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?

I had my second upstairs in my bedroom, labour started around 4am and I just wanted to stay where I was and collapse on the bed between each contraction. Mattress was ok thanks to midwife and DH covering it in a layer of incontinence pads and then towels. Was lovely to snuggle up with DS afterwards, shower in my own shower, then order a takeaway burger for lunch!

Slight warning of a less than ideal home birth story - but it all worked out in the end!

I gave birth downstairs in a pool. Afterwards I moved upstairs to the bed for them to examine me, the placenta wasn’t coming and I had a bad tear and they needed me somewhere I could lie back fully and they could get in front of me. At that point I haemorrhaged, ambulance was called, and the paramedics carried me downstairs in one of those little tilted chair things they strap you onto, and then wheeled me down the garden path. I’m not sure upstairs or downstairs made a big difference to the paramedic response.
Also, prior to going downstairs, I had laid down briefly fairly early on labour. At that point my waters broke with a huge gush, and we did end up having to replace the mattress. I was lying on a towel but really, it was no match.

Yes our bed also got ruined

We even had full waterproof mattress protector, fitted sheet and towels but you really need plastic sheeting

In my case it was a late minor pph that did for the bed. I loved hb but another time would do much more covering up eg stairs, landing, hall, living room

All 3 of mine born at home - but I must say, I would think twice about it at the moment, given ambulance response times… DH had to call one for baby 2 - MWs arrived so near to the birth that they couldn’t find a heartbeat - fortunately she arrived precipitately before he had even given our address - but I can’t imagine home birth without a proper safety net. I hope you can get it to work!

Downstairs as we have laminate flooring. We leant out our vax to my sister and she hasn't returned it.

Downstairs, I had a pool. It was lovely, so calm and quiet. I got out of the pool for the after birth, did that on the floor next to the pool (I didn't have to but I was getting cold and it seemed silly to top up the pool again). Then into the living room and on the sofa for the midwife to check if I needed any stitches (no) and have a cup of tea.

We have polished concrete floors downstairs so even more reason to give birth downstairs!

The comments have been great, thank you all x

I had both of mine in my bedroom. Really it's hard to plan as you go down to instincts when your in labour. Going in water was an absolute no for me in the end. Bedroom felt safe

@Babdoc

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.

Ffs is this really needed!? People baffle me!

Do you have a bathroom downstairs? I wouldn't want to traipse upstairs for the loo every time.