Homebirth-related questions

[pickled_onion]

Hello hello

As of today, the wheels have been set in motion for me to have a planned homebirth and I immediately feel much happier and calmer I'm sure it's the right decision for us. We were until recently planning to go to a birthing centre but after talking to a midwife there and then someone from my community team, I've come full circle back to the homebirth I initially desired but was a teeny bit too fearful to go for. Plus I now know for sure that my husband is in full support of the decision whereas before he was wary. I forced him to read up

I've read the homebirth thread and the links therein a few times so many thanks to Sherlock and all the other home-birthing mums who have posted their stories, you've helped me make my mind up.

I have some questions. I've been told I'm no longer going to be seen at the clinic. My next appointment (in ten days) will be here at home. That'll be my 36 week appointment. She mentioned them doing a risk assessment of the house while they are here. What sort of thing can I expect from that? Will they be looking at all the rooms or just the ones I might deliver in?

I know this sounds silly but all I can think about is whether they'll have a problem with the fact that we have a coal fire...stuff like that. I've got quite a large livingroom so space shouldn't be a problem. Or there is the bedroom. Where did you ladies deliver?

Also, I mentioned my BMI and she didn't think it was a cause for concern. I only mentioned it because I'd read that sometimes a higher BMI can be presented as a contra-indication to a homebirth. She said that the only factor there would be if they had difficulty palpating my abdomen to check the baby's position. I was told that they couldn't tell back at 31 weeks but then at my last appointment, baby was recorded as being head down. Have any of you larger mums had trouble in this respect? Do you think it's really likely that it would pose a problem?

Lastly, the midwife I spoke to this afternoon said they drop off all their kit at 38 weeks. Is this standard? I would've expected them to do that by 37 weeks/full term or is it unlikely a first-timer like me would pop that early?

Thanks for reading,
Roz

 

[Manda&Thomas]

for getting your homebirth
with regards to the assesment ive never had one but id imagine they will just check how many stairs if any there are the climb,
space in the room yu want to give birth in, check you have everything you need towels sheets ect.

i delivered in my frontroom as it was easier and had more space to move about get everyone in.

in my area they dont bring the home-birth kit round till your in labor as they dont want people touching it
but anytime after 37 weeks is normal

goodluck with it hun
xx

 

[*Star*]

well i had an unplanned homebirth with amelia.

and it was panic stations!!

im hoping for a planned homebirth next time, as i think i actually enjoyed it more!!

and being well prepared will hopefully mean i wont have to buy a new bed afterwards!!!

 

[Rachel]

I had a planned homebirth with Kieran.

When she came to my house for my appointment at 37 weeks she didn't check anything in the house. All she done was drop off my homebirth equipment and went through a list of problems that could occur during giving birth. Never even looked around the house though.

I can't imagine your cole fire would be a problem to be honest but if it is then it would be fine to give birth in the bedroom if you wanted to anyway. I gave birth on the settee, in the sitting room. The equipment dosen't take up that much space anyway so you don't need a massive amount of room.

I have a high BMI and never had a problem with my homebirth. The consultant wanted to see me to try and talk me out of having one but I didn't bother to see him because I knew I would still want a homebirth anyway. I had no problems at all giving birth and the midwifes could feel baby/listen to his heartbeat with no problem

My homebirth kit was dropped off at 37 weeks but they might not drop it off for you until 38 weeks because in some areas won't/prefer not to do a homebirth until you're over 38 weeks.

 

[pickled_onion]

Thanks for the replies so far, ladies

I have a high BMI and never had a problem with my homebirth. The consultant wanted to see me to try and talk me out of having one but I didn't bother to see him because I knew I would still want a homebirth anyway. I had no problems at all giving birth and the midwifes could feel baby/listen to his heartbeat with no problem

Ah, that's good to know.

I was worried that they might play the BMI card which is why I politely declined a referral to a consultant (on BMI grounds) at booking-in. To be frank, I thought that once I was under the care of a consultant I'd be limited in terms of birthing options (or more precisely, attempts might be made to limit my options) so I just said no. I'm glad I did. I've had a perfectly normal and healthy pregnancy thus far and I'm fairly confident my body will do what it's meant to. But it's always good to have a wee bit of reassurance

Another thing, sorry for asking so many questions... but as for labouring in water, we don't have that big a boiler and some of these birthing pools are considerably bigger than a bath. I can see hubby ferrying pans and kettles to and fro! Has anyone just opted for a smallish paddling pool instead of a proper birth pool and if so, how did you get on?

 

[valentine]

Hi there!

