Home birth 2024/2025

[brambles89]

I know from googling that this is no new topic! However I was wondering if anyone is planning a home birth soon maybe we can share some tips and support on here?

I'm still undecided as I'm moving house and not sure It will be a possibility in the county I'm moving to so very much at the early stages of researching.

Due March 2025 💫

I don’t want to scare you, but unless you are strongly set on a home birth, I’d rule it out. If things go wrong, you’re in the same queue for an ambulance as everyone else. There’s a lot to be said for having a crash team and theatre next door.

If you sneeze baby out & you’re both healthy you’ll be released home quickly anyway so hospital will be a brief encounter. And if you have complications where you need extra treatment, you’re in the right place.

Let’s just say, someone I love paid the ultimate price in choosing a home birth. It wasn’t a happy outcome.

^ this

So many people I know have had complications that have resulted in emergency care that they would likely have not received in time had they been at home.
Me included. Birth needs to be personal to you, of course, but make sure you've weighed up the pros and cons before you make what could be a huge decision. Best of luck either way xx

Hard agree with both the responses above.

For me it came down to whether on not I was able to carry the responsibility of my decisions for the rest of my life. Had I chosen a home birth and the unthinkable happened, I knew I wouldn’t have been able to cope with knowing that it was a direct result of my own choices (for myself, not in the interests of my unborn child). It was a hard swerve, absolutely no way.

That’s the plan!

My only concern is what will happen with my toddler while I’m in labour - I’m an IMBC and we’ve co-slept since birth so part of me feels it would be kinder if I went to a birthing centre rather than she has the additional stress of being whisked off in the middle of the night to a strange location away from me. I’m really struggling between putting her needs first and also thinking it’s labour - I’ll want to feel as safe and comfortable as possible and that’s in my own house.

My last homebirth ended in hospital but I always had ‘ in an emergency’ as part of my plan. I slept through the entire 22 hours which wasn’t a normal response (I did have a really good sleep so there’s that !!) but apparently it was scary for everyone else so as much as I have lovely visions of my daughter cutting the cord , I also don’t want to traumatise her when mummy is just flopping about having a snooze and not replying .

There was a lot of grief about not having her at home but I brought home a healthy baby (and only injured myself delivering her when I wasn’t fully dilated because I refused to allow them to administer any medications or hormones when she was still receiving them through the placenta but that was a deliberate decision and a set part of my birth plan that I would do whatever I needed to myself to make sure she was delivered without any chemical intervention)

Well it's 20 years since I had my homebirth but the scare stories above still existed.

Plan well
Read up on information.
Have an "if we need to go to hospital" part of your birth plan
Work our who will be your supports

I had 1 planned hospital births
2 planned homebirths and 1 transfer. The transfer was the worst birth (my 3rd) not because of the labour but because when we transfered (my water had been leaking for 24 hours so risk of infection) they took that to mean they could take control of the labour. I still wanted a more natural birth and as baby was doing fine there was no need for that not to happen.

What I will say is the midwives at home abd the 3 at my first hospital births were amazing. I still wish I had asked to swap the one on the transfer as I believe that would have given a more positive experience.

When dd2 was born at home after a few minutes I looked up at dh and said "I want to do that again" I've never felt a bigger high and amazement in my body than I did that day in the bedroom for her birth. I felt pride and happiness for the other 3 but that utter euphoria I had after the first homebirth is my ultimate high.

I will add I never felt grief over the transfer. Even if it ended up in (upheld) complaint.
The birth was still a good experience but it was despite of the medical staff not because off.. that is so wrong.

I would have considered a home birth for my next baby, but the distance to the hospital puts me off. I'm 30 minutes away and I'm the UK roughly 50% of planned home births end in a transfer to hospital (not necessarily for a super emergency, but often because mums need additional pain relief, failure to progress, but of course for medical emergencies as well). While I'd rather be in the comfort of my own home the 50/50 chance of having to do the transfer to hospital late on in labour or immediately after birth rather than near the start as is usual with a planned hospital birth is enough for me to think I'd rather just go to the hospital as plan A.

Thank you for your responses ladies. I've actually done a fair bit of research around homebirths since I last posted.

It's important to remember that no birth is without risk but that risk is very small. Also in response to us having known 'many women' who have had emergency intervention and subsequently traumatic experiences, is this not a reflection on what the typical hospital birth is?

There is a lot of evidence to support the fact that unnecessary medical intervention is drastically lower in home births resulting in more positive outcomes.

I should add that this will be my third baby following two midwife led births without complication.

If I was staying in the area I live in and where I had my first two I wouldn't be considering a HB i don't think but not knowing what the hospitals are like etc is causing some anxiety and I wonder If i'd be more comfortable at home.

Although I think the bottom line is and always will be to remain flexible and the plan can always change!

What great tips and support everyone has offered you 🙄

I’m hoping for a homebirth May/June after an extremely traumatic hospital birth with my first.

Feeling very relieved about having a homebirth!

I'm due early April and planning for a homebirth. This is my 3rd baby and my previous 2 labours have been straightforward (I know this is no guarantee). I was considering a homebirth for this one from the start and when I first saw the midwife she suggested I should have a homebirth before I even mentioned it. I think it depends on the area but they are very pro where I live. In my area at home you get 2 midwives and also are on category one for ambulance should transfer be needed. If there are any issues with ambulances then homebirth is not allowed. I also live very close to the hospital. I haven't totally decided but I would like to plan for a homebirth and keep my options open.

for second/third Time mums- what are you doing with your older children? This is my one reservation with a home birth (we don’t have any local family unfortunately- My brother might be able to come up and watch her but not sure where they would stay if not at home)

@IMBCRound2 luckily we have family really close by who can have the children. Both of my other labours have been overnight and quick so part of me wonders whether if I'm at home and it's at night I may not actually need childcare as they will hopefully sleep through and wake up to their sibling....wishful thinking! But I do have family really close and we're close with our neighbours so someone can be there pretty immediately in an emergency.

