Home Birth for first time mums

[RaspberryK]

I am planning on a home birth and it's my first baby - I am so excited. I have had some negative comments, some surprised looks and also some people who have been extremely positive about it.
There is no reason why first time mums can't have successful home births and as no two pregnancies, labours or births are the same there is no way of predicting that because someone's first labour and birth was fine that subsequent ones will be.

My midwife gave me a list of homebirth essentials;

Towels to wrap and dry baby
Plastic cover for floor/bed
Clothes warmed for baby - Vest, Babygrow, Hat
Blankets for baby
Nappies
Breastfeeding bra
Old /paper panrs
Maternity Towels
Breast pads
Overnight bag in case of emergency transfer
Liquid soap in dispenser
Hand towel
Bin bags
Mirror (useful not essential)
Torch

I have a birthing pool in a box with the full accessory kit as recommended by midwife and a birthing ball which I have used throughout the third trimester to sit on as it is more comfortable and helps to get baby in the right place.

In addition to that I have old sheets, and old futon mattress and old duvets to make the floor more comfortable should I wish to labour on the floor ( we have flagstones) and also to insulate under the birth pool.

x

 

[tootsweets]

We're hoping for home for our first baby too. My mum had both of my brothers at home and loved it, and will be with us through my labour, so should be able to help. Lots of my friends have gone for HB as in my area they are quite big on them - i think 10% of babies at my hospital are born at home.

I'm not going for the birth pool, can't face the logistics so will labour in the bath for as long as I can. Haven't bought any equipment yet, but heard that those table cloths are a good idea if plastic sheets are a problem, you know the ones on big rolls with foam backing and colourful patterns that they sell on high streets.

If you're able, please put up a birth story, you're a few weeks ahead of me, so i'm really interested!

Good luck to you Cocoa and other homebirth hopefuls! X

 

[Creep]

Cocoa don't worry about the boiler, I nearly gave up on the home birth plan cos our old hot water tank barely covers a deep bath let alone a birth pool! We did a test run this weekend though, inflating the pool took around 15 mins and it took just over 2 hours to fill to minimum level which was plenty for me. We stuck the hot water on 'constant' on the boiler and filled the pool with a few inches of cold then switched to hot. The hot water in a full tank would run cold after about 20 mins and then we'd wait around 25 mins for it to heat up again, in the mean time we boiled 2 large stock pots of water on the hob to go in. I'm so glad we did the trial run, as the tap adaptors in the kit did not fit our taps either so my husband had to nip to B&Q for an alternative. We also have the heat protective cover which was brilliant and we put an old duvet under the pool to help retain heat which seemed to work well.

I can also recommend Ikea for cheapo plastic shower curtains which we got a couple of to protect our sofas and floors, and they also do these light blue large fleece Irma throws which we'll put over the plastic to make it less clinical. They cost £1.59 each so we won't care if they get mucky! All though in my experience people over estimate how messy birth is!

Feeling very excited and positive today. It's great reading other peoples experiences too, really helps to make me feel I can do this!

 

[Cocoa]

Cocoa don't worry about the boiler, I nearly gave up on the home birth plan cos our old hot water tank barely covers a deep bath let alone a birth pool! We did a test run this weekend though, inflating the pool took around 15 mins and it took just over 2 hours to fill to minimum level which was plenty for me. We stuck the hot water on 'constant' on the boiler and filled the pool with a few inches of cold then switched to hot. The hot water in a full tank would run cold after about 20 mins and then we'd wait around 25 mins for it to heat up again, in the mean time we boiled 2 large stock pots of water on the hob to go in. I'm so glad we did the trial run, as the tap adaptors in the kit did not fit our taps either so my husband had to nip to B&Q for an alternative. We also have the heat protective cover which was brilliant and we put an old duvet under the pool to help retain heat which seemed to work well.

I can also recommend Ikea for cheapo plastic shower curtains which we got a couple of to protect our sofas and floors, and they also do these light blue large fleece Irma throws which we'll put over the plastic to make it less clinical. They cost £1.59 each so we won't care if they get mucky! All though in my experience people over estimate how messy birth is!

Feeling very excited and positive today. It's great reading other peoples experiences too, really helps to make me feel I can do this!

Thanks Creep! Only one of us can have a shower in the morning as there isn't enough hot water for the other person. Then we usually wait an hour to get hot water again. We also have a problem with the taps, we just couldn't get an adaptor to fit, hubby managed to find something that fits to the washing machine tap thing under the sink, so he needs to test that it works!

