Low intervention - homebirth

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Hi. Just wondering if any ladies are currently pregnant and planning a homebirth?

I have self referred and noted on my form that I’ll be having a homebirth. I have my first booking appointment in 2 weeks.

Just looking for some positive stories on the process so far and how to navigate avoiding landing on the intervention conveyor belt.

not looking for opinions from people who are against homebirth/haven’t experienced it

Have you read my reply? I didn’t say I was against it, I said the link you shared was for a weird religious website. That’s been corrected now

ultrasounds are optional - so I don't know what your issue is? I have opted out of the first one, someone asked my reason which I gave. What exactly is your problem?

Cervical checks are offered, they aren't necessary
https://www.babycentre.co.uk/x25015647/i-dont-want-a-vaginal-examination-how-else-can-my-midwife-assess-my-labour

Your ‘reason’ was to say that the 12 week scan is unsafe, which is false. That’s the ‘problem,” as it may needlessly worry other pregnant women who are reading this thread.

Once more, because it bears repeating, the 12 week scan is not unsafe. There is absolutely no evidence that it causes any harm whatsoever to the baby or to the mother.

Absolutely, they're optional, but declining them isn't consequence free. Forgive me being blunt here, but if you find out that your baby's skull hasn't developed, or they are so clearly poorly that there is zero chance of survival, then better you find out at 12 weeks than 20. The end consequence will be the same, but you'll be putting your body through more physical and emotional trauma.

It's also not that rare to go to your 12-week scan and find out baby hasn't made it, but your body hasn't gone into miscarriage. Unless it starts naturally waiting until 20 weeks could be dangerous for you.

And on the happy side, it could be twins! The sooner you find out the sooner you can start planning.

Well you think they are unsafe, which isn’t true. Avoiding appropriate medical care in pregnancy can actually be unsafe though. Hopefully your ‘research’ will allow you to look after your own health by having blood pressure and urine checks and blood tests though.

Thats what happened to me! Twins seen at 12 week scan!

I did not say that they were unsafe. I said that 'the research on the safety of early scanning is sketchy' - I didn’t specifically claim the 12-week scan is unsafe; I said the evidence base around early scanning isn’t as robust as people often assume.

At the end of the day - someone asked the question when clearly they did not want to know my true reasons why, and I stupidly answered. But ultimately, this is absolutely none of your business. I would NEVER tell any woman what to do with their pregnancy.

Realistically, most people do have a threshold at which they'd pull the plug. I didn't do the screening because I wouldn't abort for either of those 3 conditions on their own. But I would for anencephaly, for example.

I'm not assuming anything. And if people want to carry on the pregnancy, fab. But if they don't, it's a shed load more unpleasant at 20+ weeks.

That's was only example 1 anyway.

Example 2 is of a missed miscarriage, and yes it's a small risk, but the risk of finding out about miscarriage because you've developed sepsis from retained tissue is pretty grim. As is thinking you're 5 months pregnant to find that baby didn't make it past 6 weeks.

It's an odd thing to decide given that there is no risk of harm and it's non invasive.

The risks are risky on the mum but the baby at that stage, so if she doesn't want the scan, that's her choice, but it's a very odd one to make given most people are keen to see their baby for the first time and check all is well.

To decline sets off a lot of woo alarm bells as to what else the OP will be declining that does put her baby at risk.

I couldn’t have said this better. And it’s exactly the conversation my husband and I had. We would never abort and we don’t care about dating because the baby will choose it’s own birthday. Which renders the 12 week scan pointless for us. That coupled with the fact that all interventions come with a level of risks. I weighed up the options and decided the 12 week scan wasn’t for me.

thank you for your calm and measured response, it’s refreshing to see after a lot of crazy on here. I’m actually a little saddened that women don’t have a safe space on here to talk about their homebirths and their decision for low intervention.

Does that mean you won’t consider induction for any reason?

I had a lovely home birth with my first baby. Unfortunately it wasn't able to happen for my other dc and they were born in hospital.

The circumstances in which I'd abort personally are few and extreme, and where it would be intended to give them a less painful death than they'd inevitably have if they were born.

Regardless though it's still better to be prepared, even if it's just to prepare you emotionally. There are literally no downsides to scanning, so why on earth wouldn't you? That I don't understand.

Having a scan doesn't interfere with God's plans for the birth date 🙄.

Just make sure you get your whooping cough vaccine etc to protect baby

I did have a home birth with my second baby but not by choice, she just arrived too quickly! My close friend had two lovely planned home births and highly rated hypnobirthing (as would I).

You've mentioned a few times that you are open to plan b in an 'emergency situation' but I would just remember that midwives/sonographers/doctors will try to act before an emergency happens, if that makes sense. For example, with my first baby the scan at 36 weeks showed his growth rate and blood flow had slightly reduced. I had another scan the next day which showed the same thing. It wasn't an emergency at that point, I wasn't rushed to theatre for a c section but I was highly recommended an induction the same day as they doctor said they couldn't be sure what the outcome would be if I waited longer. I was happy to have an induction and had a really positive experience in hospital. I would also there were no signs something was wrong so I was relieved I had a scan at 36 weeks (I think our hospital has only recently introduced them as standard). I would think about what you would do in this kind of 'not yet emergency' situation.

I have already answered several times now that should an emergency arise then plans would change.

This is a thread about homebirth which has been lost on the majority of you.

Planned induction for whatever reason isn’t an emergency.

Well, frankly you haven't bothered answering questions about home birth anyway, like whether they'd be allowed to stitch you up after, what you mean by emergency, and to what extent you'll allow the midwives access to you, so they can be sure there is no emergency.

For example, if for whatever reason you became high risk for a hemorrhage, 'does the intervene only in an emergency' policy mean you'd go into a hospital when they advised, or only if the hemorrhage happened?

You're 'open to the possibility of an emergency situation?' You won't have a choice if it goes that way!😂