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Original poster

Great to hear some positive news about home birthing in the mainstream media!

79 replies

norktasticninja · 15/04/2009 09:14

Here. The findings are nothing new TBH but its great to see some positive news about home birth.

The study was conducted in the Netherlands (where I live) and there is just one tiny inaccuracy I feel I must mention as it probably has a lot to do with the relatively high rate of transfer to hospital stated (1/3 of births).

There is no pain relief available at home here. G&A isn't used at all (either at home or in hospital) and TENS is pretty much unheard of. The article mentions transfers to hospital "if the mother required more effective pain relief in the form of an epidural", in actual fact transfer is necessary for any form of pain relief.

OP posts:
Monkeyandbooba · 15/04/2009 09:52

Yay, great article to read. Have had two homebirths myself and my experiences have encouraged others in my circle of friends to have one having never considered it a possibility before.

lalalonglegs · 15/04/2009 11:00

I have had two home births as well and the threat hanging over both of them wasn't any worry about it being dangerous but that there is a shortage of midwives and it might not be feasible (in fact, the midwife didn't turn up for my first home birth and I was too stubborn to go to hospital...). Until there are a lot more midwives available, it can only ever be the aspiration of the few regardless of how statistically safe it might be.

BitOfFun · 15/04/2009 11:08

I had two midwives for my homebirth, plus agreed to a student being present. Is that not normal?

Original poster
norktasticninja · 15/04/2009 11:45

I believe it's normal to have two midwives for a UK home birth, that was the case with the births I've attenden in the UK anyway. Here you only have one. She usually stays from about 7cm dilation and when it's nearly time to start pushing the Kraamzorg lady comes to help too.

Does anyone know why it's thought to be necessary to have two midwives in the UK?

OP posts:
Original poster
norktasticninja · 15/04/2009 11:47

Oooops - Kraamzorg translates as Maternity Care, they are non-medically trained but specialised carers who come for the birth it's self and stay until (IIRC) 3 hours after the placenta is born. They also come for 4 hours each day for the first week, mainly to help with practical stuff but also to keep an eye on mother and baby temps, give bf advice etc..

OP posts:
lalalonglegs · 15/04/2009 15:04

One for the mother and one for the baby in case of there are simultaneous problems with both.

special2shoes · 15/04/2009 20:56

so glad I didn't have one, if I had, dd wouldn't be here

lalalonglegs · 15/04/2009 21:35

Yup, that's the kind of balanced post that a thread about positive home-birthing studies needs .

special2shoes · 15/04/2009 21:37

oh sorry am I not allowed to post?

LadyPinkofPinkerton · 15/04/2009 21:39

I loved my home birth, it made me calmer to be at home and not worry about getting to hospital in time. It's lovely to see something positive said about them

fymmumoftwo · 15/04/2009 21:48

bitoffun - I'll see you your 2 midwives plus student - at one point I had 3 midwives (shift change) plus 2 students, although only the 4 attendees (2 midwives, 2 students) plus DH for the actual birth!

home birth = much calmer, less stressful, nicer experience all round

AtheneNoctua · 15/04/2009 21:51

I wonder how much this study applies to safety in the UK. Is the NHS comparable to whatever the health system is called in the Netherlands. Just wonder if we are comparing apples and oranges here.

nigglewiggle · 15/04/2009 21:56

Can match your 4! Ok, one was a student who came with the two on call MW's. I hung on just beyond the changeover and so number 4 arrived and managed the delivery while the other 3 observed.

So happy to hear positive press about it and hope more are encouraged to go for a homebirth if it feels right for them.

lalalonglegs · 15/04/2009 21:59

Unsubstantiated scare stories like that, probably prefer it if you didn't.

2shoes · 15/04/2009 22:00

I presume you are talking to me.
I was there were you?

foxytocin · 15/04/2009 22:06

Glad to hear some positive news too. One hospital birth and after that one I was too petrified to ever labour in a hospital again.

My HB was fab fab fab. Would do that again.

jennybensmummy · 15/04/2009 22:09

how can it be a scare story when its true to someone, its just showing both sides that home births are not always perfect for everyone in every circumstance, if 2shoes' dc wouldnt be here if she had a homebirth why is she not entitled to tell that on th thread surely it gives a balanced story that not all home births are/would be perfect

foxytocin · 15/04/2009 22:13

a homebirth is a home birth is a home birth at least here we are comparing very similar populations and access to healthcare. can't see where the differences would lie to wonder if they are comparing apples with oranges, tbh.

any ideas?

foxytocin · 15/04/2009 22:14

just because a hospital birth was a near miss doesn't mean that if that if it was a home birth it would have been a near miss or worse.

2shoes · 15/04/2009 22:23

words fail me

nigglewiggle · 15/04/2009 22:33

2shoes. Perhaps you would explain your experience so that the relevance could be determined. Only if you are happy to of course.

AtheneNoctua · 15/04/2009 22:35

The point of the article is that home births are as safe as hospitals. I accept that homes in Netherlands are probably comparable to homes in the UK. But not sure about hospitals. There could also be factors like different travel distances to hospitals. Maybe they have really crap hospitals so home births are not so bad in comparison. I'm just curious if it is really a like for like comparison. I know nothing about the dutch medical system.

2shoes · 15/04/2009 22:38

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

2shoes · 15/04/2009 22:40

(shit i have asked mn hq to delete that, that is way too personal)

nigglewiggle · 15/04/2009 22:45

Sorry, didn't want to push you incase it was still raw.

My reason for asking is that my HB didn't progress as expected (baby turned and therefore unexpectedly protracted second stage). Had very experienced HB MW there who was very happy to try various methods of moving baby. Changing position, going upstairs, going to the loo etc. DD duly got herself in the right position and was born happy and healthy.

She told me afterwards that had I been in hospital then Drs would almost certainly have wanted some form of intervention. I often wonder how this would have turned out.