Homebirth Rates

[BabiesEverywhere]

Say your local hospital has about 3000/3500 births a year and you found out they had 50 home births a year and 31 of those where 'unplanned'...so that leaves 19 planned homebirths in a year.

Isn't that very very low. Only 3 of those water births and 2 delivery in water

Do you want a homebirth? Here the homebirth rate is around 8%, I think.

StarlightMcKenzie, Those particular figures are from Dr Fosters Website via the telegraph website (figures from Dr Fosters).

goodasgold, Yes, I do. The hospital claim their rate is 2% but if they have counted the unplanned homebirths (need to check that bit) then their homebirth rate is actually 1% !!!

kazbeth, I am planning a home water birth and I am waiting to see if the local hospital can find me a supportive pro-home birth midwife experienced in water births.

As the team I was originally assigned is clearly not experienced nor supportive.

I am worried if they have only had 19 planned home births in a year with 3 water births, then their midwifes can't be very experienced can they ?

And those 19 births and 3 water births will be spilt amongst all the community midwives.

Independant midwife is not an option. I need to contact the hospital direct on Monday and find out who in particular did those births.

babies, i'm in a very similar situation so will be watching this thread with interest.
good luck.
x

I agree, pretty low. It would worry me, especially the inexperience in water.

But many thanks for the link

Interesting site but I'm a little over some of the stats. For instance it says that there were 32 planned homebirths for my unit, of which 1 laboured in water and one gave birth in water. I find that hard to believe since my MW, only one of one of the several community teams in the area, has done at least 2 recently. I know it will be a different year but it seems low. The hospital stats make me shudder though.

Indith,

The Dr Foster stats are for the financial year of April 2006 to March 2007, so just a snapshot of that particular year.

I am worried myself that the water birth stats seems so low, so I am ringing my local hospital for more up to date stats.

Tricky isn't it, hope the hospital can give you more information and you can track down and talk to the MWs who have done water births. I suppose if it comes down to it you could labour in water and give birth on dry land. Not ideal and probably not what you want but if the experience isn't available and you are nervous of doing it without an experienced MW it could be a compromise.

Mmm, this year stats for my hospital are slightly better at 60 planned and 30 unplanned homebirths with three water births a whole 1.7% of all the births.

As there is an estimated 70 midwifes doing these births, it doesn't sound like any particular midwife will be that experienced in home births.

I am confident about having a homebirth but my midwife wasn't and told me so.

Hence I am a few weeks off my due date and have no midwife to come out to me in labour. I am waiting to see if the hospital can find me an experienced confident pro-home birth midwife to attend me, else I will be on my own, medically speaking

I'm sure you are confident if your bf hellraising is anything to go by Well when it comes down to it they have to send you someone, I would imagine that a MW will go into professional mode when faced with a labouring woman, home or hospital.

Or come live here, we are blessed with a very pro homebirth bunch.

"your bf hellraising" ???

Durham sounds lovely, especially with the pro-homebirth midwife team...I need to move

I mean it nicely, I refer to your threads on here with the wonderfully misinformed bf group.

I still don't know what 'bf' means in that context ?!?

Derr Breastfeeding

babies.... have you had a reponse from your letter?

lulumama, I'll email you, it is a bit long.

Bottom line I am waiting to hear if they can find a supportive trained midwife for me but I am not holding my breath.