Confused about booking a home birth?

[Toms Mummy]

I'm only in the beginning stages of planning a home birth and I've noticed people on here talking about booking the midwife for the home birth.

It confused me a bit, I understand that you book a midwife but do you book a date too? Like do you have a 3 day window and if baby doesn't show or shows early then you have to go to hospital?

Obviously if it's really early I understand you would but surely they can't just say if it doesn't come then then tuff!

 

[Pielette]

Where do you live?

I'm in the UK and you do have to 'book', but all it is is notifying the midwife that you'd like to have a home birth. Mine told me that any point after 37 weeks was fine for them to attend me at home, before that I would have to go to hospital.

I don't know what it's like in other countries but that's the way it works in the UK

 

[Toms Mummy]

Cool, thanks! I'm in the UK! That sounds good!

 

[SharonF]

Hi
I'm also in the UK and I booked my homebirth a week ago, but they usually like to book it around 36 weeks. I think this means that they visit you at home to assess access, parking, space in the house etc and to talk you through the process and options. Then when you go into labour, you call the delivery suite, or your midwife depending on area, and tell them you have booked for a home birth, and they talk to you and decide if/when to come out to see you. There will be midwives on call at all times. Two midwives usually attend, often the second one comes towards the end. If you start before 37/38 weeks or need to be induced, you will usually have to go into hospital. The same usually applies if you have high BP, or there's meconium in your waters if/when they break.

I recommend reading up on the whole process. I found my midwives weren't particularly interested in talking about a home birth until quite recently, perhaps when they realised I was serious and committed to it.

Good luck, I hope you get your home birth.

 

[Toms Mummy]

Thank you! It's very common for people to have hom births where I am, so I'm sure the midwives will be happy to chat about it. I didn't have one last time as I was worried about the access to our house, esp being our 1st but since it went smoothly I hope they'll let us this time. Our access involves parking about 200 metres away, and then down some steep steps!

 

[MindUtopia]

It's really just a matter of telling them officially that you plan to have a home birth. I found it kinda confusing as well and actually asked a similar question myself when I was pregnant. Basically, all you really need to do is just tell them you plan to have a home birth somewhere around the 32-36 week mark (I waited to 36 weeks but on retrospect probably should have mentioned it sooner). Then the community midwife I told set up an appointment for me with my named midwife and a more senior midwife to go over my birth plan. We just went through it bit by bit and discussed it and we talked a bit more about what would happen in the event of a transfer, then they gave me the home birth kit to bring home with me. That was it. It wasn't so much 'booking it' like you only have a certain window of time, but just letting them know your plans so they can discuss the details with you and make sure you have all the supplies you need (either in the box they give you or things you need to get on your own). No matter when you go into labour though, a midwife will be available to you (or should be!).