Home birth without Midwife

[MissMisery]

Thoughts on not even having a midwife at your home birth? I'm not 100% sure what the laws in my state are about midwives delivering babies at home, but I feel like I want to do it with or WITHOUT one.

 

[ambreen359]

There was a thread on here about someone who had a unassisted home birth search back a bit good luck x

 

[youngwife20]

Is that not really dangerous? .. But I gues if its legal then sure.. but that would worry me if something went wrong ( God for bid) but always good to be ready for any scenario.

 

[madasa]

I think silverpenny did it....? Try searching "UC" or "unassisted birth".

 

[moomin_troll]

i almost had a unassisted homebirth and really she wasnt needed even when she did turn up.

my mum called her at 3am (she lives 10 mins up the road from me) she didnt turn up till 3.50am by which time corey had already crowned and my mum was getting ready to unhook the cord incase it was around coreys kneck.

she turned up and i was doing what i knew was best for me and ignored her when she told me to push but i wanted to breath, so i did.

the only good things about having her there was i tore inside and needed to go into hospital for stitches so she was able to spot this. not sure how that would work if u just had no one there for ur birth

 

[Tegans Mama]

TBH I think as long as you've had adequate prenatal care and you're clued up on what is normal whilst giving birth, it's your choice and no one elses.

 

[wigglywoo]

i almost had a unassisted homebirth and really she wasnt needed even when she did turn up.

my mum called her at 3am (she lives 10 mins up the road from me) she didnt turn up till 3.50am by which time corey had already crowned and my mum was getting ready to unhook the cord incase it was around coreys kneck.

she turned up and i was doing what i knew was best for me and ignored her when she told me to push but i wanted to breath, so i did.

the only good things about having her there was i tore inside and needed to go into hospital for stitches so she was able to spot this. not sure how that would work if u just had no one there for ur birth

How did she find out about the tear if you don't mind me asking? Did she do a VE?

 

[moomin_troll]

i almost had a unassisted homebirth and really she wasnt needed even when she did turn up.

my mum called her at 3am (she lives 10 mins up the road from me) she didnt turn up till 3.50am by which time corey had already crowned and my mum was getting ready to unhook the cord incase it was around coreys kneck.

she turned up and i was doing what i knew was best for me and ignored her when she told me to push but i wanted to breath, so i did.

the only good things about having her there was i tore inside and needed to go into hospital for stitches so she was able to spot this. not sure how that would work if u just had no one there for ur birth

How did she find out about the tear if you don't mind me asking? Did she do a VE?

what does VE stand for?
i was bleeding quiet abit and everything is lets say loose after giving birth lol so she was able to see the tear as it wasnt too high up i dont think. she thought it was only a small tear so she only saw the end of it i think

 

[wigglywoo]

Ah I see, thanks. VE = vaginal examination.

 

[moomin_troll]

Ah I see, thanks. VE = vaginal examination.

thought so, im tired so that why im being so stupid hahaha
u have to have a area set up where u can lie down to be examined, mine was on the sofa.

 

[BetsyRN]

I don't think having an unassited childbirth at home is a wise choice. I'm a labor and delivery nurse at a large hospital and unfortunately I've seen multiple homebirths gone wrong with bad outcomes bc no one qualified to properly assess the labor/delivery was present. For example, a woman came in that had been pushing for hours yet she was only 6 cm and the baby's heartrate was very low. And I've seen deliveries where the baby began to deliver breech and got stuck; by the time the women got to the hospital, those babies had been deprived of oxygen for a while and their outcomes weren't great (I don't really want to give more details than that for fear that someone would figure things out since I would be violating HIPAA!) I think having a homebirth is a perfectly safe option but I don't agree with unassisted childbirth. While you may be lucky and not have any issues with your delivery, you don't want to be one of the people where something bad happens. I've spoken to several of the midwives that work at my hospital, including one who had a homebirth, and they all agreed that you must have prenatal care and someone qualified to perform a delivery present at your birth. 10% of babies need some sort of resuscitation at birth -- are you prepared for that? You can still deliver/pull your own baby out, just please have a midwife (not just a doula) present at your homebirth!

 

[amjon]

If they don't allow it, do they have a birthing center near you? I am going to a BC. I never really even considered home, but the BC has a very homelike feel. They will know how to spot problems that would require the hospital as well. (I'm not sure if insurance covers actual HB, the MW I am going to does do them.)

 

[wigglywoo]

Ah I see, thanks. VE = vaginal examination.

thought so, im tired so that why im being so stupid hahaha
u have to have a area set up where u can lie down to be examined, mine was on the sofa.

Really?? I think I'll ask my MW about that when I see her next, as my birth plan states no vaginal examinations. I guess if there is excessive bleeding afterwards then I will allow her to look, but I wont be allowing 'progress' examinations.

To the OP - I'm kind of of the opinion at the moment that having a midwife could actually be more of a hindrance than an assistance. I can understand why people feel happier having a trained MW there, but also understand why they would want to go unassisted. Even my DH said the other day that we could do it all ourselves and 'what do we really need a midwife for?' I am going to call in early labour to warn them that I will need a midwife at some point so shifts can be sorted out and then not call again until I feel I need someone there (this is what my MW has said to do).

