Positive home birth stories?

[Crump3tCrav1ngs]

Just that really. Does anyone have any positive home birth stories. I'm leaning towards it but any discussion I have with family or friends is met with "it's too dangerous".

I've got 3 children and I had my last 2 at home. Whilst my home births weren't quite how I envisaged (they came a bit too quickly to get in the pool and with my last the midwife didn't even make it in time) they were still amazing and so empowering.

I couldn't recommend it enough. If you're low risk they're absolutely safe and if anything does come up you will be transferred to the hospital via ambulance as priority.

I also really recommend hypnobirthing (I used the positive birthing company but there's lots out there). Being able to work on your breathing at home in your safe environment, with the lights low and some positive affirmations really helps keep you calm (for most of it) and the oxytocin running, which in turn helps your labour progress smoothly. The more relaxed and calm you are the more relaxed and calm your baby and birth will be. A hospital is not usually a relaxing space, normally with bright lights and lots of noise! Having said that I have seen some beautiful midwife led labour suites which my maternity unit provide and if this is your first baby you may feel safer doing it here.

Well my home birth baby is now in her late teens but I still remember her birth very happily. DD1 was born in hospital and it was not a good birth experience. DD2 was born at home, three hours from first twinge to birth, no pain relief needed other than hypnobirthing techniques. A very easy birth. I thought about the risks very carefully and made an informed decision that was right for me and my baby.
Is there a home birth group anywhere near you OP? That might be worth going along to. I knew a couple of friends who had had home births and I found it helpful to talk to them. And I read the Abigail Cairns book "Home Births, Stories to Inspire and Inform" from cover to cover. That may be helpful to you?

I wanted a home birth, but we live 20-25 mins away from hospital which put me off in case of an emergency - then they told me I wasn't allowed a home birth anyway due to how poorly I was with severe HG.

Well, baby had different plans and was delivered in our bathroom with just me and my husband - the ambulance arrived 12 mins after she was born. It was actually lovely her being born at home and I did my first feed in our bed, it would have been so nice to have stayed home afterwards and continue our baby bubble but I had to be sent to the hospital and was left there alllllll day until I eventually discharged myself at 6pm cus I was just sat in the bed doing absolutely nothing waiting to go home, which was very frustrating. (I gave birth past 2am and was in the hospital at 3:30am so had 14.5 hours in hospital for nothing when I could have been at home resting and sleeping!)

I had a lovely home birth with dc3. I had 2 midwives and a student all to myself and avoiding the post natal ward was bliss. Also it was the same midwives who provided follow up care so I could talk it all through with them afterwards. He was born not breathing but they were very quickly able to clear his airways and could have given him oxygen if needed. Look up your areas statistics - transfer rates etc for information and talk it through with your midwife. If it's not your first baby and you're low risk, it's usually safer than being in hospital (sorry I can't remember where I read that but it was a pretty big study. Better birth or something like that?).

I hope I'll have one for you sometime next week 😂

Ds2 was a planned homebirth that actually turned out to be a BBA due to speed of delivery.

We were about 25-45 mins (depending on time of day and traffic) to the maternity ward and after a quick straightforward 1st birth I had concerns about making it to hospital for the 2nd.

Actual birth was very straightforward, placenta took a while to arrive but no issues.

People often have an instinctive reaction to home birth - 'surely hospital must be safer'. But that isn't borne out by the evidence esp. for subsequent births. I'd look up the research and be able to share that with them.

I planned a home birth for my first and while we ended up transferring to hospital, I still see it as positive. I felt safe at home and felt like it was my decision to go in to hospital when I knew that it wasn't going to happen without intervention. I ended up needing forceps but otherwise it went well and I am not traumatised at all.

Don't get me wrong, I was sad not to have that powerful I am a birthing goddess moment that some people do. And I think partially I was led to believe thst if you do everything 'right' there is no reason it can't happen for you. But that's not true. You can stack the cards in your favour but there will always be some unknowns. For me it was that my pelvic floor was too tight, which didn't let my baby descend. I didn't know that, so I couldn't do anything about it.

I am pregnant again and am definitely planning another home birth. I've solved the pelvic floor thing but there may be other unknowns that mean it doesn't happen - I'm OK with that.

All the best!

CMW here and i love a homebirth ☺️
as long as you are low risk and aware of situations that can occur ( your midwife should risk assess at 36 weeks and plan the homebirth with you) a home birth maybe great for you! Is this your first baby?
every baby and birth is different & Agree with joining a homebirth group, maybe souring a doula for emotional ( not medical) support, or does your local trust have a midwife led birth unit you may feel more comfortable in?

My wife had one traumatic caesarean and one successful home birth. We are currently booked with the same private midwives to support our birth choices. It just allows us to feel in control and safe. Would definitely recommend. We found ours on Zest, there's plenty of options but for us, the 2 we selected were meant for us!