Home birth advice

[Ladypug]

Hi all,

I'm in the very early days of pregnancy, only 9.5 weeks but am starting to think about options. I would really like to give birth at home, preferably in the water pool. But it's my first baby and I'm quite petite (5 foot), not sure if that makes a difference but someone said it might.

I just wondered if anyone else had done this for first birth and if it was ok? I've run it past a few people (very limited as nobody really knows yet) and people are saying it's dangerous and there is no medical assistance if I need it but I still think I want to do it. Has anyone done it and survived to tell the tale? lol x

Thanks Pionkysaurus I'm a big fan of Ina May, got a few of her books already. I think I'm going to plan for home unless anything happens en route x

Yep she's very inspirational. I think hospitals can sometimes be a bit twitchy. I've heard of a few cases of ladies at home being "allowed" to labour in their own time which sounds very appealing.

I won't lie though, I've mainly picked a home birth for this baby because I've heard that second babies usually come easier and I know I don't want any pain relief other than gas and air.

I think second babies do come easier (based on all my relative stories). Did you have pain relief for the first? x

I'm nearly 33weeks and thinking about a home birth, possibly with a pool. Like others I don't really plan on going into detail about my birth plan as people normally spout on about stuff they actually know nothing about.

The only thing worrying me is the fact that I move on the 3rd April and I'm due 13may. I hope we will be at least semi settled by then.eeek

This is my 3rd though, my first I was induced due to gestational diabetes
My 2nd was a week late but when she decided to make her appearance, she was not waiting around, I got to the hospital with 10minutes to spare before she was here, no pain relief.
So, home birth it is, if this baby girl decides to be anything like her sister haha.
I'm 5'2 also Hi

I am considering a home birth with my first, and i have had mixed opinions midwifes say go for it, everyone else says i'm mad and everything will go wrong.

My local trust runs a home birth info night once every 3 months and that was very helpful took OH and i think it reassured him, it certainly answered some questions that i had. The only problem now is i'm not sure a pool will fit in my living room.

Besides which i can see the hospital from my bedroom window, so if anything goes wrong i can be there very quickly.

I have decided that i am just not going to talk about it till after the fact, when people start talking about the hospital, just nod smile and keep stum.

Ladypug,
I'm 5'3.5" and had my first baby at home. We did have a pool, but i ended up giving birth out of it as things were slowing when I was in the water. Had I been in hospital, I would have been given an "emergency" c-section as i took longer than 2 hours in the last stage. In fact, I took 4.75 hours, but DS was monitored regularly, and he was entirely happy so I was allowed to continue labouring, a much better outcome for all. Despite me being terribly tired, he was born fine. Unfortunately, he had a (rare) blood type incompatability reaction and we needed to transfer into hospital anyway to put him in the NICU. We bluelighted there quickly; all was good, he was & is fine. We were about 20 mins from the hosp (maybe 15?). It would obviously have been better had we been able to stay at home after the birth, but I'm still really glad i managed to labour at home and i was so much more relaxed than i would have been in hospital. Plus I avoided a c-section and the associated risks.

I had DS2 at home too, and it was a textbook, easy birth. It was a real blessing to be at home and have a shower, etc after the birth rather than being in hospital.

DC3 is due in May. I'm planning another home birth (though i'm now much closer to the nearest hospital)... i can walk there in 10 mins.

I highly recommend reading up on hypnobirthing. Even if you're not susceptible to hypnosis (as i'm not), the breathing exercises, etc are great.

Thanks MayfairMummy this sounds great. I have just got myself a hypnobirthing book to read up on it (mainly as I'm highly anxious about everything and thought it might help me relax!) but of course it will be great for the birth too! Thank you everyone for sharing your positive stories :-)

I planned a home birth with my first pregnancy as like you I didn't like hospitals, definitely didn't want an epidural and didn't want things to be unecessarily medicalised. My MW suggested it before I even mentioned it - unless there are any signs of complications later in pregnancy or health concerns it is fine to have a home birth first time round. I don't think your height is an issue.

In the end when the MWs arrived I was 7cm with no pain relief and transferred to hospital as bizarrely I felt incredibly afraid at home of something going wrong and felt I would be happier in hospital, plus I didn't like the MWs who came. Labour was so different to how I imagined. I'm 39 weeks now and planning a water birth in MLU.

Ignore everyone's comments and go for what suits you if you feel satisfied that it is safe. You can't know if you will change your mind so all you can do is plan what feels most right to you and home birth makes a lot of sense from what you've said. Good luck!

I am 34 weeks with number three and have had two lovely home births. My first baby would have been a C section at home (I have been told by various medical personnel) and my second would therefore have been different too. As it is, I get used by both the local midwives and NCT teachers as an example of how long labour can last!

15 minutes from the hospital breaking the speed limit would equal under ten minutes in an ambulance, plus time waiting for it to arrive. Midwives are usually able to spot the imminent need for an ambulance on the rare occasion a truly emergency transfer is needed, and shave a couple of minutes off that. Midwives at your home are able to deal with the most frequent occurring problems such as resuscitating the baby, shoulder dystocia and moderate post- partum haemorrhage.

I once got a full-on lecture from an utter idiot I barely knew for putting my baby at risk for planning a home birth. Turned out he knew absolutely nothing about the subject, to the point where he thought there would be no medical staff present.

Something people sometimes forget, too, is that being 'x' minutes from the hospital doesn't necessarily mean it's longer to get care; the hospital is using your transit time to get the theatre ready and the necessary doctors extracted from whatever they're doing so once you're in, they get straight into dealing with you (with luck). I once waited in the hospital for - literally - hours while i was waiting for the operating room to be ready. I lost 3 litres of blood in that particular episode (miscarriage).

I chose not to with my first in the end as the transfer rate for first time mums is quite high.
I had a home birth for my second last month and it was amazing and so glad I did it. I had really negative comments from family and friends but it was the best thing I ever did!

If you want to do it then go for it. You can always transfer in. The main reason for transfer in a first time mum is a long labohr and needing pain relief so it's unusual to transfer in for an emergency. X