Not allowed a Home Birth so unfair :( :( :(

[Keano_Forever]

Hi everyone

Been to see midwife for my 16wk check up. Heard the heartbeat

On my booking in notes it was written that I wanted a home birth. My midwife laughed and said, now something on your notes has made me laugh

I asked what's that and she said, asking for a home birth. I am 90 per cent sure that you will be refused one as I have had an emergancy c section and aslso had to have a blood transfusion. Now I was told that if I went onto have a normal delivery with no intervention after the section then I could have a home birth.

But seems they have changed their mind. I am so so disappointed, I do not want a hospital birth but she said the most you can hope for is a quick stay i.e have baby be assessed and home within 1-2hrs.

I am having my 20wk scan on 1st April and seeing my consultant then.

Has anyone else had this advice but had a home birth???

 

[Sherlock]

Awww

Don't be too disheartened. From my reading there are good reasons why they may advise against a home birth, however all is not lost It will depend on how the rest of your pregnancy goes, what your consultant thinks futher down the road and how you feel also. You'll need to weigh up the pros and cons carefully and depending on what your consultant feels and says, you may well be able to stay at home. I think your MW ruling it out at this point is somewhat unfair.

The Homebirth site has this to say

"You have a previous postpartum haemorrhage (heavy bleeding after birth)"

- you'll need to look at the circumstances of your postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) and find out if they are likely to recur. There is lots on this on the separate page on postpartum haemorrhage and home birth. Midwives can treat PPH at a home birth just as they would in hospital, but in fact PPH is less likely to occur after a home birth. This is mainly because PPH is most likely after interventions such as induction or augmentation of labour, assisted delivery or caesarean section, and none of these will be happening at home.

"You have had a previous caesarean section"

- You have a small risk - no more than 1 in 200 - that your scar might rupture. The effect of scar rupture can be devastating, and if it happened, you would need an emergency caesarean very quickly. On the other hand, a home birth probably maximises your chances of having a safe and intervention-free birth. Home birth may be right for you, but make sure your choice is informed - see the VBAC Pages.

The Homebirth site also says this at the top of its

“You can't have a home birth, because....”*

Are you a good candidate for home birth? The reasons below are sometimes given to suggest that a woman should not plan home birth. Follow the links to assess the evidence for yourself, and to decide if home birth is still right for you. In some cases, you will be at higher risk of needing emergency intervention - or of your baby needing resuscitation. In other cases, the increased 'risk' is of slow progress - what you are 'risking' by planning a home birth is disappointment and inconvenience if you have to transfer to hospital, rather than risking your own or your baby's health.

Note *: The title of this page is, of course, a joke. There is no question of a midwife or doctor being able to decide whether a woman can, or cannot, have a home birth. It is the woman's choice, and hers alone. Health professionals may give her advice, but it is up to her whether she accepts their recommendations. Anyone who tells a woman that she is not "allowed" to have a home birth misunderstands his own authority. See Home Birth in the UK for more details.

It is not up to me to tell you that home birth is "too risky" for you because of your individual circumstances. I am not a midwife or a doctor; I want to help you locate information and opinions to help you make your own choice, rather than tell you what I think you should do. We all have our own individual thresholds where we would decide that the benefits of having emergency facilities available outweigh the negative aspects and risks of hospital birth. Some women are better able to labour in a hospital environment than others - you will know better than anybody else just how the environment around you is likely to affect you in labour. It's not a competition to see who can have a homebirth in the riskiest situation, and I'm certainly not suggesting that homebirth is always the best choice. This is about your baby and your body - you will live with the memory of this baby's birth for the rest of your life. Make sure it's the right decision for your family.

This is my first pregnancy and I'm 37 and opting for a homebirth. My experience has been nothing but positive so far and I have a supportive MW which makes all the difference. However, she is still waiting till I see my consultant at 34 weeks for a scan and talk before signing me off totally on a home birth. So please don't feel that its a non starter already. Ultimately you have to decide for yourself based on what medical advice you are given and how you feel based on what they tell you. However, they may well err on the side of caution with their advice but again, its your choice and chances are things may be fine during a homebirth. I think Doctors like to cover themselves in case, so will usually try to encourage a hospital birth in a case like yours. But I have read of women who have had home births after a C section and done very well. Have a look around the Homebirth site, read all the pages and visit some links and see what you think You have plenty of time to research and read up on things and talk things over with your consultant not only at 20 weeks but later on also. You don't get booked in for a homebirth till around 36 weeks anyways. I'm sure given the chance to talk and read up on things you can make a fully informed choice either way when the time comes.

