Home birth Mums...would you give birth upstairs or downstairs?

[NZmum40]

For some reason this has been playing on my mind...planning a home birth and we have a 2 story home with bedrooms upstairs and living areas downstairs.
I've got it into my head that I shouldn't give birth upstairs in case I need to get downstairs in a hurry to get to a hospital. Irrational?

If you get to choose between upstairs and downstairs for a home birth which would you choose?

Well I thought I would birth in our bedroom which had an ensuite (loft conversion up two flights of steep and narrow stairs) but once in labour refused to move from the small and tiny windowed downstairs bathroom. Turns out that I am rather like a cat in labour and prefer a small, dark and wardrobe like space All good and an easy birth. So my two penny's worth is it is hard to predict and fathom the reasoning of a woman in labour...

If you're planning on using a pool you might find that it has to be downstairs.

Downstairs is far safer. If you collapse with a major intrapartum haemorrhage, trying to get you down a flight of stairs will be a nightmare, let alone getting you into an ambulance and transferring you to hospital.
Have you checked the ambulance call out time in your area, OP? We have had patients dying on staircases after waiting 15 hours.

I gave birth downstairs both times. First time because I had my mother and my 2 year old upstairs, second time because I had a pool and it had to be downstairs.

@emsyj37

I gave birth downstairs both times. First time because I had my mother and my 2 year old upstairs, second time because I had a pool and it had to be downstairs.

I was thinking I’d rather be upstairs unless there were other children in the house. Then I think I’d rather be downstairs with them upstairs out of the way

I’d rather be downstairs, assuming older kids etc weren’t around, so I could swan off to a clean fresh bedroom to nest with my newborn while leaving all the hellish mess to be cleaned up by Other People.

@MrsWooster that's a shame to hear that you had a hellish mess at your home birth. We had one towel in the bin and a floor wiped by the midwife.

I'm going to have a homebirth with a pool, downstairs on my daughters foam play mat! More room for the pool and to move around also.

I made a hellish mess the first time, hence the pool the next time! All the mess gets swilled away. My first home birth was unplanned so I didn't have anything set up. No regrets though, it was an amazing experience.

I had mine downstairs because we had a pool and from the point of view of transferring to the hospital if necessary.

But I had to be helped upstairs by dh and the mw afterwards because I was too exhausted to climb a stairs independently.

Downstairs it is then!
Not sure if I'll have a pool or not, may have one as a back up option as I found soaking in water slowed my first labour down considerably so I'm a little reluctant to have this happen again.

[quote Philandbill]@MrsWooster that's a shame to hear that you had a hellish mess at your home birth. We had one towel in the bin and a floor wiped by the midwife.[/quote]
I didn’t-both hospital inductions, sadly. My point was a general one about wanting to be able to retire to bed in peace, far from any and all tidying carefully not thinking about shitting self in labour incidents

I had all 3 of mine in the living room.

2 in a pool. One on the couch.

I ruined a carpet with my second so I’d say wherever you have a wipe clean floor

I had a water birth downstairs and then went upstairs to deliver the placenta. It felt like a good idea at the time and walking did speed it up.

I had mine upstairs in the bedroom, with lovely en suite. After I had gained some strength back I had a shower, and came back to a freshly made bed, with my baby snuggled up in her crib, and then my Mum (who was over from NZ) brought me breakfast (baby was born at 4:30am). It was perfect.

I had short labours, though, and since it all started in the middle of the night I was happiest to be in my room. I think it depends on how things go, really, and it's one of those things you can't fully plan. Maybe have a couple of options sorted in your head.

I also found water slowed my first labour a lot and did fine with no water for my second. The pain was more intense but manageable without water and the whole thing was a lot quicker as second babies tend to be

I had both of mine in the living room, never occurred to me to do it upstairs because I didn't want to be lying on a bed to birth.

I had both of mine upstairs in my bedroom. My house is a total shit tip, and the thought of trying to make a messy open plan downstairs room "cozy" or inviting was too much. But it was easy to keep my own bedroom calm and tidy.

I had a tarpaulin on the floor covered by two towels with a few spare to swap in as necessary - that was plenty to cope with the mess (including pissing myself. Several times 🤦‍♀️🤣🤣)

It was the loveliest thing. No one pestered me to jump straight in the shower within half an hour of giving birth (happened with both my hospital births). I literally popped the baby out, did a token feed, then snuggled down into bed and had a lovely nap before the baby woke up properly!

I had two home births. First in the pool in the living room with low lights and music. With dh and midwife support.

Second was standing in the upstairs bathroom on bare floorboards with the midwife arriving to catch the baby and shout for dh.

I actually preferred my second birth.

I put my birth pool up in the kitchen diner as it had easy access to water, food and most importantly a wipe clean floor! Laboured in the pool and got out for the last few mins. After giving birth the midwife ran me a bubble bath and then I went for a lie down with my newborn in my own double bed. The midwifes cleaned up all the mess downstairs and took it away.

Downstairs is better IME. I would say cover your floors in case you want to move around. My waters ended up going really unexpectedly in my living room

I had mine in the living room. I didn't want to give birth in bed and there was a lovely, cosy fire in the living room. I had a plastic sheet down on the floor and draped over the sofa, and there was no mess at all. I think subconsciously it felt safer to be downstairs.

One upstairs in bedroom
One downstairs in pool

Wherever you feel safe will help it progress well.