Try find a Birthing center at your new location. Best of both worlds. I had DS1 at birthing center and it was amazing experince.
Had to be induced with DS2 so at co aultant led hospital and I hated it. No privacy, loud and noisey, interruptions and took ages to be discharged due to paper work.

I wanted a home birth with DS2 and got things ready at home. Sadly not meant to be but maybe with VCR. 3rd times a charm.

I had a home birth (in the UK) just over 2 weeks ago. This was my second child (first one was born in the hospital via non-emergency forceps due to long pushing stage). I found. The process of getting to hospital really disruptive to labour and, and I wanted to be with my wife and daughter after birth not stuck in a hospital (I was in for a few days with DD due to needing a catheter for a week after birth).

I discussed homebirth early with my midwife and consultant who were both very supportive about electing for a home birth. I was receiving additional growth scans due to this being an IVF pregnancy, so it have extra reassurance throughout the pregnancy that everything was going well and there were no additional risk factors to consider. I’m mid 30s with no medical issues.

Midwives did a home risk assessment before signing off on the home birth and was a good chance to discuss questions and concerns beforehand. They delivered an awful lot of kit to the house in advance, and in my area they call the ambulance service to let them know when they are attending a home birth to basically put them on alert. I felt very safe.

I had a very positive experience. In the end I didn’t use the birthing pool I hired, as labour progressed faster than I had expected, so by the time midwives came to the house I was already crowning. We did have to phone an ambulance on the advice of our triage team as we called when I was crowning and midwives hasn’t arrived yet. The ambulance was called to attend until the midwives arrived, but actually only
were there for maybe 10-15 mins before midwives came. I used a TENS machine, and got gas & air when the ambulance arrived for the very final stages of labour. I received some stitches at home. Everything felt very calm and controlled, even with needing to call the ambulance. My advice would be ask for midwives to attend well before you think you need them!!!

It was lovely though being in my own bed after the birth, with my family around me. I’m very happy with my decision.

Good for you. The stats say subsequent births are just as safe at home as in hospital! Hope it all goes well for you x

Ehh... this sounds like the stuff that NCT pedal, that somehow you're better off at home where there's less medical intervention available. I know where I'd rather be if things went wrong (and first time round I ended up with an emergency C section and was very glad to be in a hospital).

Good luck with whatever you decide, hopefully you find what's right for you.

What’s your problem? OP isn’t trying to persuade anyone else to have a homebirth - she’s not attempting to start her own cult.

Women who’d rather go to hospital should go to hospital. But women who have had straightforward previous births are at no greater risk having a homebirth. Sorry if you don’t like the data but there we are.

I’m keeping mine at home! Although we are fortunate that we have family nearby and so if we needed to (hospital transfer or just changed my mind) we could offload our first reasonably quickly.

I think having a homebirth is actually quite common for people without many childcare options - what would you do if you were having a hospital birth?

No problem here, just giving my opinion. I believe I said find what's right for you, which we should all do.

I must’ve misunderstood OP’s post. Clearly she was asking for everyone’s opinion on whether she should have a homebirth not for other women considering a homebirth to share tips and advice 🙄

Silly op! You should’ve posted a poll on AIBU.

I’d strongly recommend you probe what happens if the service has an influx of Cat 1 calls. Because you may be surprised to learn that you join the queue. There is no priority ambulance & they’ll consider that you have midwives with you already when deciding whether to dispatch to you, or someone having a stroke / heart attack / RTC.

Its either a birthing centre or a home birth - if I go to the birthing centre then my brother will come up and watch her at home… but it feels a bit cheeky to ship her off to a hotel with him!

We also cosleep so at the moment it would be a bit tricky trying to sort her sleeping arrangements anyway if I’m in labour next to her !

I planned to have her at home during the home birth and my midwife was even ok with the idea of her cutting the cord … but during my labour with her I just slept and terrified everyone by being so unresponsive (best sleep I think I’ve ever had- still chasing that high!!) so my mum, who will be my birthing partner and was last time as well, is really worried she’ll be really scared if she sees me like that. (For context I go so impressively white, I once made a nurse vomit so I appreciate it’s not easy to witness ) I think it would probably be different if I had a typical labour and was just shouting a bit.

Im not sure how you keep them out the room? I think she’d just want to be with me - especially at bedtime if she knew I was in bed without her and there’s 100% odds she be trying to do backflips into the birthing pool while I’m trying to push.

That would be my plan but we co-sleep . Feel a bit guilty chucking her out of bed! And my last labour was 22 hours so definitely not quick (but thankfully oddly painless thanks to the delightful wonder that is TENS machine so I’ll take it!)

@IMBCRound2 My DD was at home. We had various plans. When I went into labour I thought it would be longer so our plan was for DD to be in bed, but baby came faster than expected, so my DD ended up watching. She was absolutely fine with it. We’d talked about what was going to happen. I’m quite quiet in labour, so no scary screaming or whatever. She asked if I was ok and I just kept telling her yes. Doesn’t seem to have done her any harm seeing the birth. She happily went to bed with my partner after (even though we normally cosleep) and asked where her baby brother was the next morning when she woke up, so seems to have helped her accept him

if I knew it would go that way- I’d be totslly
comfortable with it! It’s just that I was so unresponsive (and used some very unladylike language at anyway who succeeded in waking me up 😂)

I think it’s also that mum will be my birthing partner so the only person who could watch her is my brother and I dont want him about while I’m in labour - I wouldn’t want her unsupervised, especially with a tempting birth pool in the living room!