birthing centres or home

[GBLiz]

i dont want to go to hospital i know that...

im thinking i'd want to stay at home but then im thinking of the practicalities, i'll be (hopefully) in my flat when the baby comes but it is a very small flat , i cant see how 2 midwives would fit in any of the rooms with me lol, and the soundproofing isnt great if it happened in the night....

but i still want the option if i go into labour and dont want to leave my territory!

BUT if i get scared or want to get taken somewhere for pain or whatever id rather be at the birthing centre than the hospital...

do you think i could book for a home birth thru my midwife AND book myself in at the birthing centre?

 

[muppetmummy]

I don't know whether you can book both, maybe ask your midwife?

I'm still undecided myself about whether to go for a home birth or to a birthing centre.
I'm seeing my midwife tomorrow so I need to make up my mind quick!

What puts me off a homebirth is the hassle of having to get a pool and get it ready. How on earth do you get it hot enough? And how do you empty it? It seems an awful lot of work. I've mentioned it to OH and he is not keen on the idea of having to get a pool as it would be his job to get it ready and pack it away afterwards. I can't say I blame him!
At the birthing centre they have pools you can use and encourage you to use them. I can also go home after 3 hours and leave the midwife to clean up the mess!
One major worry is that if I go into labour and the birthing unit is full (it only has two beds) I will have to go to hospital. Only around 60 babies are born there a year though so hopefully it won't be an issue!
Also, if someone else is in the pool I can't have the water birth!

I like the idea of being in my own home though and being able to please myself. With James I found I was coping ok with the contractions but once I got to hospital I panicked and needed pethidine cos I couldn't focus on my breathing which I was using to get through each contraction.
Also the hospital is about 15 mins closer to my home than the birthing centre.

I don't think the birthing centre can offer anything I can't get at home, except the convenience of not having to mess about with a pool. There are limited drugs at a birthing centre, and certainly no epidural, and if anything goes wrong you'd still have to be transferred to hospital.

I am certain I don't want to go to hospital though unless it's a life or death situation. I felt really ignored and neglected there last time. They were too busy to give me much attention, I was just shoved in a room on my own until I was fully dilated and my screams sent them running!
I hated sleeping on the ward too and being kept awake by crying babies when James was fast asleep!

 

[GBLiz]

i wasnt thinking of having a birthing pool, just being at home....

apart from that im same as how you feel about hospitals..id hate it i know i would

 

[monster_munch]

I don't have a birth centre near me
If I did, I think I would probably be having bubs there rather than at home as DH really wasn't happy with a home birth at first and that would have been an ideal compromise.

If space is tight, I would go for the birthingcentre (having said that, if there is space for you, OH and a baby, there will be space for you to birth in ) Definitely speak to your m/w - see what the options are and how it works re bookingit

 

[Babylicious]

you could always shift some stuff out to make room?

 

[GBLiz]

babylicious- all my stuff is packed in boxes cos we thought we were moving theres as much room as there'll ever be

what ive done is, written a letter to my mw (cos im not in the area) i've told her i dont want to go to a hospital , but at the same time i dont know how i will feel when the moment comes, if im scared and want to be taken somewhere

ive asked her if its possible to book me in a home birth AND at the birthing centre..so if i have to get taken anywhere, its not the hospital!

we'll see what she says, heres hoping cos i really dont know what i want....

 

[kellysomer]

Where i live you dont need to 'book' anything, i am having a home birth kit delivered and then the MW's will transfer me to hospital if i cant cope with it all and want to go.

Dont see why you cant do the same?

 

[GBLiz]

i called the birthing centre and they said i had to be midwife referred at after 36 weeks, cant just turn up!

i was told on here that a home birth needs to be booked aswell so the midwives are prepared and can send you what you need

 

[Natural mamma]

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