home birth?

[claire893]

Hi, i was just wondering if anyone has had a home birth? and also was it with your first baby?
I would really like a home birth (this is my first baby) and my midwife is more than happy for me to have the baby at home. However.......im obviously concerned about the what ifs! I just wanted other peoples views on this, and obviously if anyone has their own experience with home births i would love to hear their thoughts about it, whether it was a good decision or not?
Thanks in advance!
x x x

 

Hi Claire

I booked and planned a home birth with the midwife and she was more than happy for me to have one (this is my first baby) and everything was going well until 10 days after my EDD and there was still no sign of baby as here they give you a window of 10 days to have the baby at home naturally or you have to have it in hospital. I had everything ready for the home birth but instead went into be induced. After what we later found out about the baby being back to back and not descending down the birth canal properly, even if I had been at home in the first stages of labour then I most certainly would have had to have the baby in hospital anyway - in the end I had to have a section after a prolonged 2nd stage and failed forceps

What I will say is by all means go for it but prepare to be flexible and open minded as like with my experience, it might not go to plan

All the best

Nat and Lennon x x

 

[claire893]

thanks for your reply MomNat
I have spoken to my midwife briefly about a home birth, but have an appointment with her on friday to discuss it further, so i dont really know how they do it here if you go over your EDD. She did say tho that she will book me in for a scan at about 36 weeks to check that the baby is in the correct position (providing it doesnt move again, not sure if they do?). Im sorry you didnt get your home birth, i supose like you say you just have to be open minded about it, it sounds like you had quite a rough time
My hospital is about 5mins away, so hopefully if i needed to go in it wouldnt be a problem. Im still undecided about it all, 90% of me wants a home birth, but theres still that worry. Thats why i thought id ask peoples views on here. sorry for rambling
x x x

 

[sarah113]

im having a home birth this time but this is my fourth!!!!

 

[budge]

i had a home birth 2 months ago. you can read my home birth story in the announcments forum.
pm me if you want any advice or ask here if you like
it was my 4th birth but the first home birth. The difference was astonishing.
For a start you get TWO midwives all the way through constantly with you - where as in hospital you are generally left for long periods onyour own in pain - which i hated.
Also haing two midwives looking after you you are safer than in hosptial becasue they can detect a problem sooner than in hospital. There is unlikely to be any problem. You'll be more relaxed and things go faster too. I was making a cup of coffee 2 hours before i had my baby. it was great! go for it but be prepared also to transfer to hospital if you do encounter probs.

 

[claire893]

I just read your birth story budge, sounds like you had an amazing experience! The only thing that worries me is because this is my first baby i REALLY dont know what to expect when i go into labour, or have any idea how the contractions will feel, i just hope i can cope on gas and air lol!
Alot of my friends think im stupid having a home birth with it being my first baby, but my view is that years ago thats all women did have, and without the equipment/experience midwifes carry these days.
My midwife says that labour is alot quicker when having a home birth (usually), because your more relaxed at home. I also wanted an active birth and feel i can be more active at home than in a hospital with only a room to walk about in.
I hope im not being nieve (sp?) about the whole thing?
x x x

 

[Nicky_Jones]

Claire, I have just copied a reply I post to somebody else bellow. It was my first as well. Ant other questiions, just shout.

I had a home birth and was really glad I did.

Anything in particular that you would like to know?

