Where to give birth???

[jofeb04]

Hiya,
Im only 10+weeks pregnant, and have just seen my community midwife a few days ago. Im confused!!!
This is my second pregnancy and with my first, I went to the local hospital, just incase, and with a forceps birth, oxytocin drip, episiotomy and many many stiches (lost alot of blood etc, sorry to be so graphic!), and finally my son going to neonatel for a week, I was in the right place. I was olso an inpatient for a week with blood pressure problems!!
However, the community midwife is from a birthing centre, not a hospital, and is saying that there is not much of a chance of the 2nd labour being like my last, so I could look at a home birth of the birthing centre.
As you can imagine, I dont know what to do!!
Any ideas???

Whatever you do, don't be like me & give birth on a street corner in rush hour...

Well my first baby was big (9lb 10oz) and I had the oxytocin drip, episiotomy and stitches. But I think that the drip might have been less necessary if I had been in a better position for the second stage which lasted two hours. Also it wasn't a particularly long first labour 9.25 hours. So I decided I wanted to go for a home birth with no 2. There was a bit of an issue when the community midwife said it was looking as if no 2 would be bigger than no 1 but I saw a consultant who wasn't worried about size and stuck to my guns.

I then had a 5.25 hour labour with DD including 5 mintues second stage and a lovely planned home birth. I was stood at the side of my bed to deliver and DH had to catch her because the second midwife had not arrived. DS was downstairs watching tweenies because his grandparents had not yet arrived. It was so relaxed and I had a brilliant midwife. DD was 8 lb 12 oz so by no means small but not what I had been told to expect. I had a slight tear and no stitches.

A big plus for me deciding to have a homebirth was that I had managed my previous labour including long second stage using only gas and air. I arranged to have pethidine available but again managed with just a few puffs of g&a.

Would say that if you arrange a home birth you can at any stage change your mind and also can transfer if you feel the need. But if you feel unsure about this a birthing centre might be an inbetween type option. HTH you to formulate a few ideas.

I gave birth in hospital 1st time around and as it turned out it was the best place as the cord prolapsed at the last minute and I had to have a speedy ventouse delivery (had already had an epidural). This time around I have booked a home birth -primarily because I felt out of control in hospital and was not allowed to "do my own thing". I have been told that the chances of the cord prolapsing a 2nd time are extremely rare and we are only 10 mins drive from the hospital in case of emergency. My midwifes have been very supportive and positive about a home birth and I know that if they were in any doubt about the saftey of it they would not encourage it. I did originally book into the birthing centre which is lovely, but on reflection felt that if was not going to be in hospital then I might as well be at home, and hospital is actually closer to home than the birthing centre if a transfer is required . Good luck with your decision - but really there is no rush to decide at this stage. I would say book a home birth because it easier to change your mind to a hospital birth at any stage than it is the other way around (also, you get to have ante-natal appointments at home which is nicer ).

I think my previous post probably came across as a bit flippant. What I meant was that you can never know what is going to happen. Birth 1 was 10 hrs with 2 hrs pushing, no pain relief, hurt a lot, baby in neo natal icu. Birth 2 happened en route for the hospital after 2 hrs of contractions and 2 minutes pushing. I'm not planning a 3rd, but if it happened I'd plan for every eventuality - or not plan at all. Be open to everything and don't feel a failure whatever happens. In my NCT group, those who 'suffered' (psychologically) the most were the ones who were convinced that they were going to get through it on yoga breathing and lavender oil alone. I'm not saying you can't do it this way, just be prepared.