Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Childbirth

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

Original poster

Did anyone give birth alone? How was it?

12 replies

Justlostmybagel · 15/12/2025 13:11

I'm preparing for the possiblity that I may end up giving birth alone. We live abroad and have a toddler so no family close by to watch our dd. We have a few new friends/acquaintances (we haven't lived here long) but no one yet that we feel we could ask, so dh would have to stay with our dd.

Right now, I feel okay about it. It was obviously nice to have my dh there the first time, but I did all the work still lol. I didn't really feel I needed his support for the actual labour/birth. That could be different next time though, I don't know.

We're looking into family flying over around the due date but nothing is certain. Both sets of grandparents still work and their own childcare responsibilities so it's harder to plan.

So did anyone here give birth alone? How did you find it?

OP posts:
Mikart · 15/12/2025 13:14

I did. Me and a midwife. It was absolutely fine! In fact preferable for me.....I was home within 4 hours.

cramptramp · 15/12/2025 13:16

Me. It was absolutely fine. I preferred it to when my husband was at the next one.

Mikart · 15/12/2025 13:28

cramptramp · 15/12/2025 13:16

Me. It was absolutely fine. I preferred it to when my husband was at the next one.

Yes 😅

HoneyParsnipSoup · 15/12/2025 13:31

I had a 12 hour labour completely alone in a side room because the medical staff didn’t believe I was in labour. They only ‘realised’ when DS’s head was visible and DH only made it for the very final stages. Beyond the medical neglect aspect I preferred being alone.

TheNightingalesStarling · 15/12/2025 13:33

In a similar position when DD2 was born... we got several offers of childcare when people realised our plan was me giving birth at home with midwife with my mother looking after DD1 elsewhere in the house (DH was abroad with Army).

blobby10 · 15/12/2025 13:34

During both labours (prior to em CS) with baby 1 and 2, DH was an irritant - he didn't need to be there, he wasn't doing anything helpful or comforting but society said he should be there. By the time the really hard bit came (pushing) all I was focussed on was the midwife.

3rd baby, Elective C Section, I refused to have DH in theatre as when he had seen me have a CS with baby #2 it had sent him funny and he ended up in bed for three days when I got out of hospital. Wasn't having that happen again and so he buggered off to the cafe when they took me down to have the epidural.

I will be shouted down for it but I think there's a lot to be said for returning to the pre1970s when men just weren't in the delivery room!

IAmKerplunk · 15/12/2025 13:37

I did at home with just 1 midwife. It was fine and I was focussed. In some ways a lot easier than previous births and my exh annoying me throughout!

IAmKerplunk · 15/12/2025 13:39

blobby10 · 15/12/2025 13:34

During both labours (prior to em CS) with baby 1 and 2, DH was an irritant - he didn't need to be there, he wasn't doing anything helpful or comforting but society said he should be there. By the time the really hard bit came (pushing) all I was focussed on was the midwife.

3rd baby, Elective C Section, I refused to have DH in theatre as when he had seen me have a CS with baby #2 it had sent him funny and he ended up in bed for three days when I got out of hospital. Wasn't having that happen again and so he buggered off to the cafe when they took me down to have the epidural.

I will be shouted down for it but I think there's a lot to be said for returning to the pre1970s when men just weren't in the delivery room!

I don’t disagree with you - or it should be more acceptable for the father not to be there. My dsis was at my first birth and she was far more use than my exh was for the next 2 births

Marylou62 · 15/12/2025 13:39

Funnily enough my own DD was alone because the birth of her 2nd ds happened so quickly and her DP missed it by about 5 mins. Her father (my DH) missed her birth by about 15 mins. We both had incredibly fast 2nd stages.
From her waters going to delivery was about 30 mins.
I went from a closed cervix to delivery in the lift in less than 20 mins.
So both unintentional but both ok.

SparkyBlue · 15/12/2025 14:16

My aunt did and she said it was actually way more relaxing than her previous two births. She was a bit overdue and admitted to hospital for induction the following morning. That night she went into labour herself. This was before everyone had mobile phones so she said the landline ringing would possibly have woken her two young DCs then her DH would have had to ring his sister to come and babysit and in doing this could wake up her young DC so my aunt felt as everything was going great with her she would just leave everyone get their nights sleep and not end up disturbing several young children . she said the midwives were fabulous and made a great fuss of her and it was actually a great birth . She rang the following morning when she knew they were getting up with the good news.

Carandache18 · 15/12/2025 14:21

I did, with DC2. Just a midwife (in and out) it was absolutely fine and better than experiences with DC1 and DC3. I don't enjoy an audience at any time, so it suited me. We had absolutely no one to leave DC1 with.
Good luck, and don't worry. I think it was standard a generation or so ago, not to have partners and extended family mithering around being sensitive and useful.

pramalam · 15/12/2025 15:44

I did. And as others have said, I preferred it although it was also a much more straightforward birth. I liked only needing to think about myself.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page