If all else fails, we've got plenty of large pans! Typically we got a note through the door saying they are doing work on the water mains from the 27th Aug and our supply may be shutdown! I just hope it doesn't coincide with me going into labour! eek!!

 

[Cocoa]

I just had my midwife appointment and was told my Iron is still low and I might not be able to have a Homebirth and have to go into hospital instead! So I'm really disheartened today, esp since the Midwife I had has never been that supportive of a homebirth so I have to wait until she calls her supervisor to see what she says. I just know she won't fight my case though! The other midwife I get loves home births and is really supportive, annoying I don't see her very often though!

 

[irish_cob]

Cocoa it's still your choice, they can't force you into hospital! Are you taking iron supplements? I'm taking Spatone which is a natural one and it has increased my Hb levels from 10.8 to 11.3 in 2 weeks so it does work. I know you're at your due date already but it might be worth taking something, as they say in Tesco, every little helps.

How low are your iron/Hb levels exactly? Have a look on here
https://www.homebirth.org.uk/
And click on "Can I have a homebirth if..?" and choose "Your haemoglobin count is low".

 

[Cocoa]

Cocoa it's still your choice, they can't force you into hospital! Are you taking iron supplements? I'm taking Spatone which is a natural one and it has increased my Hb levels from 10.8 to 11.3 in 2 weeks so it does work. I know you're at your due date already but it might be worth taking something, as they say in Tesco, every little helps.

How low are your iron/Hb levels exactly? Have a look on here
https://www.homebirth.org.uk/
And click on "Can I have a homebirth if..?" and choose "Your haemoglobin count is low".

Hi, yeah I've been taking 'Feroglobin' but I only recently noticed it says on the box pregnant women are meant to take it 3 times per day and I had just been taking it once per day! So I have now upped it, but I won't be getting another blood test now.

My iron levels are now 10.7 they've gone up very slightly since 2 weeks ago, I think it was 10.4 before.

Thanks for that link, I'll check that out now. Fingers crossed the supervisor is pro home birth!

 

[irish_cob]

10.7 isn't that low. My MW told me the guidance used to be above 10.5 was the ideal, but they recently changed the guidance to 11.5, so had they still been using the old guidelines you would be ok, so you can't really be that low. Merv's mum has some info on low Hb levels I think, I'm sure she said she had an article that researched Hb levels and found the normal level in late pregnancy to be 8.5 to 9.5 and the article had some argument that this was actually the optimal level. I haven't seen the article though, just spoken to her about it in email, it might be worth PMing Merv's mum and asking her.

FWIW I personally wouldn't be concerned with going ahead with a homebirth with a Hb level of 10.7 (but that is my opinion and you should make up your own mind) and don't forget, you don't need anyone's permission to have a homebirth, you don't need the supervisor of midwives to agree, if you want a homebirth you can have one.

 

[Kess]

Cocoa it's still your choice, they can't force you into hospital! Are you taking iron supplements? I'm taking Spatone which is a natural one and it has increased my Hb levels from 10.8 to 11.3 in 2 weeks so it does work. I know you're at your due date already but it might be worth taking something, as they say in Tesco, every little helps.

How low are your iron/Hb levels exactly? Have a look on here
https://www.homebirth.org.uk/
And click on "Can I have a homebirth if..?" and choose "Your haemoglobin count is low".

Hi, yeah I've been taking 'Feroglobin' but I only recently noticed it says on the box pregnant women are meant to take it 3 times per day and I had just been taking it once per day! So I have now upped it, but I won't be getting another blood test now.

My iron levels are now 10.7 they've gone up very slightly since 2 weeks ago, I think it was 10.4 before.

Thanks for that link, I'll check that out now. Fingers crossed the supervisor is pro home birth!

10.7 is not too low really. At my last blood test before birth my HB was 10.4 IIRC.

