Home birth oppositions

[lozzy21]

I though it would be great to have a thread for help and advice for people who are having to fight for the birth they want.

I know they are a few of us that have or are going to have to fight for our right to have our babys where we wish.

Share your stories, get ideas and info and support others on their journeys.

 

[Pops]

We have been SO incredibly lucky and have had the best support from our MW since we changed care at 15 weeks or so and I just wanted to say I hope you all get the birth you want, or at least the chance of it with the support you deserve :hugs;

xxx

 

[lozzy21]

Im going to have problems due to a high BMI. Apart from this im fit and healthy and do more exercise than my skinner friends who drive.

I mentioned it to my midwife at my booking appointment who said they dident get much call for them but seemed to be surportive. She just said i need to speek to my OH and if he was on board we would discuss it at a later apointment.

I had to go see the consultant for a routeen apointment because of my BMI (biggest waste of 30 mins of my life). I was told that i would only need to come back if my GTT results came back with problems. I dident like her from the start. She was patronising and spoke to me like i was some 15 year old who had got pregnant at a nightclub. She mentioned about having baby in hospital so i told her i would be having baby at home.

She told me they wouldent allow me to have a home birth.

So i told her that she wasent alowed to stop me.

She quickly backtracked saying she had picked the wrong choice of words, started waffaling on about the risks but dident say what they were. When she realised that she was not going to win she said ill need to discuss it with my midwife.

Two days later i had a letter for another apointment with the consultant before my GTT appointment.

So i can see me having to fight with the consultant to get my homebirth.

 

[Kimboowee]

After last week I've decided I never ever want to go to hospital ever again. No problem with my care I just don't want to go there again lol so have been looking into homebirths as we might be having a bubba sooner than we think =] We're NTNP so want to be ready and armed with info for when it all happens.
Will be watching this thread as knowing my luck I'll have trouble getting them to agree with it.

Lozzy - I hope you get your homebirth. Seems shes just looking for reasons to say no =[

 

[Pops]

I have been following your story in the HB and Hopefulls thread hun

Here's hoping they see sense and remember, this is YOUR pregnancy, YOUR baby and YOUR body so unless there is a definate medical reason for them advising you against it, which it sounds like they are trying to make one up at the moment, then they will need to listen to your wishes

xxx

 

[lozzy21]

Thanks Kim, Hope your ok.

That is my thinking Pop's. If i get pre eclampsia or GD then i will happily have my baby at hospital or should something happen while im in labour then i will be the first person to be ringing an ambulance to come get me but while there is nothing wrong i dont plan on going in.

 

[Ley]

I am currently under a consultant for mild cardiology issues. My cardiologist has said that as I have had 2 other children without any problems or risks then there should be no risk in this pregnancy either and things should be fine. The midwives don't see it that way though and I know I am going to have to fight for my home birth.

I want a home birth because I hate being in the hospital after the birth, all I wanted to do with my other 2 children was come home and relax in my own surroundings and be left to my own devices but was kept in the hospital for hours and hours after I requested to go home.
I had my second daughter completely naturally so I know that I can do it again.

I understand they have to cover themselves but I know I will be fine and if there was any sign of problems I would be straight at the hospital.

 

[trumpetbum]

My last birth was a nightmare to organise. Firstly my GP told me I would bleed to death, then when it was decided I was technically in the community midwifery area of another Maternity hospital she refused to refer me 'because I know it's to have a homebirth and I'm against that'. I got attitude from some of the community midwives, asked to back up my case, had a letter sent from my GP to my consultant which was patronising and quite frankly rude about my age and reproductive choices (thankfully he was old school and lovely..he was probably around at the time of the green ladies with their babies in the bags ).
Thankfully by the time the birth came around my birth was attended and a long difficult posterior labour was facilitated at home. My 9lbs 3 oz OP baby came along in the end, born on my bed without even grazing me.

ETA: this time was much easier. My trust has a dedicated homebirth team which just made things plain sailing

 

[winegums]

My last birth they were not happy all the way through my pregnancy. You should have seen the relief on their faces when he was breech and they managed to persuade me to have a c section! I really do not understand midwives shouldn't they be advotating a natural birth especially in low risk women?

This time I am dreading bringing it up as I was told 1. do not get pregnant within 2 years of my c section and 2. i would need a c section if i had another baby and 3. my bmi is quite high instead of losing baby weight i seemed to have gained since he was born haha 4. I live further away from the hospital now

 

[marley2580]

Im going to have problems due to a high BMI. Apart from this im fit and healthy and do more exercise than my skinner friends who drive.

