Anyone have any experience of a home birth?

[BlueIsYou]

With hypnobirthing or otherwise?

DFriend has one awful, scary delivery with DC1. DC2 was a water birth with hypnobirthing and she swears it was just uncomfortable at times, only near painful part was the head crowing.

Her DC3 was also a water birth at home that unfortunately she had to leave for, to go into hospital as cord was wrapped around baby's neck. However, she says she didn't find it so traumatic at all as she felt relaxed throughout and only felt a worry for DC.

Anyone have anything to add to this?

Would you suggest a home birth? I like the idea of being tucked up with my little bundle of joy, in my very own bed if all goes to plan

Plus I'm insisting on a shower very soon after giving birth

Ds1 and ds2 at home. Dc3 was induced in hospital ( hospital because two weeks overdue, I was 42, plus she kept twisting between breach and normal presentation; too many risk factors- I didn't want the midwives to be uncomfortable). First 2 were soooooo much better.

DS1 was induced in hospital. Worst experience of my life.

DS2 homebirth. Used hypnobirthing and had waterpool. Very quick labour (4 hrs start to finish) so didn't get a chance to get into pool and hypnobirthing went out the window when I panicked at speed of labour in last hour (helped me massively up until that point though)

DD was slower labour. Another homebirth. Didn't bother with pool just in case it was another quick one. Used hypnobirthing again and helped me cope wonderfully with slower labour.

Homebirth over hospital birth for me. Home comforts. Privacy. DH totally involved and not feeling like spare part. And felt totally in control. Plus meant we could have older dcs at home with us (we don't have any family close by).

Thank you for the replies

mint Just out of interest, how do you keep younger DC there whilst you're in labour? Do they not get anxious to hear/maybe see you in pain? I don't have any other DC's at home but I am curious.

Sorry if I'm coming across as a rude mare

I had the of mine at home, using hypnobirthing but no pool (didn't fancy the faff the first time, and didn't think there'd be time the second!)

Both great experiences, and it is lovely to snuggle up together after the birth. And have a shower in your own shower, and eat your own food!

With DS, DD(2) was with me until 10 minutes before I gave birth, quite happily chatting to the midwife and asking if the baby was going to come out soon! Then she met her brother when he was a few hours old, which was lovely.

I had my DS two weeks ago, did the first 24 hours at home then transferred in because he just wasn't coming (fully dilated and pushing for last 3 hours!). Once I was in hospital I had an epidural and forceps delivery pretty quickly. On paper it was quite a traumatic birth but I feel fine about it. Of course I would have like to have him at home but I had always been prepared that I might need to transfer in and had been ready to accept that.

24 hours at home was a long time but I'm really glad I did it, it was lovely being in my own environment and it was really calm. We had a hired pool and our music, essential oils and little battery powered candles. Obviously it got rough towards the end but there were long periods that were totally fine despite being properly in labour. The water was amazing, and that plus gas and air was great for the pain.

I did lots of hypnobirthing in preparation and found that really helpful for staying relaxed - and also during pregnancy. In late pregnancy I felt really calm and happy, and was excited about birth rather than scared. I would recommend it to anyone. Even when I ended up in theatres and everything was scary, I felt in control and used hypnobirthing techniques to keep myself calm.

Good luck! Xx

To add a bit more, I read a post on here last week from someone who had a very similar actual birth to mine (forceps, episiotomy, blood loss) and was very upset and traumatised. She had been in hospital the whole time though. I think being at home helped keep the majority of my labour very calm, and I also felt sure that the eventual interventions were absolutely necessary rather than 'just in case', which made it easier to process afterwards.

The most positive experiences seem to come from those who did/tried home births lovely to hear some positivity

I am fully prepared to remain calm and go with the flow if I do need to go to hospital though.

But apparently hypnobirthing encourages you to be open minded anyway.

DH isn't happy, so it'll take some convincing. His main concern being that medical intervention that can act fast isn't on tap

adler Thank you for sharing Congratulations too!

I had both of mine at home. It felt calm and safe and insured, and it was lovely being able to have a shower and get tucked up in my own bed afterwards all together.

With DC1, it didn't really hurt that much. Apart from one time when I lay on my back for a contraction, and that was fucking agony and I screamed. With DC2 it did hurt a lot but my body produced some sort of amazing hormonal concoction which meant I didn't care. It felt like I've always imagined heroin to feel like.

1 hospital birth, 2 home water births. Loved my home births, v relaxed, definitely helped with pain. Would totally do it again if we go for a 4th.

