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Childbirth

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

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Original poster

Home birth -not water

27 replies

Rhian82 · 07/07/2008 11:50

I'm currently 24+1 and trying to decide between a hospital and home birth. If I do go for a home birth, it won't be with a pool. I was just wondering, for anyone else who's done a home birth without a pool - where did you end up giving birth? In your living room? On the bed? I keep imagining it as being in our living room, because it's huge, but would that be really weird? Our bedroom is quite small, and our bed is a futon so it's at floor level - would that work? Once we've got the cot put up and in there as well, there's really not going to be much space around the bed!

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Thankyouandgoodnight · 07/07/2008 12:07

I think the beauty of being at home is that you can go exactly where the mood takes you and be wherever you want to for the actual birth!!! The MWs will chase you round with waterproof coverings for the floor

loomer · 07/07/2008 12:10

Hi Rhian. I had a fantastic homebirth - although I did use a pool for the last bit, but here are a few thoughts which might help...

I didn't go anywhere near our bedroom from the start to end - I wanted to keep it as a nice clean sanctuary to retreat to with baby once she was out. There can be a fair loss of 'fluids' involved, and so we ended up covering the sofa (but not the floorboards as these are easy enough to wash down after) with plastic decorating sheets from B&Q. If you give birth in the living room you can at least walk away from the mess when you are ready and get snuggled down in your own lovely bed with clean sheets, which for me was a big bonus of a homebirth.

Mind you I guess you could do the reverse and go a lounge on the sofa afterwards. One of the trickiest things is trying to predict where you will want to be and how much you will want to move around. I don't think the size of the room will worry you when you're in the throes. Personally I didn't move around very much at all, but then our house is tiny!

One other consideration is location of toilet. I found it hard going up and down the stairs to the loo at various times, that's the only thing which I would have changed in hindsight.

cazboldy · 07/07/2008 12:11

I have had 4 hb

1st one I did get on the bed

2nd one i was in the living room

3rd one I was on the bedroom floor

4th one I was in the bath (things happened very quickly, and i didn't have time to get out!)

I highly recommend it

Is this your first baby?

Good Luck

Original poster

Rhian82 · 07/07/2008 12:24

Wow, thanks for quick responses! Yep it's my first baby - as I said I haven't made the decision yet, but I mentioned it to my midwife on the last visit and she was really positive. She said they love homebirths in this area, and as long as I accept that I might have to transfer into hospital (I'm aware of the 40% statistic and am fine with that, I don't have a problem with hospitals, home just seems preferable) then there are no problems as I'm low risk.

loomer - luckily the bathroom won't be a problem, we're in a (ground floor) flat and the bathroom is between the living room and bedroom, so easy to get to no matter what!

Sounds like I'll just be playing it be ear then - though I'll probably discuss with DH which room we'd prefer as a 'sanctuary' afterwards

OP posts:

scorpio1 · 07/07/2008 12:27

I hada HB with dc3

I gave birth in the front room, on top of a quilt on the floor, with little absorbant sheets the MW's brought with them on top. DH put the heating on, closed the curtains and made me a little nest, lol.

It was the best.

jellyforbrains · 07/07/2008 14:18

I had a HB with DC2. Our bedroom is fairly big so I made up the bed (when I was in labour) with our normal 'nice' bedding then put a b&q plastic decorating sheet on that, with another older sheet on top of that. Had a pile of old clean towels next to the bed - I put a couple of these under me when I was lying down. I did want to lie down though by the end so may have done differently if I'd been pacing around.

We have floorboards so floor covering wasn't a problem - there wasn't much mess though anyway. After I'd given birth they whipped the dirty towels away and then after I was all clean and showered I pulled off the top sheet and plastic sheet and cuddled up with baby in a lovely clean bed. Sheet and towels were just stuck in a 60C wash.

MarsLady · 07/07/2008 14:19

I find that women tend to go for the smallest corners despite starting out in the centre of the room.

Celery · 07/07/2008 14:26

Both times kneeling on the floor over the sofa. Actually, kneeling over DH who was sitting on the sofa ( who was watching BBC News 24 over my shoulder )

Wisknit · 07/07/2008 14:28

living room on blow-up camping matress covered by £1 shower curtain from wilkos

Homebirths are wonderful.

Sazisi · 07/07/2008 14:31

DD2 was born on the bedroom floor; I was sort of squatting, leaning my back against the bed.

butwhybutwhy · 07/07/2008 14:31

I cant post much as I need to go out but I had a HB without water.
I planned to have the baby in the spare room on the bed as there was space to move around.

I was told anything too low would be difficult for the MW's but if thats what I wanted obviously they would do it.

It was nice for me as I had the baby and then waddled over to my own bedroom and stayed there for 2 days

OurHamsterisevil · 07/07/2008 15:29

I had an HB no pool with DS2, I used my living room and always planned it that way. Agree with Loomer on the polythene decorating sheets from B&Q. My MW recommended them. We covered the carpet and the sofa with them. I gave birth kneeling on the floor leaning over my sofa. It was great. And wonderful to snuggle in bed afterwards.

