning signs that something maybe isn't going to plan and you transfer in if necessary before something becomes an emergency.

Omg really? By home births? I never heard this

My sil had a home birth last summer not sure what on but my best friends sil had her 2 babies at home on the sofa because she always says when we are sitting on it that her sil gave birth twice on this sofa lol
I havnt heard of any disasters, I wanted a home birth also it just always looks more calm and relaxed but I actually needed a emergency c section! I'm sure you're not far away from medical help if needed :)

Honestly it depends on your own circumstances. You may be in a situation where home birth is equally safe or safer than hospital care. Or you may be increasing your risk significantly by staying at home. I’d discuss with your midwife so you can make an informed balanced decision. Replies here are likely going to be reactive and not very informed.

Haven't had a home birth as wasn't allowed with any of mine as nearest hospital that can deal with maternity is 2 and half hours away in a car so anything goes wrong wasn't worth the risk.

It's worth thinking about how far away you are from a hospital if not that far and your confident ambulances aren't in short supply where you are then I'd give it a go. It really does look amazing in videos ect

I had 3 wonderful home births, completely and utterly the right, and safest, option for me.

I also gave birth kneeling on the floor for all 3 so ignore the weird comment about being on the floor bed!

I planned a home birth and while I transferred to hospital in the end for forceps because my baby was stuck and not descending any further (make sure you work as hard on relaxing your pelvic floor as strengthening it!), I still think of it as a success.

I believe the first part went well and reasonably quickly because I was at home in my own environment, all the oxytocin etc. I'm not at all traumatised because I knew when things weren't progressing and it felt like my decision to go in. So much of birth trauma is about feeling 'done to', rather than necessarily what ends up happening, and unfortunately the hospital environment and their policies can make that feel more the case.

Obviously you need to look at your individual risk factors but the data says home birth is safe for low risk women (some more nuance around first time mums and subsequent babies). It feels counterintuitive but being in hospital isn't automatically reducing that risk- it also brings its own.

I will be planning a home birth again this time round.

I had a fabulous home birth with my third baby, but it was 27 years ago. I didn't have a pool, didn't want one. I gave birth kneeling on the floor leaning up over the sofa, in the sitting room in front of the fire because I didn't want to be in the bedroom. I had a waterproof mattress on the floor for if I needed it covered with plastic sheeting and it worked well. There was actually no mess at all, and the midwives dealt with everything very efficiently afterwards. I had gas and air until it ran out just as I was starting to push, but thanks to gravity DS practically flew out in a couple of minutes so I didn't need pain relief. It was about five hours from start to finish, and honestly perfect. One of the best experiences of my life. I'd done my research, my midwife, GP and DH were supportive, and we lived close to a hospital. I felt very safe and looked after.

Had a homebirth with DS2 and it was brilliant - total opposite to DS1 in hospital.

Although I know a few women who weren't able to homebirth with their first - in labour for a really long time and then tranferred to hospital - so maybe its easier with the second?!

You don't need a special bed or blow up mattress there is no need to do that. I planned two home births, the first with a pool, but I was walking around or on the sofa through labour there was no need for a bed. Unfortunately I did end up in hospital for both births in the end but I was much more relaxed having all my appointments at home with the home births team and home labour was fine for my first and the midwives arrived as soon as I called them and we're brilliant and knew exactly when an ambulance was needed and stayed with me throughout and visited me in hospital and once I was home, they were excellent. I wish I could say the same for the hospital staff but I didn't have a good experience once I was in hospital.

Loved my home birth. It was sort of recommended as I gave birth to DD1 extremely quickly, they were worried about the possibility of me giving birth on a country lane!

I had two midwives plus a student attend. Basically did what ever was comfy while in labour, then gave birth on my bed. DD1 was at the neighbours, and came home 90 minutes after. They cleared up on the "mess" before leaving.
I had gas and air available but didn't use. Needed a couple of stitches afterwards, but that was done at home.
It was very calm and felt safe.
My attached neighbour didn't even know it had happened.

Complete opposite to DD1, who was an unattended birth in hospital as I wasn't believed to be in active labour so was left to get some rest (she came 10 minutes after that).

