Home birth consultant appointment - advice please :)

[Gillybean2010]

Hi! I'm 26 weeks, and considering a home birth. I've had a little bit of difficulty so far (just with getting listened to) but all this has sorted itself out, and I'm getting on really well with my midwife.

She came out today to our house, and went through the home birth procedure/what can go wrong and how they'd deal with it etc. But then she said that I'd have to see the consultant at the ANC at 36 weeks, for the home birth to be signed off - she did say that he cannot stop me from having a home birth, but he will try to put me off.

I told her that I was given an appt for the consultant already at 36 weeks, and told her the consultants name. But then she said that that particular consultant is very against home births, and will try and scare me off it. She also said that of all of the consultants, he'd be the hardest. I was grateful for her honesty (she also said that he's rarely at the ANC, and that I might get one of his registrars)

I'm planning on taking my DH along with me, to show a united front and for support, but I'm really worried about going to the appointment. Does anyone know if I HAVE to attend this appointment? Or can I ask for a change of consultant, given that I know he'll be hard on me? From what the midwife said, it sounds as though he has to see me and sign it off with me being aware of all the risks etc, but I think I'm going to find it very stressful

I really don't know what to do/what I'm entitled to do. I'm scared in case I spend the next 10 weeks worrying and getting really stressed about this appointment Any help would be greatly appreciated! x

why are you being referred ? are you high risk?

Hi lulu At booking, I was literally one point above 'normal' BMI (have since lost weight, but this isn't taken into consideration)

if everything esle is normal, and one point above aceptable BMI is normal IMO, then you can decline the appointmnet, or you can go to it and decline his advice, as long as you are making an informed decision to do so

as long as the commuity Mws are on board, you have nothing to wrry about

aims.org.uk and homebirth.org.uk are two excellent resources

Thanks Lulu! I think I'm going to go along to the appointment, and just politely but firmly decline his advice. so far everything seems to be going ok, and my mw remarked today on how much research I must've done. I think that she's treating this as a red tape exercise, so I guess I'll do the same.

Thanks again

hope all goes well, sounds like you are doing your homework and are fully prepared .