Anyone had a homebirth then not out of choice for the next?

[peppapighastakenovermylife]

I am 34 weeks pregnant with DC3.

First birth was pretty horrible. Hospital. Lots of issues including them forcing me onto my back to give birth, generally ignoring me etc etc.

Second birth was a lovely home birth. Really good. Great midwives, lovely atmosphere, so much easier and nicer at home.

I am very pro home birth and natural birth - by that I mean being active, lots of different positions etc as long as labour allows it (not a criticism of other methods). I am booked for a home birth this time but am having some strange kind of wobble. It's not even a wobble really - just a nagging feeling and I am considering going to a birth centre (two fairly close).

Both these birth centres have great reputations (I did not really know about them last time). I know some of the midwives there through work and they are lovely - very pro the type of birth I would like.

One of the issues might be that the midwives here are not particularly supportive of home birth. They are not negative but have started dropping little digs in and comments that suggest it. Like last time really but I kind of can't be bothered to 'fight' it this time. I am exhausted and just want the best possible birth I can and am wondering whether I would actually be better off in a birth centre.

So did anyone else have a home birth for one child and then go on not to for another (out of choice rather than medical reasons?). It seems a bit strange to me - like I am going in the opposite direction and for no real reason.

Probably hormones

I had a good first birth in a birth centre so had a homebirth second time round ( I decided for definate what I wanted to do at 36 weeks) Third time around I had lots of wobbles and definately considered a mlu, but once I got to 36 weeks and all was going well, decided I definately wanted a hb. They are very supportive of hb around here, and I had a friend delivering me anyway.

I got my homebirth in the end, but due to the amount of snow on the roads the week before, I would have chosen to go in if he had arrived a few days earlier!

I wonder if that is it maxbear - that things might be different in a few weeks. I haven't really got round to thinking about the birth or feeling ready to give birth - maybe once I get closer it will become clearer.

Eek at snowy birth - as much as I hate being pregnant in the summer I always get freaked out in the winter when it snows worrying about women getting to hospital (even when I am not pregnant)

I think wobbles are normal.

I had a good home birth for the 1st baby but I found the stitching to be soooo awful, worse than the labour. It is what convinced me to have the 2nd one in hospital. i was going to request s spinal block for stitching this time, I went privately and the consultant assured me he would allow it (harder on the nhs I imagine)
Again had a very easy labour and of course, no stitches required!

I feel a bit wobbly too. Had a homebirth for my first baby which went very well with no complications/transfers.

I'm only 17 weeks with number two at the moment so it's a bit early to worry but I keep having a few niggling doubts about it this time.

Ignorance was bliss last time, so perhaps it's more worrying when you know what's in store! I strongly suspect I'd regret it though if I did go into hospital and keep comparing it negatively with first time. Unless there was a medical reason of course.

Good luck and hope all goes well!

We have birthing centre and I feel like the luckiest person to have it as an option. I want the birth to be midwife driven, no doctors, minimal drama and potential for people to intervene rather than using expertise and instinct. To me it is home from home so certainly wouldn't seem like a backward step to me.
I will be gutted if i end up at home and miss my chance to get to the birth centre. I love my other children dearly and have only been away from them 2 nights in 5 years - I know the reality is, unless I am in the birth centre there will never be an opportunity to be just me and the new baby. Planning on staying as long as I can!!

Esme - maybe that is it - perhaps I am craving a child free night away . Well not child free but just a little newborn baby that can't speak, hide things where they shouldn't be and can't run away

Deacon - I am wondering if I feel like I have used up all my luck if that makes sense? Was so great last time, no problems etc that I feel like I am pushing it. When in fact that should be reason to do it again. Damn hormones

Susie - my local hospital is crap. Type to ignore you, push you on your back to give birth, rude etc. I just want nice midwives!

That definitely makes sense and is just how I feel! I think you realise how precious it all is after doing it once and it makes me more scared of being 40 mins away from the hospital.

But then first time round I didn't feel ready to make the decision to have a homebrith till 37 weeks so maybe things will click again like that this time round?

I had my UK born children at home, but my US born children in hospital. The hospital births was because there were no homebirths allowed in my state, unless you were Amish.

I pretty much tried to mimick the choices I made in the UK. I was fairly up on research/NICE guidelines, as anyone who has a homebirth is. I was the awkward 'patient', but I did get my way and could argue with the best of them. ACOG guidelines do allow for research and reasonableness, even if the majority of their members do otherwise.

Overall, I was happy with the actual births, but not happy with the hospital environment and couldn't wait to get out. I never understood anyone who enjoyed hospital for the rest.

I don't really see the point of home-from-home birth centres. If you are leaving home and going to an institution, then that is a big negative. But you are still not in the right place for an emergency.