In general, I was feeling very lathargic but restless during the day, tried to have a nap after lunch but couldn't settle, so gave up and went to Tesco's (the cats didn't like the whiska's I had got them so had to get them some more catfood). Feeling quite uncomfortable and starting to get period type pains when I got there so I grabbed a packaged sandwich for my OH just in case. Got to the checkout and was reasonably sure it was labour pains I was feeling so called OH a bit before 4pm from the queue to ask him to leave work then (he was 1hr 15mins drive away at best). I finally got home and asked my neighbour to come round a stay with me and help me put the TENS machine on. I sat on the fit ball which helped. I tried timing my contractions but they were 3mins apart which didn't seem right by what I was told. Decided to call the number anyway, told them the timings but that I wasn't sure because the contractions didn't last for that long. Every labour is different and that I was probably in labour any they were sending someone around for assessment. He arrived 5pm about 15mins before my OH got home. He examined me and said I was only 1cm dilated. He recommended a hot bath, so my OH ran one for me and I was only in there for about 15mins before I couldn't stand it anymore and had to sit on my fit ball again. Midwife re-examined me saying there wasn't likely to be much change, and was shocked to discover I was then 5cm dilated. He called for the other midwife to come with gas and air. She didn't arrive until about 30mins before LO turned up as she was fighting Reading area traffic. My LO was officially 5 days overdue when I went into labour and when the midwife broke my waters (as they hadn't completely broken on their own) there was signs of meconium in the waters. He said the baby was nearly there (I had been getting urges to push already), but because of this I should probably transfer to hospital. He gave me the choice do we push her out quickly or do we get an ambulance. There was no way I wanted to be in the back of an ambulance by this point so obviously I said stay. 2 pushes later and her head was out. He said he would tell me when to stop pushing when her head was out so he could check the cord wasn't around her neck. He didn't tell me to push (my OH said he had turned away for something), but you can tell when the head is through so I stopped anyway. Next push and she was out fully. The midwife gave her straight to my OH while I rested briefly on the edge of the bed (I had been standing up while in labour). They checked over LO first, then encouraged me to deliver the placenta. Once that was done I layed down and my OH gave me Ellie. They checked me over while I was holding her and trying to feed her. They then told me that I had tears and needed stitches but they didn't feel confident about them - he said "I am not even sure where this bit comes from". So they called an ambulance and we went to hospital. We all finally left there at 2am.

 

[glitzyglamgirl]

I had my 3 in hospital and each time was a bad experience, with my youngest I was only 17 and the midwife spoke to me like a naughty child and I was adamant I wanted to breastfeed but at my first hurdle (cracked nipples) they told me to go on to bottle, that was quite upsetting, then with my second I just hated being in the hospital with all the other new mums and thier crying babies, but was too timid to demand a discharge. My third baby dies in hopsital 3 hours after birth, and while being in hospital or at home would have made no difference to this (we knew it would happen, it was just a matter of time until he stopped breathing) I would have really like to have been at home with him for those precious few hours.

So......when we get pregnant I am DEFINITLY having a home birth!!

 

[budge]

I just read your birth story budge, sounds like you had an amazing experience! The only thing that worries me is because this is my first baby i REALLY dont know what to expect when i go into labour, or have any idea how the contractions will feel, i just hope i can cope on gas and air lol!
Alot of my friends think im stupid having a home birth with it being my first baby, but my view is that years ago thats all women did have, and without the equipment/experience midwifes carry these days.
My midwife says that labour is alot quicker when having a home birth (usually), because your more relaxed at home. I also wanted an active birth and feel i can be more active at home than in a hospital with only a room to walk about in.
I hope im not being nieve (sp?) about the whole thing?
x x x

its right you don't know what to expect coz its your first which is why you have to be ready to transfer to hospital if things go pear shaped.
I always knew even with my first i wouldn't have an epidural. Im dead set against them so i knew id be ok for a home birth. Gas and air is very good and when you're at home you're more relaxed and less likely to need pain relief anway.
Just plan your home birth BUT pack a hospital bag too incase. You can change your mind right up unil the last minute anyway.

 

[Nicky_Jones]

I had my hospital bag packed just in case, which even though we got our home birth, it was really handy as everything we needed for Ellie as soon as she was born was all together in one bag and I didn't have to send anybody hunting for where I put it.

 

[TipsyDipsy]

Hi Claire

I booked and planned a home birth with the midwife and she was more than happy for me to have one (this is my first baby) and everything was going well until 10 days after my EDD and there was still no sign of baby as here they give you a window of 10 days to have the baby at home naturally or you have to have it in hospital. I had everything ready for the home birth but instead went into be induced. After what we later found out about the baby being back to back and not descending down the birth canal properly, even if I had been at home in the first stages of labour then I most certainly would have had to have the baby in hospital anyway - in the end I had to have a section after a prolonged 2nd stage and failed forceps

What I will say is by all means go for it but prepare to be flexible and open minded as like with my experience, it might not go to plan

All the best

Nat and Lennon x x

Even if your baby is back to back you can still have a home birth.
I had a back to back labour as well and because of that I was 10 days overdue but didn't have any forceps and was able to give birth naturally.
Please don't take offense MomNat I'm not trying to play down your experience or be insulting or gloating (I know what a back to back is like *shudder*) I'm just trying to let Claire know that even if the baby wasn't in the correct ideal position and she still wanted a home birth it is not a 100% given that she would be sent to hospital because of it.
For me personally it did made the labour twice as long and extra painful but I got there in the end. As long as your coping and the baby isn't in distress I don't think you'd automatically be sent to hospital.
I'm doing exercises this time around though just in case cause I don't want any baby in that position because although it didn't cause me any problems it wasn't the ideal labour I'd have liked.