I guess I am in an enviable position because even if a midwife is unavailable or can't get here in time, my MIL is a recently retired MW and lives at the end of the lane! Not that I particularly want MIL seeing me in that state of undress, but if I were desperate and there was no-one else available! She'd be delighted to come out of retirement to observe the birth of her long-awaited grandchild I'm sure

 

[moomin_troll]

Ah I see, thanks. VE = vaginal examination.

thought so, im tired so that why im being so stupid hahaha
u have to have a area set up where u can lie down to be examined, mine was on the sofa.

Really?? I think I'll ask my MW about that when I see her next, as my birth plan states no vaginal examinations. I guess if there is excessive bleeding afterwards then I will allow her to look, but I wont be allowing 'progress' examinations.

To the OP - I'm kind of of the opinion at the moment that having a midwife could actually be more of a hindrance than an assistance. I can understand why people feel happier having a trained MW there, but also understand why they would want to go unassisted. Even my DH said the other day that we could do it all ourselves and 'what do we really need a midwife for?' I am going to call in early labour to warn them that I will need a midwife at some point so shifts can be sorted out and then not call again until I feel I need someone there (this is what my MW has said to do).

I guess I am in an enviable position because even if a midwife is unavailable or can't get here in time, my MIL is a recently retired MW and lives at the end of the lane! Not that I particularly want MIL seeing me in that state of undress, but if I were desperate and there was no-one else available! She'd be delighted to come out of retirement to observe the birth of her long-awaited grandchild I'm sure

id agree with no examinations during labour except one when they arrive and then after as they need to check for tears as u might need stitches. i lost 400ml so not too much concidering 2 tears. she didnt touch me either time she just looked, it was the doctor who stitched me i could of killed her lol

 

[wigglywoo]

I had stitches last time as I had an episiotomy. I don't blame you for wanting to kill the Dr who stitched you, stitches hurt more than giving birth!

 

[Leahmasie]

To each their own, but I would not be comfortable with an UC. Throughout history women have been helping other women give birth. Why? Because sometimes it's life-threatening. Much less now that we have good nutrition, although with such a large percentage of overweight people we now have other problems.

I think it boils down to this. If your baby did not survive labor/delivery, would you think "I guess my baby was meant to leave us so soon" or would you think "sometimes nature errs and I regret not protecting my baby with current medical care". I've read a lot of natural birth blogs that basically say the former. Decline all intervention and then if you or your baby dies it was meant to be. I am grateful for our brains and inventions, and when called for I would use them to save my baby or myself from something that would've killed us 200 years ago. When you're in labor or just given birth, it's my opinion that very few women are capable of evaluating an emergency and adequately responding. This is especially true for a first birth.

 

[silver_penny]

https://www.babyandbump.com/home-natural-birthing/427385-ask-unassisted-homebirther.html Here is my thread on it

 

[Linzi]

My opinion on this has changed since my homebirth, my midwife went against everything I wanted and when my baby was distressed I don't believe that she helped a great deal and if I knew more or was ready for the situation I could have performed resucsitation myself. Though obviously I don't know, I'm waiting for my notes back.

Personally now, I would always have a midwife there if I was the give birth again, but I would have a private midwife and might consider a doula now too whereas I wouldn't have before. Having said that I can understand why someone would want an unassisted childbirth, even though its not for me, I don't think it's completely irresponsible, but only if you do some serious serious hard work before the birth & are prepared for any eventuality.

xxx

 

[Mervs Mum]

To those against it, you will find that more people who go unassisted go in to it very well informed. They will often prepare in great depth for how to deal with certain scenarios including the baby needing resuscitation etc.

The question for me when someone decided to have an unassisted birth is why do they not feel able to have a midwife present.....people all too often just judge and say 'it's irresponsible' 'what if...'. Don't you think they have thought about the what ifs? Dont you think their baby is the most precious thing in the world to them just as it is to the couple going to hospital? Of course it is but there are very deep, complex reasons why they think that UC is the safest option for their family. When you've been at births WITH midwives or doctors that have been traumatic and awful not because of complications but because of sometimes shocking levels of disrespect and lack of care, then you begin to understand why people chose that route, even if it's not one you would perhaps take yourself.

 

[moomin_troll]

just because someone may have a mw present or even having their baby in hospital doesnt make it any safer in my opinion.

twice my mum has been let down by mws in hospital births, we both almost died when she had me. she had a huge bleed and needed a trasnfusion n yet she was left in a room by herself bleeding all over the bed and floor....she really thought she was going to die that day.
and then with my sister a mw told her she was stupid and that she wasnt in labour when she was and ended up giving birth 5 mins later in the ward.

giving birth isnt easy and most times is made worse by mws so i totaly understand when women dont want anyone there.

the mw at coreys birth was useless, she was trying to get me to push when i didnt want to so i just ignored her.....good job i did what i wanted or my tears would of been ten times worse.

giving birth is natural and is far too medicalised now, even tho im glad we have intervention for when its needed but people seem to forget it wasnt long ago that everybirth was at home