It was me who had issues planning my first home birth in 2007 due to my high BMI (40/41). My midwife was happy with my decision but had to follow procedure. In my health board area, if you have a BMI over 35 then there are certain procedures the m/wives have to follow such as extra growth scans ( this bit I say yes to!), consultant, dietician and anaethetist appointments etc. I think you have been very very strong willed and strong minded to turn down your appointment with the consultant and think that this would no doubt have led to limited birthing options and unnecessary intervention - well done! I know its so hard with your first baby to have such a strong conviction and follow your instincts so really well done. I have refused all this rubbish second time round, but felt obliged to go to these unnecessary and upsetting appointments first time round - I'm so glad we eventually found support and went ahead with our planned home birth. If you'd like to read my birth story, the link is in Sherlock's home birth thread.

The main problem I understood to be if you are planning a home birth with a high BMI is that if you are overweight/obese (hate that word but you know what I mean), they like to be able to monitor you (read strapped to a bed throughout your labour, a very inactive birth) and to administer pain relief as early on in your labour as possible due to your size and the difficulties in placing epidural/spinal block needles in your back due to your blubber! I know that doesn't sound nice but that's the way I understood it when I had an upsetting appointment with an anaethetist at 36 weeks pregnant with DD born in 2007. Therefore if you are having a home birth and have to be transferred, as soon as you get to triage they have a problem as you are likely to be in quite established labour. I have never had a problem with abdomen palpatating and I can't remember anyone doing this while I was in labour - the one thing I loved about my home birth was that the midwives were VERY hands off and any intervention was very minimal.

I think the kit dropping off time varies from area to area. In my health board area, you don't go on the 'on call' list until 38 weeks, so they drop off the kit and the hospital drops off the gas & air at 38 weeks. Some areas consider full term to be 37 weeks, I think this just depends on the area. Personally if I went into labour at 37 weeks, I'd call them and demand a home birth anyway and expect them to bring the kit with them as legally they have to attend and can't MAKE you go to hospital. Any earlier, then I may go to hospital as the baby might be a bit little/early for home birth.

Regarding the risk assessment, I think that this is a scary word and isn't really scary. I go to lots of local home birth groups and meetings and have never ever heard of anyone not being allowed a home birth due to their home/where they live. I think they are just looking for how far your kitchen/bathroom are from where you plan to give birth (for practical reasons), where they might examine you (they've always used my bedroom for me) and to check where you'll give birth and to check if they can find your house (I live in quite a rural area so this is always a concern for the community midwives!). I gave birth in my living room with the pool (and annoyed OH who was running back and through with aforementioned pans and kettles full of hot water, by labouring in the doorway leaning onto the back of the sofa!). I think they are also checking to see if your home is hygenic - it doesn't need to be spotless, but fairly clean and tidy (but don't worry about this - as long as your not sitting up to your necks in crisp packet and stour, I think you'll be fine!). I don't see the coal fire being an issue at all, do you plan to have it lit? They may want it to be as birth becomes imminent as when DD was born at the height of a summer's morning, they made OH put the heating up full blast to warm the baby clothes and towels on the radiators!

as for labouring in water, we don't have that big a boiler and some of these birthing pools are considerably bigger than a bath. I can see hubby ferrying pans and kettles to and fro! Has anyone just opted for a smallish paddling pool instead of a proper birth pool and if so, how did you get on?

I have a small hot water tank (no combi boiler) and we had a birth pool in a box which is ginormous. Like you expect (we hadn't even thought this through - don't know why as I can't even get enough hot water to fill my bath!), OH spent a fair few hours boiling up soup pans and kettles full of water to and fro kitchen to living room (where the pool was) to initially fill the pool then to keep it at 37C (its now thought that you DON'T need to keep the pool at body temperature, this is really new thinking, but it is nice and warm for the Mummy and baby if it is body temp). We still don't have a combi boiler and are planning another home water birth in May so are currently begging, borrowing and stealing urns to keep water boiling hot for days and days. I can't think of another solution to this issue! Personally though I wouldn't go for a small pool as having a lovely deep big pool was fab to move and writhe around in but I know others on pf have done so and got on well. I think I've just been spoilt having a lovely big (regular size birth pool in a box) birth pool the first time round!

Good luck with your home birth, its one of the proudest moments of my life to date and I am so so happy with opted for one. It gave us such a wonderful happy magical start and helped with my recovery, breastfeeding, OH's bonding and countless other things - I think the impact of our happy home birth on us as a new family has been immense.

Sorry I've gone on a bit...

