Now no home births - options?

[RainMinusBow]

So my hb midwife informed me earlier a home births are suspended in my area. From the moment I was pg I decided on a hb for many reasons so this isn't just a knee-jerk decision.

I am not going into hospital for many reasons - a significant one of which is I refuse to put my baby and myself at unecessary risk of becoming infected with Covid-19.

Does anybody know what other choices are available to me? I have heard of freebirthing but don't know much about it?

Freebirthing will be far more risky with far greater chance of a devastating outcome than a hospital birth.

You do know you won’t be in the Covid ways don’t you?
Free birthing is just plain stupid. It’s what happened many years ago when there was little choice. That’s why childbirth was so dangerous!
Having your baby in a highly sterile room with full medical backup minutes away is by far the safest option for both you and your baby.

You go to hospital. Its a national emergency.

Free birthing is very risky, a private midwife is a better option. Depends on when you are due - they simply don't have enough staff to send 2 midwives to you for many hours, midwives can be deployed elsewhere in the hospital if they are using less with this change

Is there a midwife led unit near you?

DS2 was an accidental homebirth. The paramedics rocked up 6 mins after we called them, and one of them made it inside the house to deliver him. I wouldnt recommend it to anyone. Please dont plan to free birth.

Freebirthing Is much more dangerous. The NHS is under pressure. They cannot get you a personal midwife at your home, taking up hours of time. Maybe if you get a private one, but I suspect they will have curtailed their services too. Hospital is much safer. At least you will get a midwife there.

Yes I'll look into a private mw. Of course I know I won't be on a Covid ward but I still don't believe it's safe for me to go to hospital so I'll go for the other options available to me. Thanks all.

MLU - home from home environment and I’d think maternity units are some of the cleanest right now

Find your local Independent midwife

A very sensible decision by the authorities.

Are there any birthing centres near you? That might be a good halfway house between hospital and free birthing.

You have the right to give birth wherever you like surely?

As in they can’t force you to go to hospital..

Have you asked the midwives for any alternatives? If there is a birthing unit nearby I would highly recommend considering it. Did they give reasons for cancelling home births? Guessing it is to lower the risk of midwives becoming infected by entering an uncontrolled environment (someone's home rather than a clinical setting), and it requiring 2 which is tricky when staffing levels are low. A MLU though is a home environment, they have procedures in place to limit the chance of anyone entering who might have it; phone apps where possible, taking temps here, no visitors aside from birthing partner etc. Please consider something like that, you'll probably be more likely to need medical assistance urgently with freebirthing.

I got a tour of our local midwife unit, it was lovely, and well worth looking into to see if there's one nearby. It's much more like a home birth environment, at least ours was!

@BackyardChickens You're correct, it is my choice to refuse a hospital birth just as I can't make another lady have their baby at home. I am keen for minimal intervention. I don't want VE (vaginal examinations) etc.

Looking into an independent midwife as have some savings.

@TheLovleyChebbyMcGee I did do a tour but didn't like it at all. Not helped by a previous horrific hospital birth!

OP where are you? I was told last week that home births in my area are still going ahead but I suspect that will change by the time I'm due (currently nearly 33 weeks.)

imuk.org.uk/news/independent-midwives-uk-covid-19-statement/

Some info here about independent midwives

It's Covid 19 not Black Death. Try to find a private midwife by freebirthing is far more dangerous.

If you give birth at home and refuse to go to hospital, are they obliged to send midwives out or can they class you as having refused treatment and leave you to it at home?

I don’t agree with your preference for free birth but that’s your risk. But if it means midwives are pulled out of the hospital then that’s different.

I had an unplanned unattended birth. Attended up with pretty bad tearing, a baby who wouldn't feed and needed medical attention, and I have no memory of the first hour or so of her life as I sort of blacked out.

You could be putting yourself at risk of needing longer in hospital.

Don’t free birth. Please.

Yes, if anything goes not smoothly, you risk having to be taken into hospital in an emergency ambulance- now in ever shorter supply - and maybe emergency treatment- also in shorter supply.

@wineymummy My hb mw also told me that last Friday when she came out for an antenatal appt but it has since changed. She found out yesterday.

I'm just exploring options, not yet sure if I refuse to go in (which is my right), the course of action they would be obliged to take, if any.

My fiancé is supportive of me remaining at home due to my severe anxiety. Sadly I am am ideal candidate for PND complications post-birth even before this happened. Won't go into details here re why my anxiety is so bad but it's a huge factor when making decisions for safety of myself and baby.