Planning a homebirth (due mid Sept 2022)- anyone else planning one?

[amorningperson]

Hello!

I just thought I'd start a thread for people planning home births - just so we can gather to discuss if anyone fancies it. I'm 37 weeks second time mum, and really looking forward to my birth. Positioning scan confirmed a head down baby and plenty of fluid so got the green light. A bit anaemic but have got some supplements on the go. Got my pool and my kit ready but haven't packed a hospital bag or like a home birth supply box or anything, still to come.

Hope everyone else is doing fine :)

Lovely thread. I love homebirth threads. I've got a while to go yet but would love a homebirth too.

How old is your first child? Will you have them present?

How was your first? I had a textbook water birth, a very easy birth tbh and often think this is something I’d contemplate for the second, especially as my baby was born an hour after arriving at the hospital, no stress about getting there!

@greenerfingers When are you due? First child is 4 - we will have them present if they want to be, if not we have a friend as a back up (if they seem distressed or want to leave or if I need to transfer etc.)

@Ebonyhorse Hello! Sounds like we had really similar births and I was advised by my MW to consider a homebirth. Spent most of my labour at home, went into birth centre about 2h before he was out - unmedicated water birth with just my partner to support me. It was great actually, worst part was the transfer to hospital and the waiting in triage etc. and trying to get discharged afterwards.

Planning one for my first due in January! Midwife is keen, husband has been convinced, just need to get the baby on board with the idea ;)

@Amber17 Woop, sounds like you're right on track! How are you feeling?

I’m planning my first home birth for December. DS1 was born in 3 and a half hours and was a lovely relaxed water birth at the hospital. DS2 was born in 19 MINUTES!!! Not relaxed, very painful and DP nearly missed it! Hence why I’m planning a home birth this time.

20 week scan showed I have a low lying placenta though so hoping that’s moved in time!!

My sister is hoping to have a home birth with her 6th who's due in January. Don't think I could do it myself, she's not had any problems in her labour's 😊 x

I had a very long 22 hour labour, and back to back baby. He eventually turned but I'd still choose a home birth over hospital again. When the pain got too much and I wanted to panic I stayed calmer in my home environment. In hospital I'd have freaked out and also I'd most likely have been forced into a c section (according to the midwife) as baby was back to back for so long and I wasn't progressing. At home the midwife encouraged me to help him turn and get down the birth canal and eventually he was born.

This time I'd love a water birth but I have no space for a pool. I think water would have really helped me with the pain.

Ooh love a home birth thread. I had a home birth with my second after a quick and easy hospital birth with my first, with the midwife who delivered baby 1 suggesting then I could look at a home birth next time - so sounds very similar to a couple of you on here. I'm so glad I did it, I had a hire pool and it went so well, and it was so great to be able to get into my own bed at the end of it all, with my husband with me, and not go into the ward.

Good luck to all of you and enjoy your lovely babies when they arrive. 😊

@Libmama Holy moly - 19 minutes! That sounds sooo short - mind me asking how it unfolded? Fingers crossed for placenta!!!!!

@greenerfingers Wow - how did you get him to turn eventually? Well done you, doesn't sound easy at all. I rented an 'eco pool' from birth pool in a box - which is smaller than the regular ones - don't know if they would even be too big. What about the shower? I spent a lot of my first labour in the shower until I had to leave for hospital and it was so good to have the hot water on my back and also just an enclosed, safe clean feeling environment if that makes sense?

@SirSamVimesCityWatch sounds amaaaazing! Mind me asking how your second birth went. I do feel like I got 'lucky' the first time so am almost more nervous this time thinking 'it might all go so wrong' or something? anyways if you're happy to tell your birth story would love to read it!!!

It was very painful and not an experience I want to repeat! It went from 0-10000 in less than 10 minutes and the car journey to the hospital was hell as I couldn’t sit down!

DS hasn’t changed, he is now 3 and lives life at 100mph. Doesn’t need much sleep and is constantly on the go!

Im praying for at least 2 hours for the third. After that there will be no more!!!

