Would you recommend a homebirth??

[Thankyouandgoodnight]

And do you end up dripping slime, goo and yuk everywhere????

I had ds1 at home, and ds2 started off at home but ended up transferring for failure to progress.

I vastly preferred giving birth at home to being in hospital and if I ever had another baby (god forbid) would book another hb, even though I transferred in with my third.

Re: mess. Yes - loads. But then I'm a messy person and the birth was hugely chaotic so I wouldn't expect any different. Nobody else I know had as much mess at their homebirth as me. Sigh....

I'm a homebirth contact for my local NCT so I talk to a lot of people who've had/want homebirths. I've not yet anyone who's told me they opt for it again, including those mums who ended up transferring.

DH also completely sold on homebirth. He was able to watch football and make bacon sandwiches throughout both labours so was very happy. He loved being able to get back into bed with me and ds2 after the birth and watch the sun come up....(shitty quilt safely esconced in black plastic bag in the downstairs hallway, awaiting embarrassing trip to the dry cleaners).

Sorry - should read "I've not yet met anyone who's told me they WOULDN'T opt for it again"

DH loved our hb too, even though it was so quick- it was first time he'd spent the first night with the baby, which he loved, and all 6 of us curling up on the bed before school the next day was a truly amazing experience, and i think contributed hugely to the lack of acceptance ssues- we thought ds3 would react really badyly, but not at all, and i think that's because i never left to go to hospital

I had a home birth with my first baby - my midwife initially thought I was mad (but enormously supportive). However, it went really smoothly and I wouldn't have it any other way. The best bit was getting into my own bed at the end of it.

I had a water birth - which I'd also recommend. A sieve is a sensible accessory and the pool I hired did come with a pump (left that to dh).

Plan to do the same again this time, but would prefer to avoid being stitched up on the sofa this time!

yes. its lovely. couldn't recommend it more.

Most midwives pride themselves on leaving the place spotless after too.

Nothing beats being able to curl up in your own bed with your baby afterwards.

Had lovely home hypnobirth nearly 3 weeks ago, mymain reason was why have uncomfortable ride to hospital when you can stay at home ( that was worst bit of DD1s birth).

This time worst bit was constant worry that someone would say I couldn't have a homebirth because of slight complications and missing post natal notes from last time.

Home birth lovely, drunk husband (who was taking very literally that I was telling everyone else baby due 1 week later than she was, despite having serious day of brackston hicks, phoning him at work, and DH trying to find moses basket {in plain sight}!) not as helpful as he should have been, midwives never got their biscuits, but for me the FABULOUS bit was having bath in my own mucky bath, DH bringing me toast made from my own home made bread, and only walking across our tiny landing to go to my own bed.

Mess- 2 towels to wash and bath mat. More washing from bedclothes (well, towels I slept on to avoid constantly washing sheets) from sweaty first few days and odd pad leakage, and milk everywhere. Is it just me or is breast feeding rather messy as first?!

Regrets- only one, that DH is convinced our Victorian flag floor wouldn't hold a full birth pool and me. I'm not convinced, but he really wouldn't shift on that one, and I really missed the water this time. It was fab using hospital pool last time. Tried the bath (big corner bath) but couldn't get comfortable.Using the shower helped, but standing up,couldn't sit on the stool, and my legs were shaky so couldn't stay as long as I liked.

I know some people found it better with their children in the house, but I was glad DD1 happened to be having a sleep over at her grandparents ( a practice run!! turned into the real thing) as DH would have needed to concentrate on her, and when I was loud enough to wake her I NEEDED his support (drunken daft sod he was)- first time I was quiet, 2nd time more intense and I was much more vocal than I expected.....poor neighbours got an early wake up call!

I loved both of my home births. It's so lovely being a family straight away tucked up in your own bed.

My house was cleaner when the midwives left. There's plenty of tips around for keeping mess under control.

I also had a wonderful experience of home birth and felt very much in control being in my own home. I just had TENS machine and pool for pain relief.
The website www.homebirth.org.uk is a great resource for info on every aspect of home birth.

I had a great experience of home birth too. It is bound to be a bit messy. Make sure you protect carpets as best you can!

yep! my HB was lovely.

and no, there was no mess at all.
i got plastic dust sheets from b&q and laid them under a sheet on the sofa for after the birth (i had a pool at home for the actual birth) and all the mess was rolled up and carried away before i knew it.

I am very keen to have a homebirth for my first, having read all the stories on here... am going to see midwife for first time on Sat so planning to mention it then. Am a bit worried that they will discourage it as it is my first though - anyone have this experience? Is it more risky for your first?