She did need to go to hospital a couple if days later, but that was unrelated to her birth. But it was a bit surreal being admitted to the pediatric ward as they aren't set up for newborns. (Luckily discharged a few hours later)

I had my 3 at home, we had plenty of towels and a shower curtain for the bed. Everything went perfect and the best bit was, I was in my own home and bed straight after.
The midwife left as soon as I'd been to the loo and that was that.
If I ever got pregnant again which I'm not planning on doing I would definitely plan a homebirth again

I had a home birth with my first. No problems, it was as uneventful as births go, and I was tucked up in my own bed with my baby, tea and toast in hand in no time.

I had two home births. You really don't need a bed, both of mine I spent most of the time kneeling over the sofa. Just get some absorbent pads - although the midwife brought loads as well. I lay on the sofa for any examination but I asked for these to be only if really necessary so wasn't often.

Can you still do a domino birth where you are? I did with my second but that was 25 yrs ago. Stayed at home as long as possible (we only lived 20 mins drive from the hospital) and then all going well you go home 6hrs after delivery I was only in for 11 hrs in total, then home to my own bed. No mess or disruption at home but delivered in the hospital in case of any issues. It was perfect.

I had 2 home births both went fine. First one was to a 10lb baby whose shoulders got stuck but quickly resolved. Second was to a 8lb8oz long skinny beast. Both were born in my bedroom.

id never describe them as lovely but it was certainly better for me. Babies die in hospital births too, sadly.

I planned a homebirth for my first but it didn't happen (thick mec and horrible CTG). Second birth had baby at home but had to transfer in by ambulance for a nasty tear which caused a haemorrhage.

Agree you don't need a bed but do need waterproof sheets down wherever you do plan to birth

Also agree that so much depends on your circumstances! Discuss it well with your midwife

Btw at least 1 of the 3 Irish maternal deaths at home was a free birth which is a whole other kettle of fish to birthing with midwives in attendance!

I had a home birth.

It was my second baby and I'm fairly close to an excellent hospital.

It was all fine, but I was absolutely begging to be taken to the hospital for an epidural and at that point it was too late. She was a pretty massive baby as it turned out. In spite of the lovely situation afterwards being able to get into my own bed, and the wonderful midwives, and the gas and air - I would go to hospital next time personally.

Oh yeah we hired a pool but it didn't really work for me. I was on the sofa most of the time and actually gave birth on the (wooden) floor.

I think you just need to think practically and rationally about a home birth. Do you live close to a hospital or very rurally? Do you have any risk factors? An ambulance can be called but we’ve all seen in the news about huge delays- what time of year are you due? If you are close by, no risk factors etc then go for it.

Always prepare for a hospital birth though, in case the home birthing team cannot accommodate you. Never free birth. I know people will say they had a good experience etc but I work in bereavement and in 2 years of working there have seen 2 babies dead in a freebirth that died from complications of birth (otherwise perfectly formed and healthy babies.) I cannot understand taking that risk. Always have a midwife (or someone medically trained/experienced at the very least.)

Thanks for all your contributions! I picked up some nasty infections with my last baby in hospital and felt like I was held there for no reason for 3 days when I could have been at home with DH to support (it was Covid and visits were restricted). I want to avoid that trauma as much as possible.

All is good with this pregnancy, no complications and I plan on doing it without pain relief (I did with my first too and managed quite well so no reason not to) so there are fewer reasons for me to be in a medical setting. The only thing I found really helpful was the gas and air, which I understand can be brought for a home birth. But mostly I liked it as a thing to focus on and breath into so I have bought myself some birthing combs to hopefully have the same focussing effect this time. There is a MLU 15 mins away and a hospital with MLU and delivery suite 20 mins away (although DH got there in 12 mins during last birth...) so I'm fairly confident about getting there. At the moment I'm booked in for a tour of the MLU 10 mins away so I'll see how that goes and how I feel there.

I felt really overwhelmed being on a ward bay with 5 other women and babies last time. The lights never went off, there was 1 shower between 10 of us and the woman in the bay next to me kept FaceTiming her boyfriend to argue with him. The whole thing did not work out well. After also getting the infections I got when I got home, I found the stay in the hospital way more traumatic than the actual birth and so now am not very relaxed in them.