The thread for first time home birthers (or thinking about it) - over here!

[Boobz]

I only just found out I was pregnant 10 days ago, and it is of course early days, but I have been doing a lot of research and am seriously thinking of having a home birth.

I'm a member of my Due March '09 ante natal club thread, but I don't want to go on about home birthing there where the majority will be planning a hospital birth (don't want to bore them!) I'd like to start this thread for all those people who'd like to talk about the pros and cons, planning, expectations and realities of home births, especially if it is your first baby, or first home birth.

Has everyone else's other halves been fine at the thought of a first baby HB? Or did you have to do some convincing?

A

Hello all!

We bought a La Bassine birthing pool at the weekend - it was second hand but the people who sold it to us never got a chance to use it (baby had other ideas and came out on bathroom floor!) so its first hand for birthing!! Fingers crossed we get to use it!

Well Im back from my midwife appointment and very happy.

She was more then happy to hear I wanted a home birth (she's a midwife I have seen on and off with all three of my children so I'm fairly familiar with her), she's even hoping its her who comes to my aid when the time comes...yey, she's coming to visit me in 2 weeks at home to discuss it with me, so yes....VERY happy girl here =)

Can I join you all. I'm 35 weeks and booking my homebirth this weekend.

I tried last time but developed PE the day after the kit was delivered and ended up in hospital for a 5 day induction and a less than ideal birth...

Got a pool, waterproof sheeting, birthing mat and tens booked so I hope the MWs say ye this time. They've postponed the booking once by two weeks as I was ill so fingers crossed

glad it all went well angelpoise and boobz (how plush is gracefield gardens? well lush innit?)

thanks for additions to the list as well

the other day I went for a pregnancy massage and DH was taught how to massage me during labour, highly recommended because after 20mins or so endorphins should be released that help with the pain, so very good for us homebirthers

I think I have onset of mild SPD and now worried about homebirth - if I tell my m/w on friday that I have pelvic pain will she write me down as no longer low-risk and not let me even comtemplate homebirth?!

That is a shite reason for denying you a home birth! I have SPD and it is partly why i am having a HB. Labour progesses better and faster in an environment where a mother feels more secure and comfortable in. There is therefore less need for interventions. I am planning a home waterbirth because water will take the pressure off my hips as well as all the other benefits of waterbirths. visit www.homebirth.org.uk website where there is a page of 'i am being denied because...'

you can then tell them, not ask them for a HB.

I'd say put the pool where you will be most comfortable and will find it easiest to relax. The kitchen might get a bit busy with people fetching water, making tea, toast etc.

I'm going for our dining room. The table can be moved into the living room if the breastfeeding chair that DH got me can go into the spare room for a few days. I even fitted a dimmer switch myself this am so that the lights can be turned down. Next to the kitchen so have the advantage of easy access to a sink to fill the pool and has patio doors so easy to pump the used water out.

I want the lights down, some candles and everyone to leave me alone to get on with it. They can move between the kitchen and living room without disturbing me too much.

thanks foxytocin - if the pain gets worse i want to tell them in case they're able to refer me to physio but wanted to make sure they wouldn't then make me go to hospital (thankfully my midwives are really pro-homebirth), it seems to have subsided a bit anyhow

anyone not planning to have a pool by any chance?

ajm - good thinking, candles, must get candles (for warmth as well as light, flipping gas prices!)

Girlwiththemouseyhair - I had severe SPD last time, could only walk with crutches and was still booked for a homebirth. Just wasn't allowed a pool as I wouldn't be able to get out in an emergency. Flippin PE mucked it up though.

GWMH, I am NOT having a pool either. For a start I have nowhere to put one as have laminate throughout downstairs, plus large french & patio doors in both the lounge & dining room and no curtains/blinds. I can just imagine the neighbours faces if they looked out their back bedroom windows . I can always take a bath/shower if I feel the need to be in water.

Ohhh, good idea about the candles! Guess I have better wait and see if they let me have my homebirth first, just under 3 weeks and counting until they have to give me a definate answer

I'm having a pool.

