Home birthed children grow up to be especially sunny, relaxed and happy children

[Bumperlicious]

Do you think?

My last two DDs are HBs are are two stroppy little madams.

What got me past the fear was knowing that I would have the absolute and undivided attention of two midwives instead of one student midwife popping in every now and then, like I did in hospital with DD1.

Also, knowing that it would take the same time to get a theatre ready and me into it whether I came from the labour ward or from an ambulance.

I had a wonderful homebirth with DD2, good luck whatever you decide.

Load of BS (in our case anyway)...

DS1 - hospital birth with loads of intervention - result fairly chilled, relaxed and outgoing kid

Ds2 - homebirth - result high maintenance, anxious and stressy (but fantastic) kid

I had a horrible hospital premature induction with DD. She's sunny, relaxed and happy.

I know someone who had a homebirth with her DS and he is the ultimate terror - very beautiful child, but extremely destructive!

It seems bizarre to suggest homebirth/hosp birth would cause this personality trait.

I know Riven, that's what scares me. Do you mind me asking what it makes your position on HB? That's may be an obvious question but I don't want to assume anything about your feelings on the matter.

As for the theatre thing, is that really the case? My friend said it took 6 minutes from them deciding to give her a CS to the baby being out.

BTW I never really believed the guff in the OP I just wanted to know if it is a commonly held opinion.

Bumper - my dd's birth started going wrong at 7.00pm and she was delivered at 7.15pm with me under general anaesthetic. Thank God. They did not need any time to prep the operating theatre, we were in there within 5 minutes with 8 staff with us.

Great, DS is going to be a miserable grumpy git. (Horror-story forceps deliver.)

What a crock of shit.

Was that from home Bibbity?

I really don't know. I haven't really done any proper research (this book was my first foray). I'm not sure whether anything that I can read will alleviate that fear, and the poster who said that could be counterproductive is right.

The midwife said that there is no harm in planning for a HB so I have all I need at home, given that my first birth was so quick (went into hospital at about 1.30pm where they ignored me for about an hour assuming I wasn't as far gone as I was - DD was born at 5pm).

What exactly is in a HB kit?

Bumper, my baby was out within 10 minutes of the decision being made for a cs, it can take 20 minutes to make a theatre ready and grab staff but not every time, particularly if it's a big hospital that has 2 theatres on the labour ward.

That said my dd2 was an unexpected hb as it was a quick labour and I would much rather have had it planned that way than have the panic of omg I'm not going to get to the hospital.

No no, it would have been impossible! 15 minutes from first noticing a problem to safely delivered baby. I would have been lucky if the ambulance had arrived in 15 minutes had I been at home, and I live only 10 minutes from one of the biggest teaching hospitals in the country.

But it is not my intention to worry you about home births, not at all. Its just that people have said on this thread you can get to hospital safely from home in the same time it would take you to be transferred for a c/s within the hospital. And I am saying that was not my experience.

When I needed an emergency section I was also whisked straight into theatre, I estimate it probably took 1/5 or less of the time it would have taken from home.

I had a great HB, but I was so sure it was where I wanted to be, and had the support and encouragement of a team of midwives who have huge experience of homebirths.

I actually felt very sure in my own mind that home was a better place for us to be and therefore felt able to ignore comments such as thoses in the OP. However, DH and I did have a serious discussion about accepting we were taking on a certain level of responsibility and that we may have to live with that.

I do think it is interesting that I have friends who seriously regret going into hospital - tired more easily, felt v stressed, cascade of intervention etc but that side of things is rarely discussed. It really is about where you feel most comfortable.

(My HB kit consisted of paperwork, drugs ot go in fridge, some protective incontinence square things, list of things to get ready etc)

Oh, and for what it's worth, I didn't find that book at all helpful in making my decision, much preferred "Stand & Deliver" and Ina May Gaskin's.

Home births are not for everyone. If you don't feel confident then how about a midwifery led unit?

I doult that homebirth affects a baby's personality for life. I am sure that a traumatic birth might cause colic, but many people have good birth experiences in hospital.

Not quite, my mum is a right moody cow sometimes lol home birth being the norm back then!!

My dad was born at home and he is Victor Meldrew's evil twin.

Reallytired, the nearest MLU is much further than my local hospital, plus if I went there and anything went wrong I would be transferred to a hospital in the next city rather than my nearest, plus it's a good 25 minutes drive away (ok, less with blues and twos!), so I wouldn't be in a much better off position safety wise than at home.

I guess I will have to just read around until I am satisfied and make my decision. Just reading the homebirth.co.uk website which is useful.

Utter rubbish! I was born in hospital and my brother was born at home-I would say I am much more laid back and happier!

My twin brother was born at home ( yeah, in the old days) so , of course, I was also meant to be. I got stuck somewhere down the line, rushed off via ambulance, given up for dead , yanked out in hospital and here I am. As I was nearly a home birth can I claim a foot in both camps?

I'm not sunny as a rule

OTH my home-birthed nephew really is the most sunny, laid back, agreeable person. Nothing fazes him. His hospital delivered DB is v different.

Could be something in it - but then everyone was born at home once upon a time. Were they all easy going,eh?

I had all 3 dc in smallish hospital, I needed a emergency cs with number 3 and I was in the operating theatre at the end of the labour ward in about 2 mins from when decision was made. I was quite amazed there was "other world" at the end of the corridor that I'd been totally unaware of the first 2 labours.

Incidentally, despite the most traumatic birth (she was having heart decelerations hence cs), dc3 is most definitely the sunniest of my children!

Yes home birthed children definatley grwo up to be sunny and relaxed, but unfortunatley as they get older - I found that they become completly farking usleess and liars who cheat and cheat on numerous wives - my exp was homebirthed and never agian...every chap I date now I check up on first to see whether they were born in a nursing home or hospital and whehter instruments were used

LOL Ivykate!

I was born at home and I'm a miserable old cow.

I do think easy birth = happyier baby though.