Contingency planning for home birth

[thehiddenpaw]

Ok, to start with I do not desire a home birth. My preference is a hospital. However, I am a 30 minute drive from a hospital (with good travel timing). My second baby took 42 minutes- with the Midwifes asking me to delay so they could get ready. My sister's third was 15 minutes (this will be my third)
I am hoping to make it to hospital BUT just in case, can you home birth experts give me some tips on what to have prepared for use if I need it (my conultant has told me two large towels as a minimum, for wiping and wrapping baby and not to do anything but wait for ambulance....my husband signed with relief at the thought of not having to cut the cord)

If you contact the hospital midwives, they should have HB 'packs' which you can keep at home with everything they/you need. You can get one from about 37 weeks, and then give it back at your first MW visit when you get home if you make it to hospital!

Get some cheap plastic dust sheets as well.

personally i would PLAN a homebirth, but get to hospital if you can, iyswim? that way you;ll be on the list, you'll have had a home check done etc etc and all will be ready should you need midwives to come out to you

not all areas give out packs, ours don't, the midwives bring it all with them so you'd need to check that anyway.

if you do end up labouring/giving birth at home then I'd say your essentials would be:
floor coverings (we used 99p shower curtains from asda)
a few towels
some inco pad type things (absorbant disposable mats) which you can get your DH to put under you as needed.
hospital bag ready

there are things like a decent lamp which can be used by midwives if they need to stitch you, but if you're planning on ringing an ambulance then that may not be necessary as i'd guess they'd get to you before any midwives arrived anyway?
but if baby is clearly coming then in some ways you're just as well waiting for the midwives and just staying at home rather than transferring in once baby is born?

i would also really recommend getting your dh to watch some videos on youtube or wherever, of babies being born. simply so that he knows roughly what to expect if he is the one catching it

my consultant will bring me in and induce me before my due date so I am more planning a hospital birth. But I accept that things can happen and the baby can come early. This is my third -first premature and second induced(and my husband has been at both births (hopefully with eyes open but I will ask him,,,)
i will chat to my midwife about it too , we have had a few conversations on the topic- even the midwifes have pointed out to me tht they cannot guarantee making it in time (depending where they are and how long it takes them to get to mine) and are gently encouraging me to think preparedness
all thoughts welcome, am beginnign to think of having a big box of old sheets and towels plus plastic sheeting like I am hearing decorators sheets