Me too. I like the idea of keeping the mess contained.. ahem.

Ohhhh, I had a dream last night, which I partly hope is a premonition. I dreamt that I gave birth to my beautiful baby boy in my own home, in my bedroom. Typically dh was at work, but strangely, I did not call him, just waited for him to come home for the day and greeted him at the door looking very glam in pre-pregnancy clothes and makeup and waited for him to ask where my bump had gone(could definately tell it was a dream then, lol!). My baby was gorgeous (well, to me!), he looked alot like ds2, but not exactly and bigger. The shocker was I distinctly remember the midwife telling me in the dream that baby weighed a healthy 9lb 12oz . That's nearly 2lb more than my heaviest ds was born!

I am starting to think that the birth and where it will be is playing on my mind a little! Here's hoping most of my dream is true...although would quite like dh to be there!

Heartmum - I hope for your sake that weight isn't a premonition.. ouch!

Good news, had my homebirth signed off this morning with the minimum of fuss. The midwives bring a homebirth kit of drugs with them so no hassle with visiting the GP. The kit including G&A arrives on the 1st along with my pool. The list of requirements last time was huge. This time, I've just got to provide good lighting, plastic sheeting, warm towels, strong tea, toast and biscuits. They are willing to allow labour to stall for up to 4 hours before a hospital transfer and might go longer if there is a decent DVD to watch

It seems my MW is really pro homebirth, had all of her children at home.

Officially I can have a homebirth from the 8th (38 weeks) but she is going to raise this at the next meeting and I might be allowed to have it at home from 2nd (37 weeks). Can also go a full two weeks overdue and still have baby at home. A great result!

hello all - just saying hi. i am about....oooohhhh.... 14 days preg but really keen to homebirth so keen to see how it goes for everyone. seem to be a lot of streatham hill-ers here which is a bit spooky. til eight weeks ago i lived on a big estate just off gracefield gardens .

A quick update from me - the CMW came round this afternoon to talk to DH and I about hb and she's filled out all the paperwork so it's all going ahead She said that even if my 34 week scan on Thursday shows that the baby still has some renal dilation then it's OK as we'll just take her in for a scan afterwards. I just need a clear result from my GBS swab on Wednesday now... Keep your fingers crossed for me please!
I asked her about the hb kit and apparently the CMWs just bring everything with them - our Trust doesn't trust people not to give birth without assistance apparently and also they don't want all the stuff tied up for weeks on end, which I suppose I can understand. The MW is very much pro-hb - there are three others booked in my area in November, two of them first-timers. She's really nice - I hope she's on duty when I go into labour! She also put in her order for tea and chocolate digestives but apart from plastic sheeting and towels we don't have to provide anything else.
I can also have the baby at home from 37+1 to 40+10 so that's good too!
Hope everybody else's hb plans are going well. Who is due first?

Hello all!

DH and I inflated our La Bassine pool at the weekend and had a little sit in it (without water) and it was quite comfy.

I have been told I can have a homebirth between 37 and 42 weeks so thats between 11 October and 15 November. Its so close!

hi everyone...

sorry havent posted in a while being quite busy sorting out my hb..im 37 weeks 2day and well its all sorted now my trust has decided to employ an IM to take over my ante-natal, labour and post natal of 4weeks after baby's arrival. i am sooo pleased as the midwife is absolutely wonderful very experienced 28 years of being a midwife and loves water births.

im also very pleased to announce that because of my 7months of WAR with this trust other women in my area wont have to go through what i went through as this IM + her assistant will be doing all the trusts HB request till january when hopefully by then they will have their HB team which they have just started trainin. IM at a cost to them obviously £3500 a time...so please ladies keep figting for your right to a have a HB and dont take no for an answer. shortages of midwifes isnt your problem but theirs so keep writing those letters to those at the top of your trusts and make a change.

if you need any help ill be happy to assist just ask me or foxytocin

foxytocin hope u r doin well and thanks 4 ur support!

cricri I'm 41 weeks today, so I'm kind of hoping I'll be next! Heartily fed-up and really don't want to be induced and miss out on my HB that way, so please send me all the labour vibes you can!

swottybetty another ex-Streathamite here (now up in the glorious, if chilly and full of ginormo spiders, North ).

