Quick post from me - new baby has severely limited my MNing! Apologies, I've not had time to catch up on the thread.
I ended up going overdue to 42 weeks and was induced, so no home water birth for me. My induction was a little eventful - almost instant hyperstimulation leading to a crash section because of repeated bouts of distress on the baby's heartrate trace. Because of meconium stained waters, I wouldn't have had my home birth in any case, which has helped me get over my highly medicalised birth iykwim.
But the good news is that my son, Richard Walter, was born safely last Tues 16th March , weighing a healthy 4.1kg (9lbs 1oz in old money) and is an absolute delight. I can't believe he's 8 days old already...especially as it feels like we've always known each other
I was very to not have had my home birth and to not even have experienced natural labour, and the two weeks going overdue were psychologically the toughest of the whole pregnancy. But now that my DS is here it's all been worth it. The memories are fading a little more each day.
Luckily, the consultant who did my section has had actually had a home birth herself and is very supportive of it. She was the one who brought a touch of humanity to the madness that was the labour room and actually came to see me the day after and yet again reassured me that the c-section was to do with getting him out because the hours of constant contracting were hard on him rather than because of an inherent "fault" with me. And she said I'd be perfectly right to consider a home vbac in the future!
Very best of luck to all you home birthers. I'll lurk when I can and look forward to reading many more happy birth stories