Feel free to drop me a PM anytime

 

[JP]

Hi, just wanted to tell you our story, well part of it.

We had planned a homebirth but due to Andrea having had a colposcopy we were told by the midwife that it wasn't possible unless the consultant discharged her to the midwifes care.

We were refered to the consultant to find out if we could have the home birth. After the midwife had said her piece we were sure it was a no no.

The consultant said so long as the baby came within a 4 week time frame it was fine with her.

So don't get down and think just because your midwife says that's gospel. In the land of the hospital the consultant is god.

 

[Redshoes]

At the end of the day it is your choice, they cannot stop you having a homebirth they can only give you their medical opinion The Homebirth site is a great place to start for advice, as well as AIMS, but I do know how upsetting it can be when your MW doesn't support your decision and she certainly shouldn't have brought up the issue as she did, laughing There are potential risks at ANY birth, but past births can have extra potential issues, so you need to be aware of what could happen and how being at home will effect that.

There is a Yahoo group for homebirth too, with LOTS of experienced Mummy's who've been there and will have great advice and support for you, I would look it up, but in the meantime just focus on now, stay happy and healthy and don't worry too much, because come the day you can choose to stay at home, and you will receive MW care to labour and birth there

I think before you go see the consultant you definitely need to research homebirth after c-section, and gets all the info you can find on it, to help you back yourself up as to a homebirth being a safe and the right choice for you Remember that the people you see for this medical advice have years of experience of the other side of birth, where things go awry, they are there to inform you of that, but its important to know at the other end many women have safe, and wonderful homebirth's after c-section too, you need to listen to those ladies to support you if its your choice to birth at home, very best wishes

Whatever happens, its yours choice

 

[DaisyRose]

Hi,

Just wondering - is this your 3rd pregnancy, have you already had a vbac??

 

[tb261]

I have to be honest, I can't understand why anyone would opt for a homebirth...as long as the labour is without complications then they can be fine, but there is always a risk of some kind of complication. If this happens, that 15 minute wait for an ambulance could be the difference between life and death.

A friend at work has recently had this happen to a friend of his...the baby survived, but is severely disabled due to oxygen starvation. If they'd been in the hospital the chances are everything would have been fine.

A hospital gives your baby the best possible chance of any complication being able to be dealt with quickly...not a gamble I'd be willing to take.

 

[x Naomi x]

I have also been basically told i cant have a home birth due to my BMI being over 35

I really wanted to have the option of having bubs at home, even though i may have chickened out at the last minute it would have been nice to have the option

So i am very interested to replies to this thread especially from people who still had a home birth despite having a higher BMI

 

[Sherlock]

I have to be honest, I can't understand why anyone would opt for a homebirth...as long as the labour is without complications then they can be fine, but there is always a risk of some kind of complication. If this happens, that 15 minute wait for an ambulance could be the difference between life and death.

A friend at work has recently had this happen to a friend of his...the baby survived, but is severely disabled due to oxygen starvation. If they'd been in the hospital the chances are everything would have been fine.

A hospital gives your baby the best possible chance of any complication being able to be dealt with quickly...not a gamble I'd be willing to take.

Its personal choice. You say about the 15 minutes and so on but in all honesty, those are rare cases. As its been explained to me it takes on average 30 minutes for a theatre to be ready for a C section. Thats longer than my transfer time to hospital. So my being in hospital would make no difference to the time it would take to prepare for an 'emergency' C section. My research and discussion with my MW also tells me that true emergencies requiring a C section are rare. MW's trained for homebirth should be able to monitor and detect in time if things are not going well.

So if a pregnancy has been good and baby is in a decent position, then having a home birth is no less safe than being in hospital. I maintain that I am pregnant, not ill. Giving birth is a natural thing not a medical procedure. Hence me wanting and hoping for a home birth.

You feel a hospital gives you the best chance if there is a complication. I feel that a hospital may cause me more complications than I'd like. Wanting to speed up delivery or use instruments. It becomes a time frame and a medical procedure. I'd rather try natural at home first.

