Home birth experiences

[meggie1412]

Hi, I'm currently pregnant with baby number 2 and really considering a home birth this time round so would really appreciate some experiences, advice and what to expect? Good or bad. Thank you xx

I had 2 and 3 at home and loved it. Number 1 was supposed to be at home but the wild vomiting was too much as labour progressed and everything was slow, drawn out and I was knackered. I didn't want want a water birth so both of them ended up being born with me on my knees leaning across the sofa with my face pretty much in DH's lap while he held my hands. I loved it when afterwards the first thing the midwife got DH to do was get me a cup of tea while she ran me a bath!

I got everything out of my homebirth for my first that I had wanted:
No worry about when to leave for the hospital and enduring the journey there (and the whole adrenaline vs oxytocin thing if you've looked into that)
2 dedicated midwives who never left me (well they did go into another room but I knew they were right there just for me)
No staying in hospital after. Tucked up in my own bed with everything familiar after a shower in my own home and any food I wanted.
Water birth (didn't think I wanted this when I first decided on a homebirth, but so glad I did).
No intervention, no tears (might be down to the homebirth but could easily have been the same outcome in hospital)
Saw the same midwife for all appointments through to birth and post-birth checks (I think up to 6 weeks)
Visitors as soon as I wanted after birth, in my home, who could put the kettle on and bring me lunch.

I was happy with deciding on a homebirth because:
No issues in pregnancy
10 mins from hospital
Very confident that the homebirth midwife team were experienced, passionate, just wonderful humans

Things that might have been better had I been in hospital (but on balance I have absolutely no regret):
Ran out of gas and air at one point as the midwife was only allowed to carry a certain amount with her (I think I went through it exceptionally quickly though) They got more out to me, but I found that time without it VERY tough.
Tongue-tie may have been spotted earlier if I'd been in hospital, but I know that people's experiences of support with breastfeeding in hospital varies wildly. It was still spotted within 36 hours, but by that time my nipples were destroyed and I still couldn't breastfeed by the time his tie was cut about 4 days later - we got there eventually though. And I should have spoken up about just how much feeding hurt when the midwife came back to check on us about 6 hrs after birth, but a search on MN had me convinced that that level of pain was normal and I just had to power through.

I'm devastated that a homebirth won't be an option for my second, and am actually really terrified of having to do it in a hospital!

Good luck!

Thanks both of you! I had quite a quick straight forward birth first time round but my partner missed a lot of it as they didn’t think I would dilate as quick as I did, I went from 3cm to having him in my arms in less than 2 hours so I would really like my partner to be there throughout it this time and there will only be 15 months between my first and second so don’t really want to leave my son for a long space of time either and with the current situation I think il feel more comfortable at home. Also if I do end up having a hospital birth there’s a high chance I’ll birth alone so I would really like a home birth but trying to get as much info about it as I can to make sure I’m making the safest decision for baby. I’d hate anything to happen!
I didn’t have a water birth first time round but I’d like one this time round too so looked into hiring one at home xxx

Had a home birth for no 2 but it was 14 years ago!

Water birth. Went v smoothly, in intervention. Didn't have gas and air (I'm not brave BTW , just don't like it). Slept in my own bed and dd slept through it and woke up to a new baby brother.

Felt so good afterwards that I was helping clear up (mad person).

First birth was fine in hospital, great care and I appreciated the help with breast feeding but if you are uncomplicated there is nothing like sleeping in your own bed and not being on the post natal ward.

I had home births with both my babies. Very good experiences, especially with the 2nd. I felt very relaxed being in my own home and not having to travel anywhere. Nice having 2 midwives dedicated to me and the baby. The best bit was going to my own bed at the end of it all with my baby and DH with me.

If you're likely to have a quick birth again it will probably work better for you staying at home and having the midwives come to you rather than you having to travel to the hospital when you're already well into established labour.

Daft question but do you have to go to hospital at all after birth? I had stitches first time round too so what happens if I need them again can that be done at home?

I know that if I do have a hospital birth I won’t have a birthing partner as my partner will have our DS so it’s making me on edge, especially with the current rules only birth partners can see you after birth too so if I have to stay in over night or longer my partner won’t be able to visit or see our DD until I get home and I really don’t want to be away from my DS for longer than I need to but want the safest option for DD.