Brooms Hopefully, you won't become addicted like you would with heroin See you on your own show of 10 kids and counting

DP was quite keen on a homebirth when he realised that a hospital birth would mean that he would be kicked out of the hospital once the baby was born and would have to spend his first night of fatherhood away from me and the baby.

How far are you from the hospital? Good thing about homebirth is having 2 midwives with you, so they are v quick to pick up on anything that isn't progressing quite right. In hospital you are unlikely to get the same level of attention.

Brooms Oooo, I'll bring that up to him. Thank you

Isn't there a new law though that says fathers can stay overnight if they so wish, even if the hospital isn't keen? As it's their right or something? I'm probably wrong!

frizzicles I am 12 minutes by car, sometimes just over half an hour if there's traffic though

Blue, I was desperately broody for a year afterwards just for that feeling. And then it wore off, but I still feel sort of giddy when I remember it.

Haha. Not at all. I laboured/gave birth during the night with my homebirths so dcs met new arrival in the morning when they woke up. Ds's are pretty sound sleepers so I was lucky they slept through. I've been told it's not uncommon for women to go into labour/give birth at night when they have other dcs. Not sure how true that is but among my friends who had homebirths all subsequent labours were at night....

However, beforehand I had agreed with dh if kids woke, or labour happened during day, he would stay with them. I was happy to just have midwives on hand for birthing part.

I had my third at home and it was the best of the three, very calm and relaxed. The midwives kept monitioring me but it wasn't intrusive. My mum came round to look after my older two, they kept popping their heads round the door to watch mummy!
It was an 'easy' labour...it still hurt but I was definitely more relaxed, able to move round and then gave birth on the bed on all fours. As soon as baby was born the kids piled in midwives hovered around filling in endless forms and keeping check whilst we all lay in bed...they went and we had Chinese and prosecco.!

We're about the same OP. If there's any problems (or if you just choose to) they'd get you there quickly in an ambulance. Statistically home birth is safest option for 2nd births (or later). I think for 1st timers it is marginally less safe, and also v high probability of transferring in. There is lots of good information about relative risks if you google (and filter out all the stuff that is obviously biased one way or the other).

Yep I had dd2 at home. It was after threatened pre term labour meant I'd had enough of labour ward...!

All went fine, she was delivered at home. It was an easy labour. I was better looked after than my previous hospital experience.

Attempted HB with dd, (dc2) was much more relaxed, but when my waters went they had traces of meconium and midwives didn't want to risk possible infection or chance of her going into distress, so I was transferred in at the last minute.

She arrived within half an hour and all well, but I did end up with ABs. So no complications with actual birth, but another scenario that can occasionally occur requiring transfer.

I had a wonderful first birth at home, planned (or should say: Hoped for. Nothing is ever planned really with birth!)

It all happened so quickly that my MW nearly missed it. She got there 12 minutes before DD came out.
I spent about 24hrs with my TENS going through contractions and then when they were more close we called MW, she came to examine me at 8pm and said I was only 2cm dilated and that I should expect baby in the morning and to get a good night's sleep. Ha.
At 11 my waters broke and DD was with me after only a little pushing just after midnight.

Immediately after the birth we were snuggled up on the sofa in blankets and got to our own bed at about 5am.
Best day of my life. Definitely worth it.

Good luck OP

I had a home birth with my 2nd baby and will be having one again this time round. There's nothing in the world like it and I can't recommend it enough.

You are 100 times more relaxed than when in a medical environment. I felt free and in control to go where I wanted and do what I wanted. I was in and out the garden (sorry neighbours) and just really calm.
My daughter was born back to back and I still managed it without any pain relief at all. I think that was down to being more comfortable because I was at home.

There's a great group on Facebook called home birth chat UK the ladies on there will give you their birth stores and advice it's great.

If you have any specific questions I'm happy for you to PM me. After having a home birth and a hospital with my first a home just makes so much sense and I can't think why anyone would want to go to hospital if they didn't need to xx

DS1
was an amazing birth centre birth in water.

I just knew for my next birth I wanted to be at home and was amazing!!

DS2
My waters broke at 3am. Saw my midwife about 2pm and went for a 3hr nap. Had dinner and my eldest filled up the pool. Midwife arrived back after 830pm. I had a bit of gas and air for transition (I find that the difficult bit) then nothing until he was born at 1059pm.
I had another water birth. An amazing experience, I could do it again right there and then.
I had no internals, baby never got distressed even with his cord around his neck.
Makes me all fuzzy thinking about it

Thank you lovely ladies for sharing these birthing stories with me

Are you allowed gas and air during a home birth? I'm unsure if it's available but hopefully would manage without