Home Birth suspended

[OneLilacAnt]

I am just after a little bit of reassurance…

I am 39 weeks pregnant and had planned a home birth however I have just had a phone call to say that all home births (in my area) have been suspended for the foreseeable.

One of my main reasons for home birth was because I had a very quick labour with my first child (5 hours from start to finish) and I live an hour away from the hospital. My midwife encouraged me to have a home birth as I am low risk and she also felt it was the safest option due to where I live. I also have to think about logistics of childcare when I go into labour.
I am worried I will end up having the baby in the car!

Has anyone else been in this situation? Did anyone else have a quicker birth second time round after a quick first birth?

Any responses would be appreciated- thank you!

My 2nd was born in the car whilst XH was driving me to the hospital.

He didn't stop driving. I caught her on the way out and held her to my chest until we pulled up outside the hospital.

We started driving during light early contractions. The hospital was a 20 mins drive away. DD was born 10 mins into the drive.

I asked for a home birth, but wasn't allowed one. TBF, the midwife would never have made it to the house, even if we did.

I know this doesn't help @OneLilacAnt , but it's my experience.

1st Child 6 hours. 2nd Child from 1st contraction to being born 1 hour. 1st. Contraction on second child I knew what it was at 12.30am got to hospital by 1.10am and she was delivered with the membranes in tact at 1.30am. Hospital advised I would be ages in labour and to have a bath which I did. But, the water was not very warm due to having baths earlier in the evening. If the water had been hot I have always thought I would not have got out of the bath & had her in the bath. In your position I can see your concern and I wish you well. Your body will do what it needs to do.

How frustrating but did the hospital not tell you that they cannot guarantee a home birth due to staffing levels on the day.

Appalling if they didn’t.

I would definitely get induced in your shoes. My friend had dc 4 at 38 weeks with induction because dc 3 showed up 30 mins after her first twinge in her hall on way to the car. She'd have had it in the car if she hadn't had to wait the 30 mins for parents to arrive to mind other kids.
Another friend had dc 4 in the car. She opted for induction for dc 5 to take the worry out if it.

Absolutely no way anyone who has been a midwife but isn’t currently a fully insured & practicing private midwife would EVER consider attending a birth as a favour. Jesus.

With my second I had a planned home birth and was only told whilst I was in labour that home birth services had been suspended, and to go to a hospital that can be a 2 hours drive away. I was also had a go at by the midwife on the phone even though i should have been told this during my prenatal appointments. My local hospital (a big city one and only a 20minutes drive) was also shut for births.

I had a precipitous birth of 1 hour with my first and an absolutely horrific experience with NHS care....no way I was going to risk having him on the side of the road or a repeat of the trauma in an NHS hospital

We ended up paying £5000 for 2 private midwives to facilitate a homebirth, who came out immediately when we explained the situation.....good job too I went from 4cm to a 9lb 8oz baby in 40 minutes!

Had the perfect waterbirth experience, and if your budget allows definitely look into it. They also gave us a payment plan so it wasn't a big chunk all at once. They also did all the postnatal appointments at home so I didnt need go leave the house for anything.

Also talk to the the charity birthrights as they will give you all the legal jargon to use if you wish to fight them on it. As they are supposed to rule out independent midwives and bringing retired ones back before suspending services.

Might this be connected to your area, OP?

https://birthrights.org.uk/2026/01/27/birthrights-taking-legal-action-against-suspension-of-homebirth-services-by-gloucestershire-hospitals-nhs-foundation-trust/

My 2nd labour was 1 hour and 15 mins. If i was having a 3rd I would ask to be induced to be honest .

I had my second at home, with paramedics in attendance when it became clear that it was happening quickly and there was no way I could get to the hospital - in fact the hospital we were planning on going to told us they had no room and that we would have to go to one about an hour away. The paramedics were brilliant, I felt safe and in good hands. I know plans changing so close to the birth is frustrating - but chances are you will get to the hospital in time. And if not, paramedics are a very good alternative. Good luck - it will all work out.

Are you in a position to go private at all? You might find there’s some fantastic private midwives locally who specialise in homebirths but they are pricey!

Another alternative may be if you’re right on a county border, whether there’s a homebirth team near you in that county that may be willing to come slightly further out? I do know someone who did manage to do this but it’s probably quite rare!

Massive cutback on spending in the nhs till April.

I had homebirth with dc2 because dd1 was 7 hours start to finish and I was pushing when we arrived at the hospital. The car ride (only 20 mins) was the worst part and I dreaded giving birth in the car second time round. Dc2 was 5 hours and the second midwife arrived after the baby. No gas and air because the midwife didn't have time to get it out of the car. Dc3 I wanted homebirth but he was big and they worried about shoulder distocia so had to agree to the hospital 30 mins away. Luckily my mum lived 10 mins from that hospital so me and the two older kids stayed with her for about 10 days (all my babies were overdue by a week). Third labour was about 6 hrs.

In your situation I would definitely consider either an airbnb near the hospital or private midwives.

