Home Birthers & Hopefuls!

[Shifter]

I am generally VERY optimistic. I cant help but feel disappointed that the appointment to book my home birth also had talk of ECV and c sections......a MILLION miles from where I want to be.

I really hope this isn't the case for you, but I know A LOT of women find that as they approach full term their MWs start trying to find excuses to get them into hospital rather than home. You could be seeing the first seeds of doubt being planted there. Stay positive and firm in your intentions, make sure you take in all the information from non-NHS sources so if you need to you can demonstrate that you are well-informed and capable of making your own decisions.

 

[Celesse]

Home Birth's got a bit of bad press today. https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/sussex/8483254.stm

MIL called us up to tell us about it. It took me about a minute to find the article, read it and work out what it was all about. Basically the woman had gestational diabetes, a 12lb baby and an incompetent independent midwife.

My MIL is planned to be at the birth and still is comfortable with the idea and I still haven't had time to talk to her about it. OH was brilliant on the phone to her tonight and basically explained exactly why home birth is better for us and that it is safe, and that the woman in the article would have been advised against a home birth if she had been under an NHS midwife. I think she is starting to get the message. OH even explained about positions for pushing and why you need to pant when the baby is crowning.

 

[Mervs Mum]

I dont think HB is getting bad press there..... independent MWs are.....that's horrific.

Shifter - I have an incredibly pro home birth MW who is also a family friend so I know she's not got any hidden agenda She was the one suggesting HB to me when I first fell pregnant this time!

 

[BabyHaines]

OMG, that article is horrendous. Poor, poor woman
MM, I'm in a similar boat with regards to possibility of baby being big - the biggest concern for my labour would be shoulder dystocia and because it's my first, they've no idea how I'll labour - eek!!
My MW will book me in for a scan if she deems it ness.
I'll find out more at my next appointment (36wks) xx

 

[purple_socks]

i was massive when i was pregnant and i got a lot of 'talks' abt sholder dystocia etc...persoanlly i felt it was a bit of a scare tactic because when i looked up the stats its not as common as they made out! i was given a consultant appointment and offered several extra 'sizing' scans...i declined the consultants appointment as i was prewarned that the point in the appointment was to 'persuade' me to go into hospital (i have no idea y this sort of thing happens...there was no reason besides my size!?) the scans showed kian as slightly on the large size but nothing huge...he was 8lb12 when he was born (altho the MW kept better me he was gonna b a 10lber!?). personally feel that unless u have something like GD then ur body is not going to make a baby u can't deliver...reproduction is pretty much what nature desinged us for so it would b a massive design flaw if we made and grew a baby but couldn't deliver it

i also got a lot of 'its ur first baby' panic panic panic! which i never understood...i know ur body has never been through that before but i believe it knows what it has to do even the first time round...it might b slightly slower etc and things might get better with practise but don't b scared by all this 'first time daner' business! trust ur body...its actually really amazing at child birth!

 

[Mervs Mum]

Hebe was 8lb 11 and they always said she was 'big' but didnt refer me for any scans.....who knows....

 

[purple_socks]

you'll b fine...ur body will have grown a perfect sized baby 4 u

BTW it is still pos for u to have a breech HB u know....i read several stories on people doing it when i was pregnant (i was obsessed with reading HB stories! lol). Infact i think theres a few on homebirth.org? i dunno how comfortable i'd b doing that myself tho coz i haven't ever researched safety issue with it etc but is pos an idea to look into if u think LO will stay breech?
......But fingers crossed LO will turn any day now x

 

[BabyHaines]

Thanks Purple_Socks, that's reassuring.

I just feel so terrified that something will happen to lo (as I have been all through my pregnancy ) that it knocks me back a bit if they start bringing up possible extra dangers IYKWIM??
My hubby says exactly the same 'your body wouldn't create a baby you can't deliver' and I am by no means small....I've always had 'child-bearing hips' lol!!
I did hear a really interesting thing in BBC Radio 4 yesterday. It was during Womens Hour and they were talking about the rise in C-Sections and I didn't know that apparently, the hospital gets more government funding, the more C-Sections they do. It makes sense I guess, as if you perform more ops, you need more money??
They were saying that if a woman chooses to have a home-birth or ho to a MW led centre, then the hospital (or PCT in that area) loses money.

Hmmmm. Food for thought, eh?!

It's worth a listen if any of you get a minute:
www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/

and do a search for Womens Hour (Wednesday 27th Jan).

 

[BabyHaines]

^^Mervs Mum, there are stories on homebirth.org about breech births. I was Reading them in amazement the other day - fantastic birth stories xxxx

 

[Shifter]

I thought that womens hour was really good.

The news last night was shocking, with biased reporting (ITV journalist saying it is appalling that IMs don't have to have insurance - how ignorant, not even looking into the fact that they WANT insurance but can't get it!)

Jeremy Vine today managed to kick the whole idea of home birth in the teeth!

The coverage of the Airedale Mums campaign for better choice for women this morning was pretty good. The comments (at 2hr 12) were pretty good too and covered the plight of IMs in the UK. You can listen again here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0062ry7

(I suggest skipping to 1 hr 53 minutes into the broadcast and yes, that is me being interviewed!)

