Home birth advice please.

[Shellywelly1973]

Im 34 weeks. Breech but hoping & praying baby turns. Its dc6 so hopeful.

I couldn't get to my 34 week appointment today due to lack of child care.

I spoke to mw as I want her to refer me to home birth team. Unfortunately I have a consultants app on 6/1( as im so old!!)I will be 37 weeks. She isn't going to want me to have a home birth. Im 40, 6 dc & underactive thyroid. The mw said to just be insistent with the consultant.

My concern is I will nearly be 38 weeks before I have the home birth assessment. I've had 2 dc st 37 weeks & 2 at 38 weeks. I asked the mw what will happen if I go into labour before the home birth assessment. She said I would have to go to labour ward.

Has this happened to anyone?

Any advice about dealing with the consultant?

What happens cduring a home birth assessment?

Tia!!

Get on the Yahoo! Homebirth email group, and www.homebirth.org.uk

You don't require permission or approval to plan a home birth - from a consultant, midwives, or otherwise.

It's your choice.

You don't even need to see a consultant if you feel you don't want to - again, it's your choice.

I'll add, where I live, there's no assessment or home visit prior to labour to check suitability. You tell them you are planning a home birth, pick up the box at 37 weeks (with all the MWs kit in) and that's that.

Prior to 37w is considered early though, and they prefer you to go to the CLU. They can't make you if you choose not to though (but that's for you to weigh up risks/benefits) etc

If you go into labour anytime from 37wks then just stay home! They can't force you to go in and it sounds like a case of bad timing with Xmas etc that u you'll be nearly 38wks before having assessment, given your history of early births.

If the babys is breech I will have a cs.

I've spent weeks reading anti home birth info but for me the idea of hospital birth is awful & only tolerable if the bsby is in trouble.

The mw was on about the kit etc today & the hb team having my details.

Intreasting how different care can be!

We had a hb for number 1. We had to insist on it although as Flisspaps said it is our choice and not up to anyone else to decide. When I went into Labour I rang for the MW to come and was told that the labour ward was very busy and they could not send anyone (so that just reinforced why I didn't want to be there) and I just said I am not coming in, find someone and they did within about 10 minutes! Be strong, don't let them bully you! I was fed a lot of crap in the build up and even when in labour (i.e. about not having anyone to send) and I just stood my ground.

Baby was breech up until 38 weeks. I did all of the crawling on the floor, cat positions etc but what actually turned her was doing hand stands in the local pool. Yes I looked like a nutter, but she turned after doing it for about 5 days in a row and she actually turned while I was in there.

After baby was born - totally fine, the midwife told me that I had to go to hospital as she was born 36 hrs after waters broke (but labour was only 5 hours) due to risk of infection. So she called an ambulance and I went in on her advice. I wish more than anything that I had said no - I was just a scared first time mum and did what I was told. I lay in a hospital bed all day dozing on and off and was basically ignored for 8 hours until we insisted that we were going home. I missed out on that time at home with us three bonding that was part of the plan having a home birth. I will be stronger next time and refuse to go in if my heart tells me it is not necessary.

On the note of 'if baby's in trouble', we had one brilliant community MW who said that if there was distress, we'd actually get into the operating theatre ahead of someone who'd been labouring in hospital as we would come in as an emergency. My friend down the rd had to have a forceps delivery and was in the operating room 20 minutes after the decision to call ambulance was made. But we are 5 mins from the local hospital so that is obviously a factor.

Good luck, be strong

Thank you for all your replies.

SWELL How did it actually feel when the baby turned?

I don't trust HCP's. Im seriously unimpressed with the hospital. I really believe im better off at home then on a labour ward!

Hi Shellywelly yes I completely agree that it is safer at home. You also get two midwifes who are experienced and there just for you.

For me it actually really hurt when she turned. I was clinging onto the edge of the pool and had to get out and sit somewhere and then realised what was happening. But she was 38 weeks! Another friend felt her boy turn quite late also, while she was driving on the M25 but was able to keep going so it is different for everyone. There would have been no way I could have kept going!

Wouldn't your appointment with home birth team be irrelevant if baby is still breach? Why haven't they sent u for a reassurance scan yet? That's what u need at the moment . Then u take it from there.

As the other posters have said it is your choice whether to have a hb or not, you don't need permission or approval from the consultant or mw. Where I live you just fill in a form at 37 weeks to book your hb then call labour ward and tell them you're booked for hb when you go into labour, there is no home visit or kit dropped off.

It might be worth calling the supervisor of mws and explaining the situation so that they are aware in case you go into labour before you're officially booked for a hb, hopefully they will be able to step in and sort the situation out so that you're not getting stressed about it.

Wrt the baby's position, as you're on dc6 your muscles have already stretched out so there should be room for baby to turn. My dc2 turned at 38 weeks, it looked so strange as I could see the bump moving round and at one point it felt like the baby was trying to climb out through my skin (ouch!) but it only took a few minutes and I was so happy to be able to get on with the hb plans! Try to spend some time on your hands and knees to give lo extra room to move and maybe give moxibustion a try?

I absolutely 100% agree with whoever it was that said you are safer at home, I have had one in hospital and one at home and the care I received during my hb was just amazing Good luck!

Thanks for the replies. Sorry i haven't replied. I'm desperately trying to get paperwork finished for tomorrow.

The community midwife explained the hospital I'm booked into has the following policies for breech pregnancies.
Referral to the hb team is at 36 weeks.
Normally i would be sent for a scan at 37 weeks if the baby is still breech. If the baby is still breech at 38 weeks I would be booked into have a c/s at 39 weeks.
Literally until the point of cs all births are presumed to be normal vaginial births.

Due to Christmas & New Year. My consultants appointment isn't until 37 weeks. The hb team will carry out their assessment the following week so i will be 38 weeks.

I'm very hopeful the baby will turn. It's my 6th. I really need to avoid a c/s unless it becomes a critical situation. Exdp isn't prepared to help. No family locally. Oldest d's is coming for a few days but has to return to work.

For me the bigger issue is organising the dc & work. If I have a c/s I will be very limited for weeks.