Valentine Xxx

 

[pickled_onion]

Hi Valentine,

I have read your birth story a couple of times already but I probably will read it again (along with the others) over the next few weeks. As it happens. yours was one of the ones that helped convince me to go for it

Yep, I reckon hubby will be building a fire as soon as we realise that things are good to go. Speshly if I go into labour overnight. As it can get quite cold up here (Aberdeenshire), we'll be glad of the fire, methinks.

Sorry I've gone on a bit...

Naw, not at all! Thanks for taking the time to reply in such depth You've been very helpful. My strong-mindedness is more often criticised than congratulated so cheers for that too. It sounds like you had a bit of a battle on your hands last time, you must be a very determined lady yourself.

Thanks again for the reassurance and info. Wishing you all the very best for homebirth no.2

edit: forgot to say, I also think it's pretty awesome that you are now involved in supporting other women through homebirthing groups. That deserves a

 

[Chrissy1]

I have a high BMI and it was never mentioned when I asked for my homebirth and never came up at all throughout the birth. The home assesment for me was just the midwife checking that the room I was going to deliver in was big enough for us all and that there was somewhere for her to put her equipment so that it could be easily reached. That was it really. I gave birth in our 2nd reception room which is the room that would once upon a time have been the garage. it's now a proper room and it will eventually be the childrens play room. I had a birthpool in there too. they also check that if you are having a pool that the floor will be ok to take the weight.

the midwife gave me an emergency pack at my 36 week appointment which just contained anything that was essential if I went into labour. At 38 weeks she bought the proper pack around for me and took the other one away. I think 38 weeks is normal for them to bring it round and I think I only got the other one to shut me up because I kept going on about going into labour early.

good luck with your homebirth.....it's a really magical experience and I can't wait to do it again

 

[trixipaws]

yay! big up the home birth crewwwwwwwwwwwwwwww! i do like to hear of mums opting for home birth it was the second-best pregnancy decision i made (millie wasnt planned, so there was obv one bigger decision)

i cant answer the high bmi questions sorry, it wasnt an issue for me

my MW didnt ever drop off any kit???!!! i had to go to the GP myself at like 38 weeks to get a scrip for some drugs incase i needed them (i didnt use them, but i took the good advice that its best to have them in, otherwise if u feel u need them u would have to transfer to hosp in order to get them)

its so "relaxing" staying at home in labour, not having that "eep, when should i go to hospital" hanging over you. i spent early labour upstairs doing my hair and make-up

and the middle bit i spent on the couch while DF was inflating and filling the birth pool

the end bit (the most painful bit) in the birth pool in the dining room- i intended to give birth there but i wouldnt push in the water for fear of pooing so they helped me upstairs and i ended up giving birth on the bed

good luck with ur home birth. its the first thing i'll mention at my booking in appointment this time i want another one definately!

 

[maybebaby]

Hello

I've had two homebirths now and honestly can't imagine giving birth anywhere else!

My midwife came out at 36 weeks both times for the 'risk assesment' but didn't really do anything. She certainly didn't go poking around I've never heard of anyone being denied a homebirth because of their house, so don't worry too much about that.

With DS1 I had planned to have a pool but he came so quickly I gave birth in the spare room (now his bedroom). This time round I didn't bother with the pool and gave birth in the living room (under the Christmas Tree ).

The homebirth kit seems to vary from area to area. Mine has been dropped off at about 36 weeks both times and it consists of a pack of paperwork which you are allowed to look at and a sealed package about the size of a large shoe box which you're not allowed to open because it's sterile. I'm not entirely sure what's in the kit because I've been a bit out of it when they open it both times but I think it's things like a kidney dish for the placenta & scissors for cutting the cord.

Sorry I can't help with the BMI questions but if it helps I don't think they felt the baby through my tummy at all - I was examined internally once when they first arrived then pretty much left alone after that. One of the nicest things about a homebirth, you really are left to it if that's what you want

Good luck with everything, feel free to ask if you have any more questions.

 

[Chrissy1]

Forgot to add to mine that the kit they bring just contains the same birth pack that they would use in hospitals for birth.......it's got things like scissors for cord cutting, cord clamps, episiotomy scissors, kidney bowls a catheter etc etc. It's got a couple of needles in for the injections if you want them and it's got loads of disposable gloves and waterproof sheet things in too. Mine also had all the birth notes in and the little red books that are given for the baby once it's born. It's all in sterile packs etc and it's only the same stuff they would have in the hospital. Mine was bought around in a big orange bag a bit like the ones paramedics carry

Can't you tell I had a good old nosy in mine.....

 

[pickled_onion]

Thanks for all the info and well wishes, girls. Me being a div forgot to check this thread again until earlier today I wasn't being ignorant...promise!

I'm getting really excited now.