I'm expecting my 4th baby at the beginning of May, and I'd be very grateful for anyone's advice/ opinion/ expertise regarding whether or not I should have the baby at home.
My first baby was born in hospital - straightforward delivery (although I had an episiotomy) but a very stressful generally unpleasant experience.
Baby number 2 was born at home while DD1 was upstairs in bed - completely problem free delivery, probably the best childbirth experience I could hope for!
Baby 3 was also born at home. He was big (9lbs 4oz - and that was a week early) His shoulders got slightly stuck on the way out, the midwife quickly sorted it out but advised that she wouldn't like to see me deliver a baby any bigger than that at home. I decided there and then that the next one would be born in hospital.
Now I'm not feeling so sure about it though. I hate the thought of going into hospital and I have no-one who I am really comfortable leaving my older three children with (I'd love it if the baby could be born while they were at home in bed like with my second birth!) My community midwife is open to the idea of me having a homebirth, but my husband is not keen on it given what happened last time.
I think my third baby may have been so big because I had to take a course of steroid tablets a few days before he was born for a bad chest infection (I have asthma) - does anyone know whether that is likely to make a baby bigger? If I knew this one was not going to be as big I would almost definitely opt to stay at home...
Anyway, any advice from anyone on what I should do would be most appreciated! I know it's my decision in the end, but other people's views always help me to think a bit more clearly...