I have a slightly unplanned home birth. It was always at the back of my mine and when my midwife (an angel who gave me her home number as she wanted to deliver my baby as she had done my first but wasn't on call)called out local midwife led unit and there were no beds so it was stay at home or go to our general hospital which i didn't want at all.

Anyway, there was very little mess and what there was was quickly cleaned up while we gazzed as DS2 and it was no problem at all to decide to stay at home at the last minute.

The downside - I don;t think i'll ever beable to move house because it hold such special memories of DS2 coming into the world here

I had my first at home, badkitty and it was great. The midwives were very supportive of my decision, despite having your first at home being a very unusual choice. They do go through the risks with you and you have to sign a piece of paper to say you understand them.

They will only let you have a home birth if your pregnancy is very straightforward and your iron levels are good. Once you're in labour, if there was any sign of difficulty at all they would send you into hospital.

It is actually meant to be less risky to have your baby at home because you are less stressed in an environment you are comfortable in. Furthermore, you won't pick up any nasty bugs in your own home as you already have immunity to the germs in your own house! First time births tend to take the longest, so if there are any potential difficulties, they've actually got longer to get you to hospital too - they wouldn't wait until it had got to an emergency situation.

Of course, you can always change your mind at any time and go to hospital instead.

Talk to your midwife about it next time you see her. She should be very supportive - community midwives are the experts.

Thank you. I am actually quite excited at the idea and surprisingly even DH doesn't seem to be opposed to it (mostly I think as I explained he would be able to watch telly during the boring bits..!) I am not sure I would tell anyone (other than DH and midwives obviously!) I was planning it though - am sure people would try to put me off.

Yes, i would deffo recommend one. i had one 4 weeks ago and was miles better than the hospital for me. There was no mess at all after.

Hi Herecomesthesciencebint - that was one of my concerns actually as I am also aware of the clinical aspects. I was worried with the first birth that I would be consumed with worry over that too but when it came to it (hospital birth centre), I felt very relaxed in myself and wasn't concerned about anything at all. I guess that if it comes to it, I could always abort and go dashing in to the hospital - I must just listen to myself early on in the labour and quit if there is any anxiety at all. I did wonder if I would find the level of pain etc inappropriate for being at home but could somehow rationalise it if I was in hospital (i.e. it is more normal to feel pain in hospital than at home) - does that make any sense at all??

Hi Thankyouandgoodnight. Yes yes yes to a home birth.
I had a planned home birth with ds4 and it was fab. Felt very relaxed at home. Was able to please myself with cups of tea and snackes etc. Didn't see any gunk as it was all cleared away while I had a shower in my own clean bathroom
ds5 was born at home too though that was totaly unplanned and he was born in the bathroom delivered by my DH and what amazed me most was my DH didn't have a drop on him Our bathroom mat absorbed everything. So yes totaly go for it and good luck x

Agree with the comments above but just be aware that if you need stitches, in some UK regions they make you go to hospital for that anyway.

Most of the women in my antenatal group had an epeisiostomy (sorry for dodgy spelling) so that is just something to bear in mind and prepare for if it is in line with your local NHS policy.

Good luck!

Does anyone know which weeks of pregnancy you're 'allowed' to have a home birth? i.e. before 37 weeks is considered premature isn't it and so you would need to go to hospital etc?

Just trying to think logically about when to get the pool in by!

I had 2 and there was no mess! Tiny bit of blood but all the precautionary floor coverings - huge plastic sheets - weren't needed!
Women who have had homebirths are buzzing about how great the experience is whereas a good hospital birth never sounds as empowering - more like a narrow escape from something scary..
Read home birth stories - there was a competition on the babyworld site last year for homebirth awards and hundreds of women related positive stories. All over the net you'll find thousands. Talk to community midwives or independent midwives to explore what your choices are.
If you have an IM she won't lay down the law about how overdue you are 'allowed' to go - she'll monitor you closely and will know whether you need to be induced.
My mw said any time from 37 weeks was fine and have known mothers have homebirths when they are over two weeks overdue with no complications.
You can't beat being able to get into your own bed.

I heard a really interesting talk last year by Diane Wiessinger - on the question why women tend to give birth more easily at home, she talked about what she calls 'the sphincter law'. She related how she has trouble opening her bowels for the first few days when she goes to stay somewhere away from home - a common phenomenon judging from the response this got. You are able to relax your muscles and open up when you are on your own territory - it's as simple and true as that.

Yes yes definitely yes. Had 3 now, and all absolutely fab.
A bit of mess that mw's and dh cleared up while I had a bath in my own tub.

I've has 2 homebirths - they were great. Hardly any mess. My midwife said I could have a hb between 37 & 42 weeks.

Btw - has anyone had a bath after the birth rather than a shower? Did it get full of blood / floaty bits?