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

ajm good luck. sending shiny pink baby vibes.

Oooo - a real live homebirth thread! Lovely! Keep us updated! I hope it all goes well for you. Did you say you were having a pool? Where is DP now? Is this your first?

DP decided to turn back and has been home since about 10. This is my 2nd but the first was a nightmare induction so feel a bit like a firsttimer.

Progress is so slow that I'm wondering if it is for real. The MW thinks it is and she should know. Have had a few contractions now but not regular enough to time. Could be a long wait.

I was supposed to have a luxury heated pool but had to cancel when they suspected PE and baby turned breech. Baby now the right way up so we've got a pool in a box just hope we can fill it as we have an old fashioned boiler.

Ohhhh, best of luck ajm!!! Sorry to hear the progress is slow, but is IS progress and another step towards meeting your baby! (ohhh, hark at me, could be a birth coach!)

I am now all set to go. One of the community team came around at lunch time and dropped off my kit and went through the risk assessment. Now have to sit tight and wait as patiently as I can for baby and pray for a normal, straight forward labour and delivery. She did keep stressing that 3rd babies tend to be a bugger with false starts ect. She was very reassuring though and said they would rather come out and find it is a false start than me leave it and possibly arrive too late.

Good luck Ajm How exciting! Hope you get the pool up and filled without any problems. It's bliss lying in it...
HM2J Glad you're all sorted - hope baby makes an appearance soon
Had my MW appt today and now have all the necessary paperwork for HB so I'm all set too. Everything OK with baby too - head is 3/5 engaged so hopefully will be here on time!

Can't motivate DH to set up the pool. He's just managed to read the booklet and put it back in the box before going on a lads night out.

Still not really progressing. MWs say I'm in early labour but i really really doubt it. Just have bad backache, shows and a few hours of contractions at 20 mins apart. Back pain is really strong. All in my back again tonight so sitting on the floor against the sofa arm with a hot water bottle against my back. Just want it to stop now.

How are you this morning ajm???

Cricri, woohoo for you being ready to go to. I am jealous at your 3/5ths, I was only 1/5 on Tuesday, but I know that it is not uncommon for 2nd and subsequent children. I am having alot of pressure down there today, so hopefully baby has moved down a little

Labour watch is officially off. Still having irregular contractions and making some very slow progress but have told the MWs I don't want to be examined again until I have regular contractions at less than 15mins apart. They've agreed. They still say I'm in early labour but I've decided to treat it as BHs for now. I was getting very disheartened to be told that I was making between 0-1 cm progress in 12 hours. Currently only at 2-3 after almost 2 days... I'll let you know when I call the MWs out again.

My friend has just called to say she's dropping off an exercise video for indoor walking aerobics that she used to shift her back to back baby and get labour going. I'm going to put DS up for a nap and then we are going to do the video for as long as I can stand. It is a total of 4 fast miles so don't think I'll be finishing it.

Had my bump photographed this am as part of a big photoshoot to promote the playgroup. I was offically the closest to my due date but my bump was too small so ended up with the Jan/Feb mums at the wrong end of the line.. one poor mum has 3 months to go and is very petite but as wide as she is tall around the bump... felt really sorry for her... her baby is already estimated to be 12lbs by her due date!! and she's only just over 5 feet and about a size 10. Ouch! Guess it won't be arriving naturally.

Hi. I had my dating scan today and found out I'm due on 3rd May. I am very interested in a home birth - a fact I told my midwife when I saw her 2 weeks ago. I get stressed out by hospitals and think I would be much more relaxed in my own home. MW didn't think it would be a problem depending on my blood pressure (I have a history of high blood pressure which is managed by tablets). However she has referred me to a consultant because of this. When I contacted BUPA Cardiff to arrange a nuchal scan (had to go private my nhs hospital in hereford doesn't offer this), they told me that it would be very unlikely that I'd be allowed a home birth because I've been referred to a consultant.
Anyone had an experience like this? The MW didn't say it would be a problem - was she just letting me down gently. I feel I could have been fobbed off!!

Forgot to say - this is my first baby.

Good luck with the aerobics video ajm! Lets hope it gets things moving for you....
Hi loobylou. I really have no idea - sorry. Hopefully someone else on this thread will be able to help.

Regarding the 1/5, 2/5 engaged thing - it's most confusing. On monday, my MW wrote down that I was 4/5 - and said head was just starting to move down. Which I deduced I am 4/5 OUT of the cervix, not IN? Is that right? As you progress, does your number decrease to 3/5, then 2/5 then 1/5? It seems a bizarre way of doing things.

ajm, best of luck with the video, I was tempted to get on the wii fit earlier and try the hula hoop excersises. If only the step wasn't raised I would probably give it a try!

