Home birth option

[lozzalou93]

Is anyone having a home birth or had a home birth care to share their feelings?

I am pretty confident it is the option I want. I feel I would be much more relaxed in my home surroundings and am not a fan of hospitals. The midwife told me they would know if something was going wrong and before I even realised I’d be in the hospital. I live (a max) 5 Min drive from our local.

What are other people’s feeling on home births?

Do you think 25 mins away from a hospital, too far for a home birth?

OP - I'm also very keen on having a home birth for my first. Like you I'm 5 mins away from the hospital with full NICU etc. It's a lot nearer than the midwife led unit (20mins!?) And the midwife ratio is also a major factor, I would have two midwives, one with me from the beginning, the other joining later. Which sounds a lot better to me than someone popping in and out. I am also debating a private midwife. I just find hospitals incredibly traumatic at the moment and the chances of me being relaxed for labour are nil. I've done lots of research and that's where I have landed. It's different for everyone.

@BrutusMcDogface your partner doesn't need a say in where you give birth, you're perfectly capable of deciding yourself.

I had a hb for dc1 and planning for dc2 shortly. It was really lovely, I was listened to and wasn't in an unfamiliar environment that smelt of disinfectant. The midwives on the hb team seem much more respectful of their patients wishes than the hospital midwives and will quietly observe you without interfering.

I didn't think that it was that bad, possibly because I was so relaxed at home, and I'm really looking forward to birth 2.

I planned one and was well prepared for it but I had been burning clary sage oil in my bedroom as I’d heard it brought on contractions and when the midwives turned up one was pregnant. We stopped burning it immediately, she avoided the bedroom for hours and we’d opened all of the windows and the front door but after approx six hours she still was adamant she felt faint so I had to be transferred in an ambulance. I was so embarrassed at needing the ambulance but they insisted it was the only way... I also was furious at the midwife at the time, however selfish of me that is (I personally still think she couldn’t be arsed and wanted to go home to bed...)

However I chose to deliver the placenta naturally that time because we had a lotus birth and when I saw the amount of blood everywhere I was kinda pleased I wasn’t having to clean it all up . We’d prepared with plastic sheets and such but still, my exh would probably have had to dispose of them all not pretty.

@Pinkvoid we managed to contain the blood to the easily cleaned bathroom floor I did try to wreck a couple of towels I hate but sadly they came up perfectly after a cold wash. Will be attempting to ruin them again this time, they are totally threadbare and must be as old as DH!

Gummy , I hear what you're saying but I do disagree. It's his baby too and I don't want him to feel out of control/worried throughout the whole thing.