Good luck, at least you have supportive MW's too, that helps.

tellyaddict · 07/07/2008 20:56

Hi - I had a homebirth without water for my 3rd baby (1st two in hospital) and I thought that I'd give birth on my bed until I actually went into labour. We had covered both the bed and the sofa/lounge floor and when it came down to it I wanted to stay in the lounge (watching TV until I needed to retreat into myself puffing on G & A!) and gave birth on the sofa. I think it was nice and comfy for the MW!!

Don't worry about the mess as the MW's clear it all up, within half an hour (maybe less) you would not have known that a birth had taken place in my lounge, there was not a mark anywhere (just a big sack of waste to be incinerated which the MW took away). I had my baby at lunchtime, if it had all happened in the evening/during the night I may well have had him on my bed.

As for a sanctuary afterwards, I felt incredibly cosy and serene and elated wrapped up in my soft towels, skin-to-skin with my newborn on my sofa. I can highly recommend a hb for a low-risk pregnancy!

Good luck with everything!

Spidermama · 07/07/2008 21:03

2 in sitting room, 1 in study and 1 in bed. The bed one was my least favourite because I like to plant my feet on solid ground.

The best advice is to play it by ear. Have builders plastic sheeting around and instruct your dh to cover your chosen room with that, and perhaps cotton sheets on top of it for reasons of comfort and asthetics.

Vibes it. You can't really plan it.

Lio · 07/07/2008 21:10

In living room, kneeling on floor, using sofa for support. As others have said, it won't necessarily be how you plan it, but my home birth suited me much better than my hosp birth. Best of luck!

sweetkitty · 07/07/2008 21:13

My bedroom is currently set up for homebirth no2 (due date Thursday come on baby). I preferred my bedroom as it's quite small and cosy whereas the living room/dining room is huge and I would feel quite exposed in it.

What we did last time and this time is, strip the bed and cover with shower curtains, the on top place a cheap fitted sheet to hold everything in place and it's also a bit comfier, then had pads and towels ready. I have an en-suite too which helps for the toilet and water if needed.

I have 2 canisters of gas and air and two of oxygen for me or the baby (G&A only for me). The MWs have a huge bag of kit there too, resus and suction machines as well.

Last time I was on the bed, off the bed, up the wall, pulled headboard off at one point, think I delivered on the bed at the end though.

Sexonlegs · 07/07/2008 21:14

Hi there. I had an unplanned home birth with dd2 and it was the most amazing experience of my life. I was in the living room and dh grabbed some old towels and that did the job Then had a bath in my own clean bath and went to bed in our own lovely bed with our own pillows - fabulous!

Wishing you the best of luck whatever you decide

Yorky · 07/07/2008 21:33

Just out of interest, why have you decided against a waterbirth? I had a homebirth with my first, and giving birth in the pool was lovely. I agree you have to go with what you're comfy with so hospital may not suit you, glad your MW is supportive

madmouse · 07/07/2008 22:34

I was planning a home birth (never happened - long story) without a pool. I am just not a waterbabe. Planned my delivery in the middle of the living room. but in early labour I loved the shower...

LynetteScavo · 07/07/2008 22:37

I had a home birth with out a pool. I'm not particularly a water person, but basically couldn't be arsed!

I did have a bath whilst in labour though.

I gave birth in the middle of our living room. We had wooden floors so I thought it would be a good idea. I made DH out a double duvet on the floor so I was comfortable, but that hadn't been planned. (It did get quite yukky!)

LynetteScavo · 07/07/2008 22:38

Forgot to mention I needed to be on the floor. I wouldn't have felt right on the bed.

jennifersofia · 07/07/2008 22:57

Had all 3 hb's in living room on futon sofa, which had been put into a bed. Absolutely wonderful. It was good to have the extra floor space. Even feeling slightly of you...
If you are keen, go for it!

Original poster

Rhian82 · 09/07/2008 12:48

Thanks everyone

We have a futon sofa in the living room, so yeah, might just put that down and cover with shower curtains and old sheets, nice and comfy for everyone and a decent height for the midwife.

The idea of a water birth has just never appealed - I'm not a water person at all, don't like baths or swimming Plus it seems like a real faff to do it at home, and the midwife did make the point that as I'm in a flat (ground floor, but with a basement flat below) I'd have to double check the floor could stand the weight!

OP posts:

marjean · 09/07/2008 20:33

1st - in my own bedroom. Had laboured all night standing in a corner but gave birth in a semi-kneeling position supported by 1 mw and dh. I was kneeling on the bed, which is not a futon, but very low, so I guess space for the second mw was sufficient!

2nd - in the smallest bedroom (which is currently used by my youngest). Very little room but you don't need much.

One thing to bear in mind - during my first birth, things were pretty slow for a while and the mws kept asking me to use the bathroom. Every time I went, contractions became much stronger, so I guess it worked. You might want to think about proximity to the loo.

toolly · 10/07/2008 00:13

Would you have twelve people standing in a pool sized spacr in your flat? That's how much a full birth pool weighs. Vast majority of places can withstand that weight.
NB not a structural surveyor but had a HB (with pool)and that was my dads concern.

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