Is it ok to have a home birth as a first time mum?

My midwife told me yesterday that I tick all the boxes for a home birth, and it seems more and more appealing, people keep telling me its not a good idea as a first timer! What do you more experienced ladies think??

I think its up to you and not anybody else, i had a homebirth with my first baby last march...everybody was telling me not to do it...i went ahead with it and i dont regret my decision.

I was in labour for quite a while, my son was back to back and also had a nuchal hand (hand up against his face) so this slowed my labour down and contractions were weak because of it, i got stuck at 5cms for 5 hours and so midwife broke my waters...i wish i had of told her to back off because i went from 5cm to 10cm in about 25 minutes but i was convinced that my body was tricking me because it had already taken me so long just to get to 5cm and i was certain that i had HOURS to go. The acceleration caused my son to be shocked once born and he needed some help with his breathing, he was rushed to scbu and stayed there for 4 days...at the end of the 4days all the doctors could say was "just one of those things". i dont ever and will not ever regret having him at home but i do regret not speaking up. i should have refused any intervention as i believe this to be the cause of my sons asphyxiation. i wish i had of known then what i know now so i could have said no to the midwife.

We are ttc again and i plan on having another homebirth but this time i will speak up if i dont want something. if you like you can read my homebirth story

http://www.babyandbump.com/birth-sto...homebirth.html


HTH

Why do they think it's a bad idea as a first timer?

And, if your MIDWIFE says you tick all the boxes and are a good candidate for home birth.... Then who exactly are they to be saying otherwise? How much research and education have they done on the topic? other than "zomfg, my friend right, TOTALLY had a crap time in labour and if she hadn't been in hospital...." ??

I don't know!! I guess because I don't know how I'll cope etc?? You're guess is as good as mine!

By staying at home, you keep your options open. If you do not feel you are coping well, or if you need additional help for any reason, you transfer in. It is not really a big drama. If you plan a hospy birth and cope fabulously you'll be hinking "I culd have done THAT at home!" and it's a darned sight harder to transfer OUT. If not impossible.

Plus, this sort of assumes that it is EASIER to cope in hospital, which is not necessariy true. There are different things that need coping with - higher risk for interventions etc, no one-on-one care, having to deal with many more different staff members, your birth partner having to leave very shortly afterwards (unless you are lucky enough to birth around visiting hours)....

I'd think that with every labour being different, even for the same woman, that every birth is a little bit like a first time.....If a home birth is something you want to do and your mw is happy for you to do it, then why not go for it?

This is my first and I seriously considered a home birth but as I suffer from ME and SPD I've decided against it due to my body not being as strong as my mind!

You do what you think is right for you and baby

I'd not thought of the transferring in and out part.. good point!

I'm in Canada, but had a homebirth with my first and wouldn't change it for anything in the world. My dh is from the UK and everyone on that side thought I was CRAZY for doing it with my first but it's not all that uncommon here and not looked at the same way as in the UK from what I can gather...here's my birth story for my dd just to give you another experience

Birth Story

Good luck with whatever you decide! I think the key for me was just being flexible in whatever happened...if it meant a transfer, it meant a transfer, etc.

i had a home birth with my first and it was truly AMAZING. if you want to go for it. i would sugest hynobirthing, jasmin oil (worked wonders for me), and reading ina may gaskin guide to natural child birth.