Confused now! ...homebirth?

[Minchin]

We just had our first nct class tonight. AFter ages thinking about not going we ended up going for it and am glad we did. Despite the cost! They are lovely couples and we don't know that many people round us with little ones so hoping it'll be a good suport network.

So anyway, that's all good. But now I'm feeling confused as the class leader (who was also lovely) has got me (and oh) thinking more about a homebirth. We had ruled it out cos didn't think I'd feel 'safe' at home and we were both worried about the medical implications. But now am seeing it in a different light. We are 5 minutes drive from hospital. Not even sure if homebirth what I would want but part of me is really attracted to the idea. Midwife led, more relaxed... This is my first baby and stats say only 70% of first timers who try at home achieve at home but I guess that's quite good numbers.

We do have a small flat and very very vocal and needy cat!! These make me think twice. Would love to have baby in a birthing pool, not sure if we'd have space... Then some of the other ladies at the class (all who are opting for hospital birth) were saying we'd be lucky to get into the midwife led unit at the hospital (which has 4 birth pool rooms) as so many women due and not enough space!! Makes me think I should just opt for home.

So feeling really confused... I know no-one can decide except us!! Any-one got any advice either way? Thought I was totally decided but this has thrown me, Guess it's good the class is making me think about things from all angles!!

Sorry for essay!! Bed time now!

 

[Dragonfly Fi]

Hiya Minchin - we have decided on a homebirth for the following reasons

1, much less risk of medical intervention, not just them 'suggesting' it but also me asking for it against my own better judgement

2, more relaxed environment, ability to burn candles, have a comfy bed/pillows/sofa to collapse into

3, ability to use aromatherapy oil in a burner

4, involvment of OH, Liam will be more a part of it than a spare part

5, sleeping in my own bed after having baby

6, ability to have water birth (water birthing pools come in all shapes and sizes, including very small paddling pool sized ones which will fit in any small flat)

7, close-ness to the hospital, like you i am a mere 5 mins away, if anything were to go wrong, we could get into a car and out to the hospital in the same amount of time as it would take for a doctor to cross the hospital to get to us

8, rather than being consultant led its YOU led, YOU get to decide who is in there, what you would like to eat, drink or have around you at the time, you can have a perfect cup of tea in your own mug instead of hospital rubbish - all the comforts of home

9, no one will be rushing me to 'progress' and i can labour in my own time and with my loved ones around me.

I was nervous to begin with, not least because my mother lives in Australia right now, i didnt think she would be around for the birth

we dealt with this by hiring a Doula, i would strongly reccomend looking one or two up in your local area, even if you dont fancy paying one for the birth, i am sure one would be happy to talk to you just a bit about home birth and about the comparative risks (in actual fact there is much, much less risk in staying at home rather than going to the hospital) and how you can combat them

At the end of the day, it is what YOU are most comfortable with, if you dont think you could relax without the percieved comfort of medical assistance (though for homebirths you have 2 midwifes at all times, much much more care than you would recieve on even a moderately quiet hospital ward) then its not for you

Also try and get hold of Ina Mays Guide To Childbirth, its full of wonderful stories both center based and home based and might give you more of an idea what to expect

best of luck and i wish you many blessing for your birth which i am sure will be wonderful where ever you do it xx

 

[evajo]

I have to agree with Big Bump here we are having a home birth for the same reasond - i have had three hospital births and although they were fine i am looking forward to having my whole family around me and being in my own enviroment. I would also strongly reccommend Ina May's book - it is fantastic and the best thing i have read x

 

[Minchin]

Thanks ladies, I have to do some more research. Will try and get hold of that book. Thought I was totally decided, seems I was quite closed minded. Now will get thinking! x

 

[doulakate]

Hi Minchin
Definitely worth looking at homebirth org uk website for some advice. If your pregnancy has been straight forward it's an option worth considering for all the reasons given by BigBump and more!. Don't worry too much about the space, you don't actually need much. I had my first homebirth in a small terrace house and we also had a very noisy cat, infact, 2 of them! Believe it or not, they didn't bother me throughout the labour or birth, reckon they knew what was going on!!

 

[titch]

this is gonna sound really silly but Im a bit of a neat freak with our house and I'd be a bit worried if people (midwives) we're coming round and my house wasnt tidy!!! I know, when Im in labour Ill be thinking about other things but I think knowing Im going to hospital means that I will relax a bit more when I go into labour in the early stages, instead of having a mad clean!!!

Ive decided that Im staying at home as long as possible, and if Im comfortable, I'll ask OH to ring midwives and see if someone can come to the house, but I can imagine wanting to go into hospital, incase LO has any problems, the care is right there. (so pessimistic!!)

 

[MrsR]

I have wanted a homebirth from the moment I found out we were expecting and my midwife is being very supportive of my descision x I've been doing lots of research and the more I read the more I'm determined x I completely agree with big bump and am already writing lists of things I'd like to help me throughout birth x I am also going to be reading up on hypnobirthing to help me cope with the pain x good luck with whatever you choose to do x

 

[titch]

^^^ hypnobirthing is fab. Im doing it We're looking round the labour ward tonight and a big part of my decision will be based on whether I think the set up would compliment it or not. Theres no WAY Im gonna not do my hypnobirthing techniques with OH and if they have policies which contradict it, then Im just not going in.

 

[Minchin]

I'm being pulled in both directions about it! loads of stuff about homebirth I love the sound of and then little voice in my head thinking if I'm at hospital (in birthing centre where could do lots of natural techniques anyway) then would be better if something happened. Arghh!! Just don't know, will keep reading and researching~thanks for your opinions! xx

 

[Dragonfly Fi]

How far are you away from a hospital Minchin? other than c-section, a midwife will have much of the equipment avaliable to her in a birthing center or hospital and it usually takes 30mins to prep a room for even an emergency c-section

so if you are within 30mins of the hospital there is really very little risk and actually if you look at the facts, there is statistically much more risk if you GO to hospital

When people tell me they think i am brave for staying at home, i usually tell them i think they are brave for going into hospital!

 

[Mervs Mum]

I cant recommend home birth highly enough. I'm 10/20 mins from hospital but when youre at home the MWs tend to be even more cautious and factor transfer in when making decisions. I loved the constant one to one care that you obviously dont get in hospital or birth centre (my 2 other babies were born one at each) and being in my own surroundings snd not parted from OH was fab.

My home birth story is here if you want a read - I used hypnobirthing too

http://www.pregnancyforum.co.uk/bir...ney-earthside-april-fools-day-home-birth.html