And yeah sorry, we’d been at my mums for Sunday lunch in the day. It was my due date but DS1 had been a week late so wasn’t expecting anything to happen. Absolutely no pain then got home about 5.20pm and really wanted a bath, just felt a bit achy and knackered. Then boom 5.45pm massive contraction, screamed for DP, another one straight away, rang my dad to come for the boys, left them with a neighbour until he got there and rushed to the hospital. He was born at 6.04pm

It was very similar to my first birth in a lot of ways, but a bit slower - I think being in the water slowed it down. First birth was just under three hours from first "I think I might be starting something here" to "it's a girl!", the second was just over three. Contractions started, we called the midwives, they arrived about twenty five mins later (? Ish? hazy on timings!) and checked I was ok to get in the pool (hired from birth pool in a box). The relief when I got into the water was amazing. I had the room dark and silent, which is what I wanted. Spent most of the time on my front kind of hanging over the edge of the pool, if that make sense, and then flipped over so I was facing up for the last couple of contractions to see if that made a difference - which it seemed to, as DD was delivered pretty much immediately after that! My waters broke - I think - in the same contraction she was delivered in. There was a kind of pop and a feeling of pressure releasing, then I could feel her moving down and just kept pushing, and she came out all in one go. We stayed in the pool for a little while, had cuddles, and DH cut the cord after about five minutes I think. I got out to deliver the placenta, just did that on the floor next to the pool, the midwife put down a load of waterproof mats, like puppy pads! Then we moved to the living room sofa for her to check if I needed stitches and to have a cup of tea. The midwives stayed with us for about an hour maybe, writing up notes and generally checking we were ok. Then they left, and we all went to bed. It was great, totally civilised!

Oh thats so exciting op! Im not due until march but would love a homebirth :)

Aww love a homebirth thread. Hoping you all have a wonderful births! My first was born at home last year. Best day of my life! Waters went overnight, slept a bit, woke up and contractions were more intense but fine using hypnobirthing and a TENS, then baby born at lunchtime in a pool. The best thing ever! I did heaps of hypnobirthing practice and visualisation, walked my dog and stretched daily which I think all helped things go well

I had two amazing home births after a very traumatic hospital birth first time round. I used hypnobirthing which was fantastic and had a pool with the second one. They were incredibly healing after having such a rough time first time round. I'm never having any more babies now, but if I did I'd choose a home birth every time.

Hey! I'm on the sept 22 thread but joining here too. 39 weeks tomorrow - home birth all confirmed :) just need him to get a wiggle on now so I don't need to argue with them about induction. I refused last time and am more than willing to do that again.

Thank you @amorningperson, I'll look into the pool if things go well. Baby turned himself but just took 16 hours or so. I did lots of bouncing on a yoga ball and walked the stairs sideways. Since he turned when I was about 5cm and in active labour a shower did nothing for me. The bath was too hard to kneel in and I couldn't stand. Before and after he turned back to back the contractions were bearable. The back to back contractions were out of this world

I had a home birth with my youngest and it was absolutely MAGICAL, so excited for you all. One of the best experiences of my life with zero downsides

Just wanted to wish you all good luck. You can get a lot of negativity about HB yet for some its by far away the best birth option.

I had a home birth with my second after nearly having ds1 at home unplanned!! It was so much better than my first where I laboured at home the whole time scared and no pain relief, told to "hang on" by midwives on the phone because they thought I'd not been in labour long enough to warrant coming in (I ignored them because I was ready to push!!)

HB meant I had no need to slow labour down by getting in the car, I had a pool and my hypnobirthing music on, I had 2 midwives looking after me I had G&A. It was much better.

When I called to say I was in labour she asked me if I needed her to come straight away or if she could check on another patient first. I said I was fine. By the time she turned up she did a very quick exam, said "you're fully dilated so it's time to have this baby"!

It was a world of difference I actually relaxed pain free between contractions. It was great to already be home with baby straight away and it was convenient that ds1 was at nursery all day.

With ds1 I couldn't face birth for another 3.5 years. With ds2 I sat there after and thought "I could do that again". I think home births are brilliant.

I was due Saturday just gone, planning a home VBAC still waiting for baby to make an appearance!

I'm not currently expecting, but wanted to drop in and say that I had a home birth with baby number 2 and have no regrets, it was a wonderful experience and so much more relaxed than transferring to the MLU etc. I'd love to do it again if I had another baby!

Hi everyone! Also due mid September with second baby and planning a home birth 😊 I planned to have a home birth with my first baby but gave birth in hospital in the end, but I still benefited by being under the home birth midwife team through my pregnancy

Got my pool and things ready, quite excited! Also made a birth affirmations mood board to use when I go into labour. Will try upload a photo