Anyone got any recent experience of Homebirth in Hackney?

[hkz]

I am 31 wks pregnant with ds. Had dd whilst living abroad, so have no experience of having a baby in Hackney.
Has anyone given birth at home successfully in Hackney?
I am planning Home birth, but have had a different midwife at each antenatal check up and have mixed responses every time, although they are generally supportive.
Have left message with Hackney/Islington NCT and a local homebirth support group, but after several messages no one has got back to me.
Anyone got any stories to share...good or bad?

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I hear what your saying, it is frustrating, I just want to know what I am doing and have everything in place, even though I've got a few weeks to go yet!
On the whole the midwives seem pretty supportive of homebirth, but as you say its hard to gauge when its all pretty rushed and there isn't much continuity of care.
Do you have a contact for the NCT Homebirth support group in Stokey? Is it the hackney and Islington one? I am in Lower Clapton...so not far.
I'm going to a workshop on natural birth in archway in a few weeks...so maybe that will help me feel a bit more informed!

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one thing: getting hold of someone in the NCT in Hackney is a bit hit and miss,, so if you don't hear try someone else . I think they have only a few officers and a LOT of demand (just count up the pushchairs!).

Cat: have posted on the Dec thread, but I had DS at the Homerton in 2006 and it was generally positive - and a full moon so very busy. Am happy to answer any questions you have

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Hi Cat and HKZ, I had my DD (first child) at home in Lower Clapton (so very close to the Homerton - reassuring!) back in 2004. It was a great experience, and the MWs were brilliant. The community midwives you see wouldn't be the ones attending the homebirth anyway - I'd never met them before but there's nothing like labour to break down barriers and inhibitions! Lots of friends have had homebirths in Hackney with their second babies, and had positive experiences. Any specific questions, let me know!

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Hi Cat. You have a right to a homebirth regardless of their staffing issues - but whether you're up for a fight when you're in labour is another matter. I would definitely delegate that to your DP/birth partner if you can . There is information on the AIMS website and a specific text to quote if you ring up on the day and are told to come in because of lack of staff which goes like this:
"'What is your name and your status? (Make a note of who it is). 'I have no intention of putting myself or my baby at risk of travelling in labour to the hospital and exposing us to the additional risks of a hospital delivery. If you fail to send a midwife and any untoward event occurs which can be attributed to your failure to provide a midwife you can rest assured that my family will take appropriate action'." Not sure if this is your style? But if you go to the AIMS website here then to 'Articles' then scroll down to the section on Homebirth, you'll then be taken to loads of usefull information. You need to get cracking if you want to send the letters they suggest. My DD was born on 17 December and there were no staff issues, so hopefully you'll be fine. Good luck!

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I had a home birth in 2003 and it was fantastic.

I told the community midwives that I wanted one and they couldn't have been more supportive. The senior midwive was saying that she was very pro homebirth and was trying to encourage the newer midwives to view it as something normal.

They visited about 3 weeks before my due date and checked my flat. One of them commented on how good my sideboard would be for pushing on during labour lol.

I called them when I was in labour and 2 midwives from the Homerton came out, and because my first labour was fast they got to mine as soon as possible.
The birth was fine, the cord was around my baby's neck but they were so calm and professional that I didn't feel concerned at all.

After the birth it was tea and biscuits for all. I couldn't fault it.

My friend also had a homebirth in Hackney for her first child as well.

Hi Actually, GettingBiggerBird and CatDean, thanks for all your info and positive responses. Since I first put up this post I have heard a number of reassuring stories of homebirth in Lower Clapton, where I am based.

CatDean, I am due just after xmas and was also worried about staffing and what would happen if there weren't enough midwives, but went to have a look round Homerton Labour ward last night and asked the midwife about what would happen if they were short of staff and she was very reassuring. Have also been told by various sources, as GettingBiggerBird said, they have to send someone out to you, even if it involves them sending an independent midwife.

Actually, your birth experience sounds ace. I'm looking forward to the tea and biscuits bit afterwards!

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CatDean I'm not on the due Dec thread...only just discovered mumsnet ..but am actually due at start of Jan...oh well, it might be a new year to remember!

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Hello hkz & CatDean
I am in Brooke Road and i have had two home water births.
I loved them, i wouldn't have it any other way.
Both times i worried that i would be made to come into hospital, but both times it worked out fine.
The midwives i had were fantastic.

(SORRY THIS IS GOING TO BE LONG)
With DD1 in 2004, (10 hour labour) The first midwife turned up with a student (always say yes to students).
The student stayed with me constantly, rubbing my back, reassuring me, and taking some fantastic first photographs of our little baby, with my rather complicated digital SLR.
Then a second midwife turned up who was trained in waterbirths, she was fab.
The G&A ran out which was a bugger, but by then i didn't really care because i was in the pool.

With DD2, my labour was much longer, which actually worked out fine because the home birth team were actually recovering from a home birth the night before.
They told me that as long as i could hold off for another 10 hours, i'd be fine and would you believe, my labour slowed down to contractions one and hour and then stopped for a couple of hours.
Then eventually when a midwife did turn up and told me to go and lie down and see what happens, it all started up again and was over within a couple of hours.
One thing to remember is that if you want a home water birth, you need a midwife who is trained in water births, my husband had to be extremely firm to this first midwife who was sitting on my sofa, and told her to get a midwife trained in water births 'toot sweet' love.
Of which they did, and she was fabulous, she even visited me afterwards, which was lovely to have a bit of continuity.

I would have tried everything to stay home, i hate hospitals, so my husband was very well instructed about what to do.
It's so important to have your partner or a good friend know exactly how you feel about how your labour should go.

Having said that it is obviously really important to know when to say ok, i'll come to hospital with you, because there are times when you have to forfeit your home birth dream.

Are either of you attending NCT classes?

Please do contact me if you want any other info.
Glad to help
Charlie

Thanks Charlie, your birth stories are really good to hear. I keep on hearing more and more good things about the midwife team that attend the homebirths in Hackney.
I went to a 'Naturel Birth and Waterbirth' workshop yesterday at the Natural Birth Centre in Holloway and the lady running it said the mw team in hackers were very good on homebirths.... Excellent workshop too...came away feeling really reassured and well informed.
Think I need to practice the whole being firm with midwives thing now!!

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Hello CatDean yes i'm still here.

No the mw team didn't drop off a kit beforehand, i did wonder if they would but they didn't, i guess they just brought everything with them as they arrive.
You have two midwifes + students if you say yes and i do recommend them.
One comes first to assess the situation and then they call the second when things are progressing quickly, i guess your not really aware of what is going on at the time, i just remember another face suddenly talking to me after a big contraction and saying, ooh i'm just in time.

I just got a big piece of polythene or similar from B&Q, i think it was seethrough blue.
We used it camping afterwards.

We are in a house, and the pool was downstairs, but i've read that if you can fit 10/12 people in your room then it will hold a pool of water. (so i'm sure it's fine)

hey ask your fella (or whoever will be looking after you) to cut up small pieces of fruit and keep in fridge and keep popping bits into your mouth, cos you get hungry if your labour goes on for a while, but you don't realise, and to be honest you don't really want food, but this way you are getting a bit of energy.

Similarly keep sipping water.

Let me know if i can help more.
Feel free to email me, actually i'm not sure you can email me through this website.
Can you?
Charlie

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Hey CatDean... ai guess you have had your baby by now...how did it go? Did you have a home birth in the end?...I am still sitting round waiting for something to happen!