Has anyone had a homebirth in a block of flats?

[cheddar21]

Hi I am 30wks and had initially planned to give birth in a midwife led unit. Unfortunately my home circumstances have changed and it is looking like my partner will now be recovering from major surgery at home just as I am due.

I'd really like him to be present at the birth and it is increasingly looking like a home birth might be the only way to make this happen as it would allow him to rest for as long as possible but also be there (if that makes sense).

I've just started looking into it, weighing up the pros and cons. A big worry for me is the number of stairs I may need to get down in the event of an emergency. I am on the second floor and there is no lift.

Does anyone have experience of a home birth in a flat up several flights? Is it possible? Or should I just get the idea out of my head?

Oh and I wouldn’t worry about noise. Just give your neighbours a heads up what you’re planning. If you make any noise it’ll probably be towards the end which doesn’t last forever!

Hypnobirthing was massively useful to me.

I second giving your neighbours the heads up. You don't want the police knocking of your door thinking you're being murdered!

OP I'm a midwife, done a lot of homebirths, planned and unplanned (and the unplanned ones happen wherever they happen and you just deal with it as the professional attending!).

Paramedics are used to transferring people who are immobile from all sorts of places with carry chairs etc. I would say that most homebirth transfers I've done, the woman has been able to walk to some extent.

I had a home birth this year with my second on the third floor, no lift and in middle of winter. It was the best experience I would never ever change it.

Please, please do not listen to these ladies talking about how difficult it is to get you down the stairs or being noisy for the neighbours. Seriously negative people on here!

Anyways, please be assured that if your midwife thinks you are an ideal candidate then don't be scared. Some women have unplanned home births because the baby just comes faster than expected (happened to my firs with her first).

We are lucky that the NHS support home births. I had three days of on off contractions with three different midwifes around. I rented a pool which OMG was the best thing with the gas and air. If you have any questions, I am happy to answer.

Just know that it's ok the have a pool in your flat, get lots of towels and things to lay around the flat. I put it in my bay window in the lounge and it was great.

One great thing is that you get all the equipment in your house two weeks before your due and that means IF there was an emergency they have a lot of stuff there to help right away without waiting for ambulance. I much prefer being at home than in a hospital sharing a room with strangers and making noise.

I've had two home births, albeit 25 and 27 years ago. If you are interested, arrange for a community midwife to come and assess your flat.The best advice my GP gave me was that, yes it was possible, in an emergency it can take time to arrange an ambulance, and I needed to accept some responsibility for making the decision to be at home. In my case the hospital was at the end of the street, which greatly influenced my decision. At the end of the day, you have to do what you are comfortable with. If you need carrying downstairs the paramedics will arrange it, even if a 4-man lift is required for a heavier patient. At the end of the day most obstacles can be overcome, it comes down to your feeling you have made the right decision for you and your family.

One website says it is risky, another says the extra risk is very small if everything else in the pregnancy has gone well.

Risk is different depending on whether first baby or not. First baby there are higher risks associated with home birth. Second pregnancy (assuming pregnancy has been straightforward) and it’s just as safe, statistically a slightly lower level of risk than going into a hospital. So that’s an important factor to consider.

If it was my first baby then I would definitely want to go to the midwife unit.