Told my parents about the planned HB the other day - had been avoiding doing so because I didn't want any arguments. My mum seemed fairly positive, my dad (retired GP) more or less speechless!

Ah YumMum22, thanks for the update. I am welling up again reading your post. I am v.v. hormonal now at 40+ weeks. I really hope dd comes overnight then I don't have to go to another antenatal appt tomorrow.

Yes the times they are a-changing. You have done a great thing for the women in your area though I am sure it felt like swimming in poo molasses when you were doing it.

there is another thread here on MN about women in Derby area being denied a HB on the same pretext as you were being denied.

Hi ladies, I put a few posts on this thread a whiie ago and thought I would return with my birth story

It was a home waterbirth after c-section, I hope you enjoy it and I hope it reinforces why you are choosing the hb route

great news all round recently (though for angelpoise....lots of labour vibes coming your way)

my midwives can't drop off our HB kit because one of them is on leave (was a bit when she said only two of them could do it) so we have to pick it up a week on friday...means they won't have seen our house or anything so I suppose it's not a major issue? am now slightly worried though that I'll call up and they'll say there aren't any midwives available, I'm just assuming unless i need/choose ot go to hospital it will happen at home, is this horribly naive?!

Iliketomoveit Congratulations and what a lovely birth story I really hope I have a birth like that (although possibly not such a quick labour - must have been quite scary!)
Anglepoise and Foxytocin Sending lots of positive labour vibes your way
Girlwiththemouseyhair I'm no expert but I don't think being short-staffed is an excuse the hospital can use - somebody should be sent out to you if you've got a hb booked. Others will know more than I do though and fingers crossed it doesn't come to that.

My last post was exactly on this issue, girlwithmousyhair so will copy and paste it here.

It is not your problem if they have a shortage of midwives. That is what they will tell every woman as long as they can get away with it.

What has worked for other people in this situation is to have someone repeat your rights like a broken record if they give you that piece of shit garbage when you ring telling them that you are in labour stating that

"Girlwiththemouseyhair is going to give birth at home and we look forward to seeing a midwife."

if you go to the homebirth website you will see the full context of that quote. Click on the link "You can't have a homebirth because..." and somewhere under there is "What if you phone when you are in labour, and are told no midwives are available?"

I have had to write 2 letters to my Trust to stop this sort of obtuseness and if at the last moment they still don't get it, I will be using this technique.

If you'd like to see the letter I wrote to my trust on this issue, it is further down this thread, under the name Kiskidee posted on Tue 12-Aug-08 20:32:49

Iliketomoveit, congratulations!! That is an absolutely amazing birth story. Welcome Mac!

Anglepoise & Foxytocin, sending labour vibes your way!

I had a midwife appt today, had to bring it forward a week as we will be away during clinic next week. Saw a different CMW from normal, she seemed way more pro homebirth. She didn't even seem concerned about baby's size and is the first midwife to not have a startled look on her face at my fundal height measurment (am 34+5 today and measured 37cm........ not bad considering I was measuring 34cm at 28 weeks!). She said that although I LOOKED to be carrying a big baby, on palpation, he appears to be nicely "average" with a fair bit of fluid, so much so she could not tell which side his back was on (turned out was on my left!). She took bloods to redo my FBC and check iron levels again and managed to squeeze my fetal growth scan in for this week (wednesday). My BP was 98/54 and apart from a few keytones in my urine (early morning sample and Iwas thirsty), everything was great. My next appt is in 2 weeks (36+5) and I will be told whether I can have my homebirth. I feel a little more positive about it after today's appt, especially when we discussed how far out fetal weight by U/S can be, as much as 20% either way and both my boys were 20% smaller than predicted! I just wish I didn't have all these hoops to jump through, I know my body better than anyone, everything is going swimmingly so far.