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?

I made my decision last August before cv had even presented itself.

The situation has totally changed since then.

@GreytExpectations I'm seeking an IM.

Say we turned it on its head and the 97% of mothers who opt to give birth in hospital were told they must have their babies at home?

@PurpleDaisies But how does coronavirus make my hb more risky?

Say we turned it on its head and the 97% of mothers who opt to give birth in hospital were told they must have their babies at home?

If that was for very valid safety reasons in the middle of a pandemic, I think most women would hold their nose and think of what would guarantee them the best outcome for them and their baby.

@TerribleCustomerCervix What 'valid safety reasons' do you mean?

OP have you considered what you will do if the baby is breech, or you don’t deliver your placenta properly or you have a post partum hemorrhage?

Are you willing to go in for an emergency C-section if your IM says one is necessary?

x

Say we turned it on its head and the 97% of mothers who opt to give birth in hospital were told they must have their babies at home?

And? If there was a valid safety reason than women would comply and they would likly be sent medical assistance such as a midwife. That is not the same situation you are in. You are wanting to take away resources during a health crisis, when there is no valid reason for that.

@MrsRose2018 If my IM said I should go in - because it is medically necessary - then yes, I would listen to her professional opinion.

The birthing centre in our local hospital is now shit unfortunately

What 'valid safety reasons' do you mean?

OP, are you really not comorehending the seriousness of the situation we are in? We are in the midst of a global pandemic right now. Unfortunately that means everyone will have to make sacrifices for the greater good and one of those being women's choice of birth location. It sucks but that's the situation we are in. Same as people have lost their jobs and income to this pandemic.

If you can't get an IM, or don't have several thousand quid lying round for it, what will you do? Because surely you can see that free birthing is a really really bad idea...

@GreytExpectations IMs are private midwives. They are not NHS workers. I wouldn't be taking away resources. In fact, if all goes smoothly as it does in the vast majority of low-risk home births I would be freeing up NHS resources.

@GreytExpectations You still haven't explained how my choice of a hb with IM is going to impact on the coronavirus situation?

@Babyboomtastic I am in the fortunate position that I do have savings to be able to afford an IM.

OP are you still attending hospitals for scans/midwife appointments etc? It’s just as you know pregnancy can change from low risk to high risk v quickly!

It’s reassuring you will go in if your IM tells you too.

x

Truthfully OP I wish you the best of luck finding a supportive independent midwife who can help you achieve a safe home birth.

But even entertaining the idea of a Freebirth, when thanks to CV19 emergency medical care is being pushed to its absolute limit, is just bonkers.

You still haven't explained how my choice of a hb with IM is going to impact on the coronavirus situation?

Yes, I have. I explained that if you require emergency medical attention then you risk an ambulance and other emergency resources being taken away from someone else who would need it, due to COVID-19. You cant gurentee your OH would be able to drive you. If it becomes a serious complication then the IM could insist on paramedics having to transport you, emergency doctors may need to be pulled away from treating other patients ect. Currently medical resources are stretched and now is when as a society we should be Co-operating. Plus, would you attempt a free birth if an IM wasn't available?

Op, you aren't really getting the point I and others are trying to make. It's not about the IM being a resource, it's about using up emergency resources IF that situation were to arise.

@MrsRose2018 My antenatal appts have all been done at home by my hb mw. I had the two scans deemed medically necessary. I declined the blood tests not applicable.

My next antenatal appt is to be done over the phone.

@GreytExpectations Whilst of course not all situations that occur in labour can be predicted, it is the role of a mw where she/he can to suggest hospital transfer before an emergency situation occurs. I'm that case I would travel to hospital via my OH's car. Even if I was in hospital and required emergency support, the necessary staff would be called then. As they were in my last hospital labour (student mw broke my waters prematurely which resulted in serious complications).

