FTM considering home birth - please tell me if your experiences!

[333mumtobe]

Hello, I would love to hear anyone’s experiences of a home birth especially if it was for your first pregnancy?

The more I look into it and with all that’s going on - I seem more and more drawn to the idea of having a home birth (low-risk pregnancy and live close to a hospital too). I don’t know anyone who’s had a home birth so would love to hear about the experience of those who have. Thanks so much in advance for taking the time to share your experiences x

**of!

Planned a HB with #1. Managed 30 hours of early labour with waters gone. Had to go in with suspected merconium (confirmed at hospital then turned out he was breech). Would do it again - one piece of advice - make sure you 100% trust your midwife. I made the decision to take myself into hospital which was hard and really upset me. I wanted my midwife to advise and she seemed more set on a HB than me.

I had two DC at home but my first was a hospital birth, I liked the idea of home birth for my first but lacked confidence to do it!
Anyway I much preferred home births, no dashing to hospital and being at home is a much more relaxing environment than hospital
DH felt useful rather than a spare part ( thou initially he was nervous about the idea)
I had home water births, when contractions started I phoned hospital to prewarn them, when they became closer together and I needed pain relief I phoned back and a midwife come out with gas and air, she will examine you and call a second midwife for delivery.
The midwife's are fairly hands off but you get their undivided attention and ime they stay with you even if their shift is coming to the end. ( unlike hospital!) After baby is born they will run you a bath, change sheets etc and generally look after you for a bit before leaving.
The only bit thats awkward at home is if you need stiches afterwards, make sure you have a bright light source/torch to hand🤣

I had a homebirth with my first and am planning another with my second in October. We had a pool and I hired a tens machine too, not used at the same time I should point out! It was a magical experience, the midwives were amazing - pretty hands off most of the time but brilliant at keeping an eye on baby and me without disturbing me when I was in my own little world! Our area has a really good homebirth team and I felt really well supported all the way through my pregnancy and birth. I needed stitches but had them done on our bed while husband had skin to skin with baby - we were prepared with a very bright torch! It was amazing being able to snuggle in our bed with a big cup of tea and pile of crumpets afterwards.

I wanted a home birth with my first the midwife talked me out of it as she said it's more risky for first time births.
I'm so glad I wasn't at home as I wouldn't be here now if I'd have had a home birth. They didn't even have time to take me to theatre they brought everything to me and I ended up in itu.

Had a home birth last year. I had to go to hospital in the middle of the night for suspected meconium in my water (midwife wasn't with me at this point but told me to go). They decided it wasn't meconium and I went back home. Midwives were called a few hours later and when they arrived I was 7/8cm. I had hired a birthing pool (if you do this, definitely practice putting it up and filling it - we did not do this which was a big mistake, the midwife had to help us fill it). I gave birth in the pool with gas and air, all fine.
Then it went slightly downhill, the placenta took an hour to come out (which I don't think was a massive issue but they were talking about possibly needing to take me in if it didn't come out pretty soon), then they examined me and said I possibly had a third degree tear which meant I needed to go to hospital so they called an ambulance. Then I started bleeding fairly heavily, they gave me drugs to stop it, put me on a drip and escalated the urgency of the ambulance call.
I wasn't totally aware of this because I was a bit out of it from blood loss, but at this point DH was desperately trying to put a nappy on DD and dress her, having never done either of these before, so she was ready to go in the ambulance.
Paramedics arrived and gave me more drugs to stop the bleeding which worked, and they took me, DD and DH to the hospital where we went to the delivery ward. Surgeon came and it turned out it was just a second degree tear but nearly third degree so didn't need to go to theatre but the surgeon wanted to stitch it rather than a midwife.
We had to stay overnight (they allowed us to stay in a private room so DH could stay) and were sent home by midday the next day (DD was born at 13:30).
We live about 20 mins from the hospital and I was low risk, plus I have anxiety and didn't want to be stuck in hospital afterwards, which is why I opted for a home birth. When she was born I remember thinking "I'm so glad I did this at home, I'm so glad I can just stay here now" and it was very relaxing. Obviously it did not stay that way but for me I am glad I did it (because everything was fine in the end!) because I'd have been a lot more stressed during the labour if I'd been in hospital I think. I got very anxious and upset in the hospital, which was why they gave me a private room and let DH stay.
Hopefully I've not scared you, everyone (midwives and paramedics) was great, and pre-problems it was all very relaxing and calm. Sometimes I do wonder how I'd have been dealt with in hospital, I don't know whether the bleed I had would have warranted more of an "emergency" reaction in hospital, I think because I was at home they tried to downplay it. Not sure whether if I'd been in hospital it would have been one of those situations where multiple people come rushing in to the room to help!

Wow thanks so much for sharing all your stories ! X

I tried for a home birth with my first. I'm definitely going to have another go this time (I'm due no 2 in October). It was so good being in my own space. It was very private and the midwives were fantastic. For me a major reason for choosing a home birth is about staffing ratios. You have one midwife with you as soon as you call. Another joins when you are about to start pushing. Being able to guarantee a birth pool was another.

I unfortunately ran out of steam and got stuck at 8 CMS. I went into labour Saturday lunch time and come Monday evening it started to slow down because I was so exhausted. So I transferred to hospital which was very calm and was a collective decision. They then broke my waters, gave me an epidural and let me sleep for a few hours. I woke fully dilated and ready to push. I met my beautiful DS a little while later.

Absolutely no regrets. I had a really positive and calm labour. I'm actually quite looking forward to doing it all again.