 

[nathanmum]

i booked for a home birth but transferred in for meconium it was my first baby back to back and big. i very highly recommend looking at the homebirth website it is fantastic full of referenced material on everything you would want to know and my birth story is on there i would definately book for one again anyday

 

[nathanmum]

sorry that website is www.homebirth.org.uk

 

[Nicky_Jones]

I also had meconium in my waters and I was given the choice of transfer to hospital or carrying on. Ellie's heart rate was fine so there were no other indications of Ellie being in distress. She was overdue and I had read on the above link I think that meconium in the waters can just be due to fetal maturity not just distress, so I was confident in my decision. Her head was throuhg about 5mins later anyway.

 

[budge]

nathanmum ow do i put my homebirth story on that website? id love to do it

 

[claire893]

Thankyou for all your advice girls its been really helpful.
I looked on that homebirth website last nite nathanmum, and it is really helpful and has put my mind at rest knowing what happens if complications arise!
As for my hospital bag, its been packed since week 30(im now nearly 36 weeks)
Like i said im seeing my midwife tomorrow to discuss it further, so i can ask her any questions then. Shes really keen for me to have a homebirth, she recomends them more than going to hospital as you get better care at home.
If i go over my EDD, is it likely that i will have to have a hospital birth, does anyone know? Its just that with this being my first baby ive heard its likely that i will go over, and that most first time mums need to be induced.So i take it you have to go to hospital to be induced? sorry if i sound like im being thick

x x x

 

[Nicky_Jones]

I was 5 days over my EDD and had my homebirth. However IIRC I would have had to have a hospital birth if I ended up being induced. I was doing everything I could to try and encourage LO out. Pineapple, curry's, rasberry leaf tea, lobster, bedroom dancing, long walks etc.

 

[nathanmum]

nathanmum ow do i put my homebirth story on that website? id love to do it

go to the birth stories section and theres a link at the top like tell your story or something and that supplies the email address. i love reading all the stories on there my fave website when i was pregnant. it takes a while for the story to appear mine took about a month.

 

[nathanmum]

Thankyou for all your advice girls its been really helpful.
I looked on that homebirth website last nite nathanmum, and it is really helpful and has put my mind at rest knowing what happens if complications arise!
As for my hospital bag, its been packed since week 30(im now nearly 36 weeks)
Like i said im seeing my midwife tomorrow to discuss it further, so i can ask her any questions then. Shes really keen for me to have a homebirth, she recomends them more than going to hospital as you get better care at home.
If i go over my EDD, is it likely that i will have to have a hospital birth, does anyone know? Its just that with this being my first baby ive heard its likely that i will go over, and that most first time mums need to be induced.So i take it you have to go to hospital to be induced? sorry if i sound like im being thick

x x x

you are likely to go over your due date but you dont have to be induced if you dont want to as long as babe is ok.
i am very anti induction i do not think it should be routinely offered at all it increases the chances of an assisted delivery or c section and is mostly unnecessary. i would advise reading around the subject it facinating especially some of the women whove had like 4 kids and gone to 44 weeks with all of them??!!! none were stillborn like many are led to believe.
when i went over my midwife discussed my case with consultant- low risk pregnancy- all he said that when i got to 42 weeks i would need to go in for placenta assessment if that was ok then he was happy to leave me i never got that far but.... i really think that by inducing we rush some babies and thats why the birth becomes complicated.
however, if there is real reason for induction then thats fine but cos your 40+10 or +12 or whatever it is in your area to me is not a good enough reason.

 

[TipsyDipsy]

I've heard that in France they class a normal gestation as up 42 and only class overdue as after that and since most women usually go over 40 weeks anyway i'm inclined to believe that they are right and our expectations are slightly too soon.
I went 11 days overdue with my daughter and she was perfectly fine she didn't even have a overdue placenta or flaky skin so I think she just came when she was ready. I went into labour the morning I was due to be induced so she really couldn't have cut it finer lol.