Often it is done to maintain safe staffing levels within midwifery led units and labour wards in the hospitals. It is very inefficient to maintain a home birth service for a small number of women when the other areas are struggling for cover

My two were both about four hours.
For the first, the lady on the phone at the hospital kept telling me "don't come in, it will be hours yet" so we didn't go in. Then I felt him starting to come out and so we hopped in the car to go hospital, which is only 5 minutes away. He nearly came out in the car, but I made it to the hospital, through the front door and had him there. I didn't even make it upstairs to the maternity department!
For the second I went to hospital as soon as my contractions started, which was a much better experience.

First birth, not taken seriously on phone, told it was way too soon for a first birth, got to hospital at 11:00pm, midwife went off for break, waters went at 12:00 and he was out by 02:20. They considered it a precipitous birth (significant tearing)

Also advised of home birth for second due to speed of previous, called midwives at 07:00 and they arrived promptly, got in the birthing pool at 9:30 unfortunately waters went in there with meconium so got out, they then realised I had cord prolapse with slow baby heartbeat so had to get him out FAST so it’s lucky for us my body does it that way, it was very stressful trying to push whilst a midwife on the phone for ambulance while the other urged me to crack on and worryingly looking at the other midwife and her watch. He was out before 10! Also significant tearing again due to speed. Ambulance arrived after he was out.

third one I opted for a c section because of the stress of the previous two and damage - didn’t fancy birthing on my own and something else going drastically wrong and risking a 4th degree tear.

If they insist you go in make sure you do at the first twinge, don’t be fobbed off with ‘it’ll be ages, go home and when you’re not smiling anymore come back’ or some such nonsense I was told. You know your body, if the first one was quick there is a good chance of a second being quicker.

I'm sure OP has already weighed up the pro's and con's of home birth and that the distance from her house to the hospital hasn't changed.

I've had 2 homebirths OP. They were great. I'm pregnant with my third and hope to have another one.

In your shoes I would do the following -

Write to the head of midwifery and ask for a plan to be put in place to manage the risk of precipitous labour. From the hospitals perspective free birth in a car has got to be the least safe option.

If you go into labour I would still call the unit and ask for someone to be sent out. You never know!

You could stay home but call paramedics (in addition to calling the birth unit). We needed to call paramedics with my first because we didn't know if the midwife would make it in time and labour progressed much faster than anyone expected. The paramedics were great. One they established that they didn't need to do anything they turned off the lights again, helped me get in the pool and backed off. Beware they send out at least 2 crews. The midwife got to us before baby came out so she took over and sent one of the crews away.

If it was just us and paramedics I would have needed DH to really protect our space after birth. If baby comes out and is well, nobody needs to 'do' anything. Providing everything goes smoothly you would need to continue to protect the space until the placenta comes.

If I'm honest birth on the birth centre would probably be calmer and less stressful than a home birth with paramedics (once you get to the hospital).

Some women in your situation would free birth, some women wouldn't.

If you get in the car at first twinge you'd probably be alright in terms of getting to the hospital. Could you arrange someone to meet you a the hospital to collect your younger child from there?

I'm sorry OP. It's incredibly frustrating and absolutely not what you need to be dealing with at this stage of your pregnancy.

And a clean shoelace bizarrely lol

I delivered my daughter’s second on her bathroom floor (very quick labour) with the 999 lady on the phone. She told us to get clean towels and a shoelace in case we had to tie off the cord.

Can you imagine how hard it is to find clean shoelaces at 10 at night lol. Little old lady in downstairs flat had some lol

I think it's unlikely that a private midwife will take you on at 39 weeks. They usually want to build up a relationship over a few months and are often very booked up.

My first baby was 4 hours and second was about an hour from first twinge. I booked a home birth for number 3.
What I would say is that with number 2, I called an ambulance and we just made it to the hospital in time. With hindsight, I was already in second stage in the ambulance. There was no way I could have got into a car at that point. I gave birth within 5 mins of getting to the hospital (25 minute drive).
I think it’s highly unlikely you’ll make it to hospital. I think you’ll have to get medical advice as to what to do. Be prepared that you might have the baby at home without medical assistance. TBH there’s no guarantee that a midwife would be able to to get to you in under an hour anyway.

First labour one hour
Second labour five hours
Third labour six hours
Fourth labour four hours.

If you progress too fast and cant get to hospital then won't they come to you in that instance? My mum had my sister in 45 minutes at home (3rd baby) my middle sister was 4 hours. They couldn't get to hospital in time. Sometimes you can't.

First was 10 hours (mostly felt like period pains till the last 90 mins)
Second - 1 hour of absolute agony, baby nearly born in a hospital car park
Third - 10 hours, labour as with Baby #1 except the really painful bit was only 45 minutes long.
Conclusion - babies do as they please!

It's very last minute to find someone, but if you could afford it, a private midwife would take the pressure off

Not me but my SiL.

Her first labour was just a couple of hours, home birth with a midwife attending. So when she was pregnant the second time and because of where she lived she considered renting a place nearer the hospital. But there was DD to look after and things seemed to be fine so she didn't.

Labour pains started and as per protocol my Bro called the fire department. Because by then they were living on an island with no medical facilities. But the fire department were busy and said they'd be a couple of hours at least. Her labour was galloping on so home birth was the only option and they called the neighbour who had some first aid training. Fortunately there were no complications and DS was born about 45 minutes from the first contraction.

They'll send paramedics ASAP but they may never have delivered a baby since uni and ambulance service is also v stretched