I'm trying to read into it as much as possible and get both good and bad experiences so I have a full picture but so far everyone's saying it's the best experience having it at home!

No you shouldn't need to go in even if you need stitches. Many midwives are really helpful to talk about homebirths. Even if you can't go in, could you arrange a call?

Stitches depend on your midwife, some do suture some don't not sure if that's an experience/training thing. I had a retained placenta first time round and somewhere in the region of 45,000 stitches, second didn't tear at all and third i think a tiny tear but the midwives said that it was best to leave it to heal naturally. With DC3 we did end up going to hospital but only about 6 hours after birth, the Midwife had popped back to drop off some paperwork and thought he sounded a bit grunty so packed us off. I liked the reassurance of having 2 midwives that I knew were solely focused on me and I found them very unobtrusive basically letting me get on with it and if that meant they were crouched down checking the heartbeat while I was merrily on all fours on the floor then so be it. They were really hands off to the point that DD was delivered straight into my hands.

Id really recommend making sure you have a plan for DS to be away from the house if you home birth. It’s not uncommon to have labour stall until mum feels totally able to progress. My own children delayed my birth my DC3 - once out of way cracked on quickly!

For me I ended up transferring post birth as I had the after birth injections and sent my blood pressure high and I’m glad older siblings were with my best friend. I was unlucky ( or rather impatient as I just wanted placenta out so said give me injection which wasn’t in my plan and because of this and other factors my blood pressure went high. I was VERY high risk on paper and should have been obstetrics led so please don’t let this put you off) As it was the registrar who wanted me blue lighted in and I was basically abandoned in hospital. Seven hours later after warning then several times I was leaving I went to walk out with baby in car seat and suddenly midwife wanted to do obs and make me sign a disclaimer. At home I had one to one care

Not sure if this will help but I attempted a home water birth! I laboured at home really well and then after 3/4 hours of pushing she just wouldn’t come out, the midwives said I was quite swollen.

Positives:
-I found being at home so relaxing, I loved being in my own space just me and my partner. (I pretty much got to 10cms on my own so I so barely even had midwives present, it was my first baby so I was convinced it was just going to carry on getting worse but I was 10cms plus years of painful periods probably helped)
-I felt comfortable and more in control at home. I thought maybe I would feel intimated at hospital.
-I liked the fact that we had lots of options at home, i.e if I felt uncomfortable in what I was wearing, if I wanted something to eat in particular, if I wanted to watch telly or have a bath....

Negatives
-I absolutely hated being transferred in the ambulance, sitting or lying down made my contractions 10x worse so being in the ambulance wasn’t a nice process
-My partner had a lot to clear up and sort out (I think the midwives normally help but because we left in a hurry to the hospital he didn’t get any help when we finally returned home

For me going into hospital was quite positive as I could get more support with breastfeeding and caring for my newborn than I originally thought I would I would need!

It’s hard because we don’t have anyone else for DS so he would be in the house but I suffer really bad anxiety so I know I’d worry if he wasn’t in the house anyway which is one of the reasons I want to home birth so I can have both my partner and DS close by and would take a lot of worry away from me. Which makes me think I would be a lot more relaxed at home. But obviously don’t want to do anything to distress DS.
Overall I had a good hospital experience, I really enjoyed my first Labour and a home birth never crossed my mind I was adamant I wanted a hospital birth first time round and it definitely was the right decision for me but my situation is a lot different now, there seems to be more pros than cons of a home birth this time round but I’m definitely not going to rush into anything just want to get as much info as possible.
I have my next midwife appointment next week so plan on speaking to her about it then, if she’s against it then I will definitely listen to her. Hopefully she will be able to give me a honest answer and a wider image of the pros and cons! Thanks again for everyone commenting really appreciate it xx

Second baby was a home birth. DS1 was downstairs with DM and DF (this was July so Covid restrictions meant only birth partner allowed in the room with the midwives) I was upstairs in my bedroom
I was definitely more relaxed at home. Loved being able to snuggle into bed straight away afterwards with my baby. A few stitches were needed and that was done by the midwife, baby also needed a little oxygen but they had it all ready and we didn't need to be transferred. DS1 came to meet his baby brother about an hour after he wasborn, and DH was there for the whole thing