Home birth in jeopardy cos bump measuring 1cm too big?!!

[heth1980]

Hi,

This is my first post so bare with me!

I had a complication free pregnancy and labour with DD1 (now 22 months) - it was a 6 hour labour in a midwife-led birth centre, with just gas and air. I really want to have a home birth this time around (am 33 wks now)because I just can't see the need to be in hospital. Plus we have no one living close by who could look after DD, so if I had to go to hospital I would have to go in a taxi on my own and give birth on my own (a thought that is making me pretty anxious - pathetic I know but I had severe PND last time round and really want this time to be different!)

I went to a routine mw appt yesterday and found out that my mw has gone on long-term sick leave. She had known from my booking appointment at 8 weeks that I wanted a home birth and was fully supportive. I saw a different mw who, on measuring my bump, told me that I measure 34 weeks instead of 33 and that if I'm still measuring a week ahead at my next appointment in 4 weeks time I won't be allowed to have a home birth.

Unfortunately I wasn't able to discuss further with her at the appt because DD was busily trashing the room and trying to escape, but I came away feeling pretty .........surely they can't refuse me a home birth for the sake of 1 measley cm?? This puts bump on 90th centile, which DD was also on throughout that pregnancy and was born at 7lb 12. Personally I think it's me that's big not the baby - I am a size 16/18 so some of my tummy must be me!

Anyone got any experience of this or have any suggestions what I can do about it?

They can't refuse you a homebirth, it's feck all to do with being 'allowed'. It's your choice where to give birth.

I always measured wrong, sometimes big and sometimes small. It's not that accuate a science.

If you want a homebirth then that's your decision. They may ask you to sign something saying to you take responsibility for it and absolve them- I think I had to sign something anyway- but they certainly can't 'refuse'.

Sounds highly sus, I'm sure someone with proper knowledge will come on here and be clear about your rights, but if not, there is a homebirth website that gets recommended on here a lot (check old threads/do a search) and they will doubtless have good information to help you calmly but firmly state your case. Home birth was lovely IME, good luck!

I'm not interested in having a homebirth but read your thread as I am also measuring big. I'd second the opinion that it not a very accurate measurement. I have been measuring almost 2 weeks over since I was 28w and on Tuesday was measuring just over 2weeks. (I'll be 34w tomorrow). Apparently they should send you for a growth scan if you measure 2cm or 2 weeks big or small. So 2 cm either way is still considered normal. My MW hasn't sent me for a scan saying it's only just over.
Seems a very strange reason for not supporting your wish for a homebirth. Like you say 1cm is nothing really and most probably someone else measuring you would come up with a different measurement.

On the invaluable homebirth website here, a midwife (Mary Cronk) advises that when faced with just such an individual as you have been, who talks about "allowing" and giving spurious reasons why you can't have the birth you feel is appropriate, say "thank you for your opinion, it is very helpful, I'll give it some thought and let you know my decision".

(Long sentance, sorry!)

And as has already been said, fundal height is notoriously inaccurate for growth. Don't worry about this.

Don't worry too much about this. 1 cm is not too much. And if so, insist on having a growth scan to check out whatever concerns they may have about the baby being too big.

Might be worth not eating too much chocolate for the week or so before your next appointment (I know most of my growth is cadbury's related at this late stage!!)

Plenty of whoppers are born at home anyhow - just look at Mel who was snowed in earlier this month - her baby was a good big 9lb+ boy.

Fundal measurements notoriously innacurate, even growth scans can get it drastically wrong. Just stick to your guns and get the birth you want.

And big babies are not impossible to deliver at home. I had 9lb 5oz DS as home in 3.5 hours only 15 weeks ago!

Symphysis-fundal height= gestational age in weeks +/-1
So you are plus 1cm
It's normal

Are you sure your dates are correct?

Have you been scanned for size?

I was scanned & told the baby was big-she was 2.3kg

thanks for the responses everyone........feeling much happier about it now and preparing to stand my ground!

diddl - yes dates are correct and haven't yet been scanned for size, tho I guess that's what'll happen if I'm still measuring ahead at my next appt. I did have a growth scan with DD and was told she was a 10lber - so massively inaccurate considering she was 7lb 12oz.

I sat and wrote a letter to the supervisor of midwives this afternoon just making sure she is aware of my wishes - don't know if the mw on sick would have passed them on or not!

My second baby was born at home and weighed 11lb 12oz.

Third time around, MWs kept saying, 'baby is big, are you sure about the home birth?' (wish I'd known to use flybynight's suggestion).

When I saw the HB consultant (can't remember when exactly but quite late on), he was totally supportive, said that it was impossible to judge a baby's size in his opinion, but that I should be prepared to co operate if the MWs had reason to suggest I went in to hospital - which of course I was.

Had DS2 at home and he weighed in at 8lb 10oz - 3lb lighter than his sister had been! I suppose considered big but by no means a whopper and much smaller than his sister.

My advice would be to go as high as you can for sensible advice.

That homebirth website suggested by flybynight is great for tips on how to deal with MWs who think they can tell you what to do!

Nobody can make you go to hospital if you've expressed a wish to stay at home. Obviously you want to do what is best for you and your baby but 1cm?! C'mon! Stand your ground and ask them to support their concerns with a growth scan.