Anyone had extra heart scans and chose home birth?

[Misty9]

We had a scare at 20wks when the four chambered heart view couldn't be seen. All was fine at the specialist scans done subsequently, but consultant has to err on side of caution and advised us that he can't 100% rule out any problem (though definitely has four chambers). He advised against home birth. But midwife said as he's discharged us back to community care then i am low risk and fine for home birth (36 wks now).

But now I feel unsure: I'd never forgive myself if there was a problem with the baby at birth and we were an ambulance ride from hospital (max 5-10mins) BUT, I'm no higher risk IMO than if we'd had no scans...as they don't pick up most heart defects prenatally anyway.

So has anyone else had extra scans, found nothing wrong, and chosen home birth? Or chosen midwife led unit etc? (Which is potentially my other option). Dh is happy to do what I want to do.

Hi Misty

At our 20 week scan they couldn't see the heart properly so advised us to come back 2 weeks later. Baby was still prone lie and was not co-operating! That was all that was offered by our hospital, they just said they would check her heart when she's born. I wasn't happy about this but got no-where as was 'hospital policy' blah blah.

We had a private scan at 29 weeks and sonographer confirmed that as far as she could see there was no problems with her heart. MW is happy for us to go ahead for a home or delivery suite birth but not MLBU due to my BMI! I find this bizarre! I would choose ML if I could. Kinda tempted by a home birth but would really rather not as she's predicted to be a lot bigger than her 6lb brother and I'm concerned about shoulders, not because of potential heart problems.

That's no help at all is it?! I'm sure whatever you choose all will be well. Good luck x

No advice but im in a kind of similar dilemma, there is an issue with MY liver that is unexplained by scans and bloods that might rule me out of a homebirth (seeing consultant tomorrow) and now im worried about going for once even if she says its ok, as unexplained is not the same as not there!

If the consultant advises me against homebirth im going to be asking exactly why and what provisions are going to be made for the issue in hospital at the birth. In your shoes i'd probably accept the opinion of the consultant over the midwife, although I appreciate the consultant is probably taking a more medicalised approach than the midwife

We have complications (although with me, not our baby) and our consultant said that he wanted me in hospital to give birth. Our midwife said I would be fine for a home birth, and really pushed it .
I am going by our consultant's opinion, I would trust a consultant far more than a midwife when it comes to opinions on potential issues/complications as that's what they see day in, day out, whereas midwives tend to deal with the routine stuff more (not bashing midwives in anyway, I think they do a great job).
I'm now having an ELCS though (my request), so all the discussion with midwife was a bit pointless. In your shoes I would definitely not have a homebirth, but you have to do what you feel is best.

Stars do you mind me asking what kind of issues? I'm thinking of asking about the elcs route tomorrow if I can't have a homebirth, not sure what sort of reception I'll get!

green no I don't mind at all, I have severe PTSD from losing our son last spring and having to go through labour to get him out. The hospital we were with at the time really botched it and nearly killed me, and the staff were insensitive to the point of being abusive- that's just the tip of the iceberg though. We've since changed hospitals (new hospital are fantastic) and had an apology from the previous hospital.

I requested an ELCS as I couldn't face labour again, I was absolutely terrified that our little man wouldn't make it if I had a vb, and the consultant agreed to it on the basis of tokophobia and extreme anxiety about giving birth vaginally. The reasons our consultant wanted me in hospital regardless was that I have a badly damaged spinal chord (accident years ago, doesn't really affect me now) I had massive blood loss during labour with our son who we lost, and generally because of the trauma DH and I went through last time.

I do have other complications (blood clotting disorder, ribs detatching from sternum, predicted 10lbs+ baby, rhesus neg blood which has been badly managed by previous hospital, rare auto-immune condition which makes me allergic to most painkillers and antibiotics) but none which were seen as requiring a c-section, hence why it was granted on the basis of preserving my mental health. I asked on the childbirth bit of mumsnet about requesting an ELCS due to trauma and got lots of really good advice, primarily that if you want an ELCS, provided you have a medical reason for it (and severe anxiety about vb is classed as a medical reason) and have thought it through, they shouldn't refuse you in you keep insisting on it and don't back down. Hope that helps and hope it goes well for you tomorrow

Sorry to hijack op.

Aargh, I feel really uncertain :( the consultant's note says he can't rule out a small septal defect, and as such would recommend mlu for birth (but no need for continuous monitoring or anything like that). But two midwives have said they're happy to go ahead with home birth.

I think I'm going to leave myself the option of mlu or homebirth, and decide when push comes to shove (no pun intended!). Feels like a huge responsibility :(

Thank you Stars, am very sorry to hear about the loss of your baby. I cant believe the hoops some people are made to jump through to get a section, am glad you have yours.

None of my issues are anywhere near anything like the ones you have or have had, so I think im going to have to go down the road of the NICE guidelines and if the consultant I see tomorrow doesnt agree with an elcs, she has to refer me to someone who will.

Good luck to both of you ladies :)

Stars, so sorry to hear about your loss :( I had a mammoth phone call in between starting and finishing my last post, so I didn't see yours until after mine, iyswim.

Glad you're being treated better this time and best of luck for your elcs.

I had my dd at6 home, she has a ventricular septal defect and an atrial septal defect. We had no idea and it wasn't picked up on the scan. Fortunately her birth was absolutely fine. She was diagnosed at 7 weeks. It does souynd in your cause as though the problem was with getting a good view on the ultrasound and no reason to think there could be a problem with baby's heart, it's just impossible to rule it out. Thinking back to my dd's birth, I can't conceive that she could potentially have needed anything that could be provided in hospital but not at home.

I will have a home birth again this time, unless there is a convincing reason not to. My other dd was 10lb 4 and delivered at home without a problem, too.