I mentioned it to my midwife at my booking appointment who said they dident get much call for them but seemed to be surportive. She just said i need to speek to my OH and if he was on board we would discuss it at a later apointment.

I had to go see the consultant for a routeen apointment because of my BMI (biggest waste of 30 mins of my life). I was told that i would only need to come back if my GTT results came back with problems. I dident like her from the start. She was patronising and spoke to me like i was some 15 year old who had got pregnant at a nightclub. She mentioned about having baby in hospital so i told her i would be having baby at home.

She told me they wouldent allow me to have a home birth.

So i told her that she wasent alowed to stop me.

She quickly backtracked saying she had picked the wrong choice of words, started waffaling on about the risks but dident say what they were. When she realised that she was not going to win she said ill need to discuss it with my midwife.

Two days later i had a letter for another apointment with the consultant before my GTT appointment.

So i can see me having to fight with the consultant to get my homebirth.

Just don't go hun, it's not worth the fight. Write a letter to your head of MW stating your intentions and that you expect to be attended by supportive MWs and bypass the consultant totally (it's not up to them anyway)

 

[Blah11]

I have a question for people. I'm not ever pregnant yet LOL so thinking a bit in advance but whatever..

When I went into labour with Amelie my blood pressure went sky high. I was monitored throughout and given labetalol a few times. It was so high they initially had a mini panic and thought it was pre-eclampsia but I had my blood tested and it wasn't. My BP remained really high despite the labetalol and weirdly, as soon as Amelie was born it went back down to normal I had to stay in hosp over night on docs orders but it was fine, and had no other issues.

Anyway, I really want a HB next time but would I be advised against it? What if my BP goes up again next time? Will I need to go into hospital?

 

[lozzy21]

Im going to have problems due to a high BMI. Apart from this im fit and healthy and do more exercise than my skinner friends who drive.

I mentioned it to my midwife at my booking appointment who said they dident get much call for them but seemed to be surportive. She just said i need to speek to my OH and if he was on board we would discuss it at a later apointment.

I had to go see the consultant for a routeen apointment because of my BMI (biggest waste of 30 mins of my life). I was told that i would only need to come back if my GTT results came back with problems. I dident like her from the start. She was patronising and spoke to me like i was some 15 year old who had got pregnant at a nightclub. She mentioned about having baby in hospital so i told her i would be having baby at home.

She told me they wouldent allow me to have a home birth.

So i told her that she wasent alowed to stop me.

She quickly backtracked saying she had picked the wrong choice of words, started waffaling on about the risks but dident say what they were. When she realised that she was not going to win she said ill need to discuss it with my midwife.

Two days later i had a letter for another apointment with the consultant before my GTT appointment.

So i can see me having to fight with the consultant to get my homebirth.

Just don't go hun, it's not worth the fight. Write a letter to your head of MW stating your intentions and that you expect to be attended by supportive MWs and bypass the consultant totally (it's not up to them anyway)

I was going to speek to my midwife next week and if she is suportive i will cancel it. They would just be wasiting there time as they wont be able to talk me out of it.

 

[laural11]

Well i guess I'm pretty early on in pregnancy to be thinking about birthing options, but as I'm planning to begin schooling to become a homebirth midwife next year, and have been reading a ton, I was already set on the idea having a homebirth long before I was pregnant.

The problem for me is, homebirths are technically illegal where I live.

Just got an appointment with as far as I know the only Dr in my area open to the idea of homebirth. He'll probably be my OBGYN backup and get me connected to the midwives who can make a homebirth possible (albeit illegal). Lots of stuff has to happen for it to work out so keep your finger's crossed

 

[goddess25]

I am definitely planning on a home birth this time around... my husband so far does not want it but i think he will come around when he finds out more about it. I had to be rushed to theatre as Euan was totally stuck last time and i had massive 3rd degree tears and lost a lot of blood so i can see why he is concerned. I have my first midwife appointment next week so i will discuss it then with them... I am lucky enough to have joined quite the midwifery clinic... they are highly into natural birthing and my actual assigned midwife worked with Ina May Gaskin on the farm so I very excited. I have a fairly high BMI but I am not expecting there to be any issues.

I am happy to be in the hospital if I have to be... i think its important not to create to rigid a birth plan.

 

[angelae36]

I have a question for people. I'm not ever pregnant yet LOL so thinking a bit in advance but whatever..

When I went into labour with Amelie my blood pressure went sky high. I was monitored throughout and given labetalol a few times. It was so high they initially had a mini panic and thought it was pre-eclampsia but I had my blood tested and it wasn't. My BP remained really high despite the labetalol and weirdly, as soon as Amelie was born it went back down to normal I had to stay in hosp over night on docs orders but it was fine, and had no other issues.