OP I know you are having a really shit time with your ex and you feel completely out of control at the moment but at some point you need to make a decision to fight and be strong, for your 2 beautiful boys and the daughter you are carrying.
You can't just stop eating and drinking, they all need you.
Yes your ex is an arsehole and he is filling the boys head with complete crap but this is why they need you to be strong and fight for a better future for them.
Your baby girl is going to be a blessing, she needs you to eat and drink to sustain her and you.
The home birth situation is shit, but things are changing so fast please don't fixate on that now. There is still plenty of time between when you are due.
I know your mental health is really at a horrendous point right now but please please try and get some external support for it.
Come on mummy you can do this! Fight for you and your children.
Take one day at a time.

it is the role of a mw where she/he can to suggest hospital transfer before an emergency situation occurs. I'm that case I would travel to hospital via my OH's car.

But my point is you may not be able to travel in your OHs car depending on the severity of the situation. There is a vast difference in the recource required between medical attention away from the hospital versus when you are in the hospital.

You clearly already made your decision and that is for you to do, whether or not I agree but please try to understand that your choice does have risks on an already stretched system during a global health crisis, you appear to be suggesting that there are no risks when that is not accurate.

@strawberry2017 Aw thanks. Over the past few weeks so many things in my life have turned to absolute shit and it's so hard.

Spoke to my mw and expecting a call in the morning from a MH nurse. She is going to discuss what we are going to do if I don't get the boys back after the hearing on Friday (as in from a MH pov).

Fiancé finally gets his catheter out before too long which is great, but it will be another challenging time waiting to see whether or not his bladder function has returned.

Its such a shame this virus has shown up, it has made things so difficult for pregnant ladies. Hopefully they get a breakthrough with it in time for everyone and bring back all the options.

Hey OP, I'm sorry that so many people are being extremely judgmental and picking apart your desire/decision to aim for a home birth. With regard to taking away valuable resources, this would happen anyway, if you had an emergency in the hospital. The only extra thing you would be using is an ambulance, but you are also a priority, if you are a woman giving birth. I don't think you are being selfish aiming for a HB with an IM because you are right - if everything goes to plan, you will actually be freeing up hospital resources to a great extent! This is why the NHS actually encourages home births for low risk pregnancies in normal circumstances... because the majority of births are straight forward, and the hospitalisation of birth is often not necessary! If you're low risk, it's the first suggestion as a place to give birth. Obviously COVID changes the circs, but, if you are using an IM you are in fact freeing up a midwife at the NHS, and so this should balance out any extra resource you might take if you need an ambulance.
Honestly, sounds like you have a good plan. I do think free birthing would be too risky, but if you get an IM and follow her advice and go to hospital if necessary, then you are being responsible and caring for yourself and baby. Stay strong and do what you need to do. The birth is about the mother as well as baby, and you need to feel OK in your birth environment - otherwise it's just more likely something will happen and you'll need interventions/emergency actions. There is plenty of literature on this. An IM will be incredibly capable of knowing if an emergency arises and then you can go to hospital in that situation.

x

And it sounds like you have made your decision and you have a good plan, to hire an IM. In my situation I wouldn't have the money for an IM so if they cancelled HB, I would happily go to hospital (I'm still deciding anyway, am not completely sure about a HB). However I have read a lot about birth and am doing a hypnobirthing course so I feel confident even in a hospital setting, I know what I would say no to and would hope I could keep autonomy. This is my first so I don't have a traumatic experience to colour my decision. For you it's different. Everyone's circumstances are different. No one can tell you what to do, and people harping on about how terrible it is to get an IM and aim for a home birth really seem to have missed the memo (and the Birth Place Study which looked at 60k+ women) that for low risk pregnancies, HBs are safe, and that you are in fact freeing up NHS resource to aim for this. It sounds like you have some very valid reasons why you want to avoid the hospital and so I think you're doing the best you can, by looking in an IM and hiring one. x

The only extra thing you would be using is an ambulance, but you are also a priority, if you are a woman giving birth

An ambulance which could be getting to someone with covid, a heart attack, a stroke, or any number of other emergencies. An ambulance is a rare commodity and I believe it is very likely we will see deaths in the coming weeks from people who could not get an ambulance in time. Using up an ambulance when you have the option to be in hospital in the first place is a big deal and not to be taken lightly.