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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

Anyone having a home birth?

25 replies

spugs · 18/07/2007 20:55

ok its early days for me, i have another 8 mths to go before i have my baby but im starting to wonder about the poss. of giving birth at home. My last baby came 1 3/4 after i got to hospital and i had gass and air, i insisted on pethidine because i panicked about the pushing bit but in the end it didnt have time to kick in. As well as this my hospital is right at the end of my street.
So does anyone have any experiance of having one or is anyone planning one and could give me some advice? cheers

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reikizen · 18/07/2007 20:59

I had a lovely home birth with dd2. Can't recommend it highly enough and would have had one with dd1 if she hadn't refused to budge! What advice were you looking for?

Lcy · 18/07/2007 21:07

Have a look at www.homebirth.org.uk i found it a really useful site.

Original poster

spugs · 18/07/2007 21:15

any thing and everything really, ive been on that website and it is good.
Am i right in thinking that if i want pethidine and can get it?

OP posts:

frangipan · 18/07/2007 22:50

Yes you can have pethidine. Also gas and air. I had a wonderful homebirth with DS2 now 5 and am 26 wks pregnant with DC3.
I am planning another homebirth and have been lucky that(up to now!)I have had no probs with the pragnancy and had full backing from my midwives. We are only a 10 minute drive from our hospital.

Advice wise-
I have found the midwives very supportive of homebirth.

Visit your local pound store and buy a cheap tarp/waterproof sheet. Just roll it up and throw away after, saves loads of mess and worry!

My midwives only brought 1 cylinder of entonox and the assisting midwife had to dash back and get another, Make sure you request pethidine in your plan otherwise they don't bring it.

Have someone make up a clean fresh bed with clean nightwear/afterbirth clothing also, after giving birth, a shower and fresh clothes and bed are FAB so you and your newborn can have some well earned rest(looks better on photos too !

buy in some extra tea/coffee/biscuits for your guests, put it all out before hand with a sign saying 'help yourself'.

I agreed some hand signals with DH for when labour got too tough to string a sentence together, to indicate what I needed ie water, back rub, entonox, needing to push etc he could then relay all this info to the midwife.

Ask away if I can help anymore, As long as mum and baby are well and there are no complications that the midwives can't deal with I'd say go for it!!! Best of Luck
Frang x

PregnantGrrrl · 19/07/2007 07:35

spugs- pethadine is at midwife's discretion. many won't give it at home births, even though they can.

i wanted a home birth with DS, but the midwife that came refused me pethadine, and said i should just go to the hospital if it hurt that much already. she was horrible and unsupportive, and i didn't want her delivering my baby, so i went to the birthing unit instead. it was lovely, but not what i'd planned.

i want a home birth this time, and now that i've had some experience if we get a horrible midwife i'm kicking her out and asking for somebody else! I'm sure we'll be fine this time though- i know the midwife in question was removed from community midwifery after i told my usual midwife what happened (there was alot more horribleness from the midwife who came) so we won't have her anyway!

RGPargy · 19/07/2007 11:13

I'm planning on having a home water birth for this one. I was young and impressionable when i had DS so i was in the hospital, laying on a bed flat on my back for the whole labour. I certainly do NOT want to be in that position again - that would be my worst nightmare!!

I have told my MW that i want a homebirth and she was very supportive, despite my consultant saying i "wouldn't be a candidate" for a home birth (due to my size).

I'm looking forward to it!

Pabamella · 19/07/2007 11:14

I had a beautiful homebirth with DS2. Really beautiful.

I hope it works out well xx

Loopymumsy · 19/07/2007 13:52

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Nbg · 19/07/2007 14:03

This is my 3rd baby and I'm planning a home birth.
Mostly due to me hating hospitals but I think it will make things easier family wise too.

My MW has been very supportive about it all. All shes asked is for me to see a consultant at 36 weeks to confirm what position baby is in.
Shes also given me alot of advice about water pools and I have now decided against having one and if needs be I'll use the bath.
I have a birth ball ready cos I loved that in my last labour and my MW is providing a tens machine.
Other than that I'm not having any other pain relief.

Just need for the 28th November to arrive now

RGPargy · 19/07/2007 14:06

NBG - what made you decide NOT to hire a birthing pool? I must say, you are being brave!!

Nbg · 19/07/2007 14:10

It was the fact that the temp has to be constantly checked so its 37 degrees and filled up if needs be and that some women actually find nearer the end, they dont want to be in it.

For me a water birth hasnt really appealed but I just thought having a baby at home warranted a pool.
As I said I'll just use the bath if I want.

No pain relief is much better IMO. I feel more in control.
With dd I was out of my face, I couldnt hold her after I had her or feed her and in the end BF went for a trip to nowhere land.
With ds I was alert and knew what was happening (it did smart a bit at the end as had to have forceps and episiotomy) and he fed beautifully for a sold 45 mins after which was amazing.