Loobylou, you may not being let down gently. I was under consultant led/OB care as I was classed as high risk due to my current youngest son having a heart condition. However, I am now 38+1 and everything is good to go. All I had to do was get the OB's "permission", which I did on Tuesday, but by law, they can't really deny you a homebirth because you have consultant led care. Perhaps try looking at this site for the legalities www.homebirth.org.uk/ and have a look at the section entitled you can't have a home birth because...

Monkeymargot, it has taken me to my 3rd baby to fully understand the 5ths. I asked my midwife to explain to to me as if she was explaining it to a student midwife. She showed me my notes and then her own corresponding paperwork and the notes now have a section (page 12 in my notes, under antenatal checks) that explains engagement. According to the notes 5/5 is free, 4/5 is baby sitting at the pelvic brim, 3/5 is lower but most of head is still above the pelvic rim, 2/5 is classed as engaged as more head is in the brim than out and 1/5 is deeply engaged as the head can hardly be palpated. It does seem to be a bizarre way of doing it, but the numbers coorespond to what the midwife can feel on palpation, not how far down the head is, if you see what I mean?

I think its how far baby still has to drop. I was 3/5 last check and was told baby still had 3 cm to drop

HM2J - ahhh...thanks for your erudite explanation!

OMG, how dense am I?? I just presumed my placenta was on the back wall of my uterus, like with my other pregnancies. Thinking back, I found it odd that I didn't really get any BIG movements until about 26 weeks, more like squirms, rolls and wriggles (much like now again, lol!) After being told that my baby is slightly back to back on Tuesday I decided to have a look at spinning babies to see if I could tell the position from belly mapping, only wheh I looked more closely at my notes, I finally managed to decipher some sonographer scribble.......I have a flipping anterior placenta. No wonder I struggle this time to tell what body part is what and the kids and dh have hardly been able to feel the baby kicking

I am still going to have a go at trying to decipher how baby is lying, but I can see this being quite difficult, especially as it will be harder to tell if baby has slipped back around.

Homebirth is on tonight!!!!!! Wooo hoooo

The exercise video did the trick.. contractions started at 6 mins apart 3 hours ago. MW has confirmed waters are likely to go any time... and things are progressing nicely. Great news after 2 days of prelabour in my back.

Woohoo ajm!!! I am really excited for you and can't wait to hear how things go (what was the video called? LOL!)

good luck ajm!!

Good luck with the birth ajm!!

Re the 1/5th, 2/5ths thing:

This number relates to how much of the baby's head the midwife can feel (palpable). ie, if she can feel 1/5th of it then it has dropped well into the pelvis. If she can feel 4/5ths of it then only a small part of it has dropped into the pelvis. Incidentally, in first time mums, the baby's head can drop deeply into the pelvis many weeks before labour starts and for 2nd/subsquent babies it can still be 4/5ths palpapable right up to the start of labour and not engage until labour progresses.

Loubylou - agree, you are not being let down gently. The only person who can decide if you are having a homebirth is YOU! I don't know what the heck the BUPA hospital has to do with a decision about place of birth. The midwives are the ones attending the birth so they are they ones who will advise you whether or not THEY think it's appropriate but at the end of the day, it's ALWAYS your choice.

There are sooo many misconceptions about homebirth, it really frustrates me. The most common one being - "I am now allowed a homebirth because......" I haven't read all of this thread but I've no doubt someone has already mentioned Angela Horn's fantastic website www.homebirth.org.uk which has a section on "not allowed a homebirth because...."

Howdie
Independent Midwife

MW has gone home to get some sleep as this is taking a while. Contractions at 3 mins and very uncomfortable but as I'm fairly relaxed she thinks I'll be while.

I'm only coping with TENs and hypnobabies..

Oh well.

And now? What news AJM??

I was also looking for news ajm, I hope you have your baby in your arms by now.

I am currently voiceless as have succumbed to the cough/cold virus ds1 had last week. The boys, hubby included think it's funny. I am just hoping I don't need to call anyone today, lol!

I'm going to be soon! Waters broke last night, but my contractions are still really mild and irregular. The midwife came out and examined me, and just told me to call them when my contractions were five minutes apart for about two hours, or if I had any concerns. Oh, and she told me not to have sex - because that's exactly what I was going to do to pass the time, with a huge bump and amniotic fluid leaking out of me!

He's a little early (due date was 27th) so it's a bit of a shock (this is our first as well!), but now I just want my contractions to hurry up and get going so I can meet him!

BRILLIANT Rhian! Wonderful! Keep us updated!