Anyway, I really want a HB next time but would I be advised against it? What if my BP goes up again next time? Will I need to go into hospital?

I suspect they will "strongly" advise against it and will probably do all that they can to scare you out of it. But at the end of the day they still cannot refuse you a home birth.

My homebirth experience is posted both in birth announcements and the homebirth stories on this page.

I have a high BMI and at my booking in my BP was 140/90 so I wasn't off to a good start.
I had to fight tooth and nail to get my homebirth.

I met all sorts of opposition both from midwives - who couldn't have been less supportive if they tried - and the consultant.

So here are my problems and how I delt with them.

My BP was up and down all pregnancy. It was monitored and I was (unecessarily in my opinion) put on labetalol in the last 3 weeks.
In the end the head midwife agreed to my hombirth on condition I rang as soon as I went into labour (I didn't woops!!) and that if the midwives weren't happy i'd transfer in which I said all along I would!

Scare Tactics: The medical professions favourite.

Shoulder dystocia: Can happen wherever you may be. It doesn't matter where you are the same happens. Legs as wide as possible to allow more room in the pelvis.

Being overweight my baby would be huge - errm nope. Growth scan and subsequent birth proved that my LO was a perfectly average 7lb 7oz.

"You will need a cesarean" Errm nope, I may need one. It is a slight risk not a given.
Even in hospital a true "emergency cesarean" takes a few minutes to organise. I live 10 minutes from the hospital - quicker with an ambulance and blues and two's. In the time it takes me to transfer the theatre could be being prepared.

"Your BP could rise and you could fit" Yes this is true - but we will keep an eye on it and transfer if necessary.

"We won't know which drug to give to deliver the placenta as you are overweight and have high BP" - Fine, I'll deliver it without any - and as far as I know I did!!!

"You will lose alot of blood being overweight" No, I might again, it's a risk not a given. In the end my blood loss was perfectly normal.

"You will develop GD" Nope, again just a risk. I refused the GTT and kept an eye out for signs of diabetes. Urine was perfect throughout.

"it's harder to monitor you cos of your size" True - but not impossible and made easier if they have the right equipment including a larger size BP cuff.

"You will have to see the aneasthatist to check if you can have an Epidural" Not a prayer. There is no-way anyone is coming near me to put a huge needle in my back. In an emergency situation you will have to knock me out.

"you will have to be induced if you go ocer your dates due to your weight and BP" Errrm nope. If there is an excellent medical reason why I should then I will consider it, until then my baby comes when she comes.

There was all sorts thrown at me but I was either ready for them and "argued" my point or went home, read up on what they were saying and then made any decision that were necessary.

I also came across a wonderful independant midwife on the Yahoo Homebirth group (Liz Nightingale) She was fantastic and reassured me that I am perfectly capable of having my baby at home despite my "problems"

Sorry this is a bit long but I wanted to try to be clear and say that you may meet opposition but just research and ask questions. A well informed decision is the right decision!

 

[lozzy21]

Blah they will probably advise against it but just cos it happend once dose not meen it will happen again. If you say you will get it checked regulary and will transfer should it go too high there is nothing much more they can say.

 

[Blah11]

See it was absolutely normal all the way throughout my pregnancy, it was 110/70actually at my booking in LOL It wasn't until we were in triage in hospital that they were like OMG cos it was at 155/106

can BP shoot up cos of nerves and anxiety? I ask this cos my BP was sky high when I wasgetting my wisdom teeth out (i needed to be sedated so they checked my bp beforehand).

 

[lozzy21]

Blah nerves and anxiaty can deffinatly make your BP shoot up. Some people have it every time they see a medical profesional. It gets called white coat syndrome.

 

[summer rain]

Good on you Angela, so you can refuse the GTT? I've been told I 'have' to have it despite not even meeting any of the risk factors for GD nor have I ever had it in the past.

Blah, I'm pretty sure my mum had high bp when pregnant with my sister whom she had the homebirth with and this was in the 80s when even at 35 she was considered too old for a homebirth lol. She said one mw refused to turn up but the other local one was fine and she handled things.

 

[winegums]

blah thats a big part of bp

all through my pregnancy my blood pressure was really really high... i asked them if it might be cos im scared of doctors and hospitals and get nervous in the building etc so they gave me a bpm to take home and see if it made a difference and it was perfect, even slightly low.

i filmed myself taking my bp and how low it was and showed them haha! they were like 'do you really hate hospitals that much??'

so for all you know.. a home birth could prevent your bp going up high anyway

xx