RGPargy · 19/07/2007 14:29

I can see what you mean, but i think for me personally the birth pools would be better because (a) they have heaters on them (b) i will have loads of room in it and (c) my bath is tiny and takes AAAAAAAAGES to fill up to do the most utmost crappiest of crap (lack of) water pressure from the hot taps.

I'm just gonna get off my face on gas and air.

beansontoast · 19/07/2007 15:11

am having so many homebirth fantasies at the moment..centred mainly around getting into our bed afterwards with ds and d?2..and lovely cup of tea(but cant cos of tedious blood condition)

go for it spugs!

PregnantGrrrl · 19/07/2007 15:18

i'm looking forward to a cup of MY tea in MY mug in MY bed when this one is born. Fingers crossed!

DobbyMOO · 19/07/2007 15:19

Nbg - temperature control shouldn't really be too much of an issue as with the huge volume of water the heat is lost relatively slowly, plus the room should be quite warm for the baby which slows heat loss. Topping up isn't a hassle either - a bucket of water out, two hot kettle in - easy peasy! Checking the temperature is also simple, you just buy a bath thermometer for about £2 and check it every now and then. It's a shame your midwife has put you off because it really shouldn't be a big issue and IME is much better than a bath because you can really submerge yourself.

derah · 19/07/2007 15:19

Thanks for starting this post spugs, I'm taking all the advice on board too cos I'm planning a home birth this time around.

I ended up having DD lying flat on my back, which, after a c-section or other intervention, was the last thing I wanted. There was a pool in the maternity ward but they wouldn't let me use it cos there was blood in my waters (never found out why). After-care in the hospital was dreadful and I don't want to give birth in hospital again. A good friend had a home birth with her first, which she said was amazing. And she's due in 3 weeks with her second, which will be another home birth. She bought a Birth Pool in a Box, which I'll be borrowing when the time comes! I feel so cheated that I didn't get a water birth last time and I'm determined to have one this time.

insywinsyspider · 19/07/2007 21:35

I've come to join in as I'll need your advice too - 18 wks now and hoping to stay right here, was out 6 hours after having ds so hoping this one is as straight forward, but a little quicker in getting here - ended up flat on my back with legs in stiups complaining all the way everytime I tired to turn over I had another contraction!

Does anyone know about babies and them being checked out by a doctor? in hospital this seems to happen quite quickly i.e. next available round but what happens at home? am also wondering if I transferred and actually everything was ok and dc born middle of the night could I just go home? or do I have to wait for doc? can't explain how lovely poached egg on toast and cup of tea for breakfast in bed was day after ds born, none of this 'help yourself' you get at hospital...

DobbyMOO · 19/07/2007 21:41

Hi incy. Some midwives are now able to do the newborn check instead of the doctor, so you might not need to see one at all! If not then I think your GP should be able to do it.

You can discharge yourself whenever you like even if your baby hasn't had his/her check, although you may be under a lot of pressure to stay until it is done.

insywinsyspider · 19/07/2007 21:50

i assumed there would be a lot of pressure to have a check.... difficult call to make really, i know its some thing dh is worried about about having home birth that doc won't be on hand....

reikizen · 20/07/2007 13:07

yes, the GP (and some midwives)can do the new baby check whether you have a home birth or discharge yourself from hosp. They should make a home visit to do this.

Loopymumsy · 20/07/2007 14:14

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Ceolas · 20/07/2007 14:23

I am planning one for mine due in 5 weeks. Just need said baby to turn from breech position

MWs can give gas/air and or pethidine but have asked them not to bring pethidine so I just can't have it!

Community MWs here can do baby checks so no need to see a dr at all, all being well

As soon as the baby turns (see my optimism) I am buying a birth pool in a box.

lilylilyrose · 20/07/2007 14:25

I'm planning a homebirth with this baby - due in 2 weeks ! I've got a pool and a TENS machine, and there's some pethidine in my fridge - my MW recommended I have some on standby 'just in case', but I'm not planning on using it. I had to pick up a prescription for it beforehand, as the MWs can't prescribe it - a doctor has to.

I'll let you know how it goes

Original poster

spugs · 20/07/2007 18:50

loopy - i didnt need the pethidine, it was more to do with panicing when i realised it was nearly time to push as last time that part took hour up and half and was horrific.
dd2s birth was as near as perfect as a hospital birth could get i think - my mw stayed with me the whole time, encouraged me to get up and move around, minimum monetering and got mats out so i could deliver on the floor. in fact when i did have my blip and paniced about the pushing i wanted to get on the bed to try and stop it happening!!!! (made sense on G&A) and she had none of it. i kind of worry that if i have another hospital birth it wont be as fab as my last and ill end up with someone who wants to strap a monitor on me and make me stay on the bed!

OP posts:

RGPargy · 20/07/2007 20:15

I stayed on a hospital bed from labour to birth. Hence my need for a HB this time around!!

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