 

[RaspberryK]

My hb levels was about that chick and my midwife gave me a low dose of iron and said to take it if I could cope with the side effects as it would be good if it was a little higher but it wasn't crucial and since I had been taking my pregnacare within an hour of taking heartburn tablets she said that they probably weren't being absorbed and if I changed the time I took them and had plenty of Vit C to help absorption then I'd be fine.
Never has it been said this would affect my homebirth!

x

 

[vikirose]

HIya, I just saw this post and wanted to add my HB stories but as I have 2 very energetic boys running so around it will have to be short.
I have had 2 very lovely home births. My first born was presenting posterior but I went ahead and laboured at home (even tho 1 of my MW told me all of the times she'd expirienced it they'd ended in CS) I had a VE after a full night of feeling I was in full on labour with contractions just a couple of mins apart but was told I was only 4 cm...that was the last ve I agreed to until I needed to push!! I won't lie, it was a 34 hr labour but I was determined not to transfer. My midwives were of 2 different schools of thinking, 1 was supportive and encorouging and 1 was telling me I needed to go to hospital at every opportunity.
I stuck to my guns and when I started pushing became excstaticly happy and started laughing almost like having the giggles (weird I know) My son only turned right at the last minute but after half an hour of pushing he came out. He had a bit of a cone head but was really healthy. He was born in my bed, placed straighty on my chest and was breastfeeding before I'd even had the cord cut!
Number 2 H.B was really great. I thought the contractions seemed short and they were spaced apart by 12 mins so I was falling asleep against my birthing ball between them. I got in the bath for an hour and again slept between contractions then all of a sudden got 2 very close together and realised I needed to push. I climbed out of the bath and went on my hands and knees on the floor, the mw wasn't even in the room (she was on the phone for backup) In 1 push my babys head was out and he just slid out into my partners hands. My midwife was more in shock than I was haha!! I think they thought I was further away than I was.
I'm really looking forward to my next HB. I hope #3 is as easy and quick as #2 was
It's always easier for them to try to convince you into hossy but it's your day. Birth sets up our relationships with baby and have a huge effect on PND so if your finding your facing an unsupportive MW ask for another one! I didn't let the first MW who came to our 2nd birth into my home as I'd had dealings with her before and I knew she didn't support HB. They had to send someone else out..i know that can put pressure on the service but to them it's a hard day at work, to us it can be the difference between being happy and relaxed and managing a good birth or ending up being cut, having a c-section, having trouble establishing BF as your out of it on meds and being more likely to have pnd. I have many many friends who had these kinds of births and then went on to struggle for the next yr or more!!
Sorry, turned into a long post :s

 

[Cocoa]

Thanks for your replies about my HB! I got called from the midwife and it's fine It's a problem if it's below 9

So just need this wee one to come so I can get on with my Homebirth! I ended up deflating the pool today as I've had no signs and it was taking up too much room in the living room. lol! It doesn't take long at all to fill.

 

[Cocoa]

Vikirose - Thanks very much for sharing your stories, it really sounds great having a homebirth! I'm really looking forward to it and hope I get the Midwife that is more supportive of a Homebirth! Good on you for refusing the unsupportive one into your home - last thing you need is the stress of an unsupportive midwife!

 

[JenStar1976]

Hi Cocoa - I was a first time mum having a home birth. My story is in my siggy. xx

 

[RaspberryK]

GREAT STUFF!

x

 

[Deimos]

I had my first baby at home. It was much easier thanks to the support of others going through or having gone through a similar approach, particularly face-to-face. I went to the Bedford Home Birth Support Group, but there are loads around the country. It was free, run by parents who had been through it themselves, and great for me, particularly when I said I was going to try a home birth and people said "for your first? You're brave." The support group made me feel really good about it, though. I'm now pregnant with my second, so I hope to give birth at home again. There is a list of loads of home birth support groups here.

 

[Cocoa]

Hi Cocoa - I was a first time mum having a home birth. My story is in my siggy. xx

Thanks for sharing that! I remember reading it before the more I read about home water births, the more I really hope I can have one! It's frustrating having the pool sitting in front of me and still no baby here!

 

[Creep]

It's frustrating having the pool sitting in front of me and still no baby here!

I hear that! Come on baby!

 

[paperz]

I also had a 'successful' homebirth with my daughter, and it was my first. Labour was 85 hours in total (including latent phase), 22 hours of hard labour, and 1 hour 20 minutes of pushing! I didn't call the midwife until I knew I was super far along, and had only one VE throughout - at 10 cm dilated! Everything went very smoothly and I am so glad that I chose to labour at home, otherwise I'm sure I would have been in and out of hospital and possibly ended up with some sort of nasty intervention considering I was in labour for days! So it's definitely possible, and I would definitely recommend giving birth at home if you're able.