Home birthing! thread

[cheekstime]

Hello Homebirthers, unsure whether this will be benefical but after seeing due date clubs/threads thought I would put this up.

A place where you can just dive in to post comment, with any of your home birthing planning issues, difficulties or joys!

I'm planning one myself, albeit a natural thing to do there's not many that do....popularity is increasing though :).

Just how many, if any at all are here as mumnetters?

[Starla268]

Hi all,
Been reading this for a while. I'm planning on a home birth but still a way off yet with a due date in Nov!

I went down the route of an independent midwife as I had heard some horror stories in my area - they are lovely and for me so worth the money. I see them every month throughout the pregnancy and they teach us hypnobirthing as well so I actually feel I'm really looking forward to the birth!

Good luck to all of you who are nearly there!

[JasperDamerel]

I had both my DC at home, the first with NHS midwives and second (after saving up for ages) with independent midwives.

[Allseeingclaggis]

Hi, I had a home waterbirth with my first - really positive experience and glad I went for it. Most people thought I was nuts, but at the time I really wanted a waterbirth and there was little chance of that at my local hospital. My mum was also really supportive in my choice as she had a homebirth with my brother (her first) so gave me reassurance (although she lives 300 miles away!) and my oh was supportive too. He liked it because he was there the whole time (OK maybe not loving the 'keeping the pool clean' duty with the sieve!!!) and afterwards we were in our own home, our own bed, no visiting hours nonsense.
With hindsight I think the best thing was having my oh with me when I woke up the next morning - not being on a ward with lots of stressed new mummies and babies, it just being the three of us at home. Strange that at the time this wasn't the driving force for my decision, but then I guess I've since heard more negative stories from friends and their hospital post natal experiences.
I'm currently waiting for my second and hoping to have another home waterbirth - am now a couple of days overdue and really bored and impatient! Neither of which are conducive for giving birth keeping fingers crossed baby decides to get moving soon!

[PickledLilly]

Yes, avoiding the postnatal ward is a massive incentive for HB. I'll never understand why, when you're st your most knackered and vulnerable they send your partner home, shove you on a ward and leave you to it.

[andpropersteel]

Any baby yet, Allseeing ?

Everything was fine at the growth scan today, so hopefully meeting with the HB MW soon.

[andpropersteel]

ooh and lovelilies , any news?

[lovelilies]

Nope
40+3 today and... Nothing.
Getting fed up now!

[lovelilies]

Glad all okay at the scan

[Allseeingclaggis]

Yep thanks - dd2 arrived this morning at 41 weeks, was able to do as planned - home waterbirth though was only in the pool about half an hour... Midwife said 'she came out like a torpedo '...! Spent the rest of the day recovering on the sofa!! With mainly a diet of biscuits...
Good luck lovelilies, hope you're not waiting too much longer (I know everyone says eat curry - tried that, no avail. However I did eat a massive amount of cake yesterday - worth a try?!) x

[lovelilies]

Thought I was having some kind of upset stomach earlier- high up cramps. But coming and going now 5-10 mins so may call MW soon... I did take some Senna yesterday and today for constipation tho so it may just be that???!

[lovelilies]

Ah congrats allseeing!

[PickledLilly]

Ahh congratulations!

[lovelilies]

She's here! Born at 10.54 pm in the water at home
Hypnobirthed most of way thru, midwife nearly went home thinking nothing happening then boom!
All well, boob monster already

[andpropersteel]

Congratulations both of you! How fantastic!

Any tips for the rest of us?

[lovelilies]

Tips... Breathing and visualising. And don't be afraid to say if you want people out of the way. I insisted on absolute silence in room for last hour so I could really focus. Had to say it a couple of times but it worked!
And the bit where you think you can't do it any more.. That's the last hurdle and you're done!
And have some nice food ready for when you've delivered

[andpropersteel]

Thanks lovelillies I'd put in my birth plan that I want to be left to it, so definitely will try not to feel rude telling people to shush!

Can I ask who you used for your hypnobirthing, was it a CD/book/class? I'm actually bouncing off the walls, having been threatened with homebirth maybe not being a possibility last week has really made me see how much I want it (and therefore upped my confidence ).

[lovelilies]

I did a course, but I think just the book and CD and yoga lessons would've been enough tbh.
I used Catherine Graves hypno birthing book and colour and calmness CD.

[Evergreen17]

Hello
I am only 6+4 but already pretty sure I want a home birth
One of my best friends is a doula in the states

But my OH thinks our house is too small I checked on line and saw this shouldn't be a problem and that you dont need to have a birthing pool and that midwives will come and assess.

Am I right? Thanks all

[iamdivergent]

40+8 here - still all go for homebirth.

Had a sweep yesterday first thing at the mw centre, lots of low level niggles yesterday but tailed off towards bedtime. Lost my plug this morning (yuk!) very irregular pains since (like only a couple an hour since). Dds at school and DH helping a relation fit a kitchen 20mins away so close if I need him. Another sweep booked tomorrow but fast running out of time for the hb as they'll want to book me in for induction when I see them tomorrow - although I would love my home birth, at 40+8 I'm more than ready for this baby to make an appearance.

[iamdivergent]

evergreen I don't think your home being small would factor in tbh

[Evergreen17]

Thank you Iam
I wonder if OH has other concerns he is not sharing, because I also dont think out house is the smallest ever... Although pretty small

[iamdivergent]

I did find that the mw were very upfront with my DH and made sure he was fully on board as he could be used in any situations should they arise - she wouldn't see me without DH being present when she came to do the home risk assessment. DH found it very useful to know what may be expected of him if there are any difficulties.

[lovelilies]

Don't forget that it's your body/baby/birth and unless there's a specific medical reason to induce you're well within your rights to decline (although they may recommend daily monitoring after 40+14)

[iamdivergent]

lilies I'd go for induction today if I could, I am in pain pretty much all of the time atm can barely walk the baby feels so low

[iamdivergent]

I'm no longer seeing them tomorrow, it's been moved to Wednesday as apparently they can't give me a sweep tomorrow due to national guidelines stating that they are to be done at 40+7 then not again until 40+10