I am open minded about possibly needing to transfer to hospital. If it happens it happens. But I maintain the risks of problems are not as bad as you feel they are. I feel more comfortable and happier being at home than I would in hospital. Half the battle is won there for me.

I did my research on both home and hospital birth, spoke to medical professionals on both sides and am having a scan at 34 weeks so the consultant can confirm things are ok with me and LO for a homebirth.

 

[Sherlock]

I have also been basically told i cant have a home birth due to my BMI being over 35

I really wanted to have the option of having bubs at home, even though i may have chickened out at the last minute it would have been nice to have the option

So i am very interested to replies to this thread especially from people who still had a home birth despite having a higher BMI

I have a higher BMI now and am still on course for a homebirth. I've had good BP throughout, urine has been fine and my other health problems are not affecting myself or LO at all. My MW sees no problem for trying for a homebirth providing my 34 week scan shows baby a decent size etc. She said I can transfer at any point if I change my mind or feel unhappy about things. Also she will have me transferred if they feel there is any cause for concern. I'm happy with this.

They cannot refuse you one at the end of the day remember.

You could always labour as long as possible at home and transfer for the final stage to give birth? Has your pregnancy gone well? Do you have a supportive MW? GP? Talk to them and see what they say. Also have a look at the Homebirth site. Its very informative

 

[Keano_Forever]

Hi all

Thank you for all your replies, sorry for not replying sooner internet probs

Anyway, I had a c section in June 2003 lost quite allot of blood and needed a transfusion and went on to have a normal delivery in Dec 2005 back home in N Ireland. My consultant there told me that if I delivered normally then I could have a homebirth in subsequent pregnancy's.

The advice here is obviously quite different, which is frustrating.

Bar my very bad illness a few weeks ago I feel fine now, in fact most days I forget I am pregnant. I usually thrive while pregnant and I personally have no worries about giving birth at home.

I don't share the same views as tb261, there are risks wherever you give birth, you could go into labour at anytime anywhere. But everyone is entitled to their own choice I guess.

I have never used anything other than gas and air so I do not feel the need to be in a hospital. I feel them to make me more anxious and at home you have a midwife with you at all times when labour is established then another arrives when baby is ready to appear. I think you are more in control at home too.

I had a home birth in 2000 and it was perfect - except both canisters of gas & air broke so I chewed on a stick



Thanks guys I will have a think about my meeting with the consultant - any advice on what to say is welcome!!!!!!!!!!

 

[dannii87]

Hope you get your home birth in the end chick!

I personally would much rather go to hospital for a few reasons, A) this is my first and I'm nervous so would rather be in hospital B) mum's just got new carpets

Anyway, I think that if you can go through with a homebirth, it's a magical moment xxx

 

[andreaaa]

I hope you get your homebirth I would have thought it wouldn't be a problem because you have already had a VBAC. Wait and see what your consultant says but if I were you I would do my research beforehand to help my case

I really wanted a homebirth this time but it just wasn't meant to be for me. I feel every woman (given the right circumstances obviously) should be entitled to have a homebirth if she wishes.

Hope you get it sorted

 

[mayday]

It sounds as though you have had a few different experiences of giving birth already, so I am sure I am not telling you something you don't already know here, but I am a big believer in your own state of mind and preparedness for all eventualities being more important than location of the birth. I know that home is a comfortable, comforting place, but if your midwife and doctor think that a home birth is not a good option for you, you should take steps to make sure you can achieve a happy alternative. I wanted a home birth but didn't have somewhere ready and fit for purpose that I could call home, so I opted for a midwife unit in a hospital instead. I am so glad that I was there. My home is very isolated and VERY hard to find (down a narrow mud track in a dark forest.) Even with me talking him through the directions it still took the Tesco delivery man 40 minutes to find us in broad daylight, and that was only when I went out in my car to find him. I dread to think how long it would have taken me to get to hospital. When things went wrong with my birth they went wrong very quickly, even though I had a textbook pregnancy and was fit and healthy throughout. A friend had a very similar situation and she took months to recover mentally from it as she had not allowed herself to be flexible in her thinking about her birth. I learned from her mistakes and realised that having one rigid plan and being devastated if it doesn't work out is not a good idea.

I hope that your birth is a good one, but if you are advised you shouldn't have a home birth, don't dispair.