I would recommend it!!!
There are lots of reasons, even when you put aside all the great benefits of being at home for any birth....
but being specific about first birth - it is easier in some ways to arrange a home birth with your first! That might seem different from some of the anecdotal things that you have heard, i.e " I didn't think they allowed you with your first?", “How will you know what it is like, and how you will react?" or maybe some women think with there first, they would “love to have a home birth, but will plan a hospital birth for their first, and then, if that is ok - they will have a home birth with their second. You might encounter all these things.
The reasons are:
1 - Most births are normal, they do not require any interventions, and women who are “allowed to” labour and deliver as they wish and do, not only have a positive experience, but a healthier one.
2 - You don't have any obstetric history - You should rightly expect this birth to be straight forward. It might sound a bit hippy, but you don‘t have any reasons to doubt the wonderful design of your body and have nothing but faith in it! There are lots of the ladies on here planning a home birth for subsequent children, which even though every pregnancy, labour and birth may be very different - are more determined (rightly so), to connect/understand and forgive their bodies, assert their feelings and rights,. So apparent “issues” like, a previous c-section, a post partum haemorrhage, having had an assisted delivery etc = these things shouldn’t matter - it’s ALRIGHT to plan for a normal birth; after all it is normal!
3 - Following on from 2 really, is that you don’t have any physiological demons to get through or how in some areas, medical policy can vary wildly, and previous history maybe put up as barriers to what your body will want to do instinctively.
4 - Also having had a first birth experience that is a positive one, will put on you on the right path to a successful and fulfilling second birth - you just won’t be able to imagine it another way. It will be instinctive for you NOT to let any fears enter into your mind.
Honestly I could go on and on, but you should be comfortable with your choice of care. The ultimate question for you is if you could imagine your perfect birth, what would it look, feel and smell like? Where do you think you would be more comfortable? Because I certainly wouldn’t be recommending a home birth (which is medically supported the same as a birthing centre with MWs, it is important to point out) to a women who was more comforted by the notion and options of an obstetric lead unit.
Also it is important to highlight that you can change your mind where you would like to give birth right into labour.. Being “booked for PARTICULAR care system, doesn’t give you a time and a place.. It is only there as a heads up for your healthcare provision - you can change your mind either way; Home to hospital, hospital to home
Choice is the ultimate keY to all this
XxX
Haven't had mine yet, but nearly there with my first baby and have had no problems booking it or planning it with being my first. They say the first is actually the best to have at home, as you do tend to labour slower than second or more timers (obviously is all relative!), so you're more relaxed at home in your own space and presumably less likely to have a precipitate labour where if anything did go wrong, it'd be too quick for you to get to hospital if necessary... best of luck!!