 

[MandaAnda]

Of the few babies I've looked after with shoulder dystocia, the mother was seriously morbidly obese pre-pregnancy, and most had GD. If you don't fall into that category, I really feel that it's like, as was mentioned above, you'll deliver a baby that your body can handle. Fundal heights and even scans are known to be wrong in estimating size accurately.

There was an article about the rise of c-sections in a baby magazine I read recently. I felt bad for a split second that the hospital I work for has the highest section rate in the country overall and the highest elective section rate. But then I stopped and thought for a second - it's because we have a Level 3 + surgery NICU. So, a lot of the babies that are delivered there by section weren't orginally booked there - they're there because that's the unit that has the ability to deal with such an early baby or a baby with problems we specialise in (our main thing is gastroenterology; and we're right next door to a hospital that is world famous in cardiac surgery), and best clinical practice says that a mother should deliver (and, obviously, in many of these cases it has to be by elective c-section) where her baby is going to be treated rather than deliver at a hospital without the resources and then have to transport the baby to the hospital that can look after them.

So, I think if you look at the reasons behind a c-section, it becomes a bit more clear why the rate is higher - technology has improved, and we're able to look after babies we couldn't have 30 years ago; people are having babies older, which increases some problems, etc. I think if they included in these studies which, out of all the c-sections, were high risk pregnancies, you'd see that many of those that were sectioned were just that. I don't think we have the attitude so much in the UK (yet) like they do in countries like the US where the doctors will push for an induction and/or a section just to conform to their schedule. And with the advocacy of good midwives, I hope it never comes to that. (This isn't saying it doesn't happen at all here. I very much believe that it does, which is I why I mention the important of advocacy of good midwives. I should add - also, enough midwives.)

 

[BabyHaines]

Don't get me wrong - I'm not knocking C-sections in the slightest and I really don't know enough about the subject, but I just found it really interesting.
I think the medical care we are lucky enough to receive on the NHS is amazing and I thank my lucky stars that I am in the UK.
My MW and any registrars/consultants I've dealt with have been fantastic. Yes, I've had a rough experience with my local hospital, but I wouldn't let that one horrible MW affect my judgement.
What we are able to do to save babies (and mothers) nowadays is fantastic and long shall it continue improving.

As regards the shoulder dystocia thing - I am terrified, as I am a big girl (not morbidly obese) but a size 16-18 pre pregnancy, but I tested negative for GD, so that's great. I guess I'll just wait and see. I think what my MW was implying, was that when I had my growth scan done, bubba's head was spot on, but he/she was off the top line on the abdominal measurement. She said that it is almost easier if baby has a bigger head and smaller tummy if that makes sense, because then once the head is out, the body will follow easily, whereas when baby is a little porker (like mine!!) the head will be out, but tummy may get stuck?! Eek!!

Although my MW us incredibly pro-home birth, so I trust her judgement xxxx

 

[BabyHaines]

Wow Shifter - you're famous!! Well done

 

[MandaAnda]

Sorry, I wasn't having a go at you about c-sections, just voicing my view on the whole thing. Sorry if it sounded argumentative.

I really wouldn't worry about shoulder dystocia at this point. There doesn't seem to be a reason to. Stay positive. And, if I remember correctly, I think my little bean's tummy measured higher on the percentile charts at my 20 week scan than the rest of his body did, but no one said anything about it. I think, once you've got the shoulders delivered, the rest of the body seems to come out quite easily - it's the head and then possibly the shoulders that could be difficult for some mums.

 

[BabyHaines]

Phew. I have had a few dreams about labour this week (which I haven't done before) 1st one I had a girl, 2nd one I had a boy and last night I couldn't get bubs out :'(
thankfully I woke up, so couldn't remember it all, but it's really playing on my mind.
Bloody hell, before SD, I was terrified of cord prolapse!!
What is wrong with me?? Why can't I chill out!!

Oh - and I know you weren't being argumentative honey, I just didn't want to seem like I was knocking the health service xxxx

 

[deej23]

Hello ladies just my quick 2p's worth on the whole "big baby thing" When I had my first child I was only 18 and I was HUGE, midwifes,doctors etc all said woow big baby and I was terrified she was born 2 days b4 her due date so really full term and I was told that there may be problems delivering as I was young and small and I'm sorry to say stupid for letting them freak me out I got myself in such a state it's a wonder I managed to give birth at all!! But despite all their measurments and scans and Guesstimates they were wrong. They broke my waters and it was like a riptide !!!! as soon as they did I shrank it was almost all fluid and my daughter was right at the front so the fluid was pushing her forward making her seem big. When she was born she weighed in at a tiny 6Lb 6oz and then they all decided she was small and needed obs until they were sure she would feed ok. So who knows what weight they will arrive at???? But one things for sure they will be the weight they're gonna be there is no real control over it and people stressing you out over it is NO help at all. Better to just stay calm and take it a step at a time one way or another the only thing sure is that your little or big bundle of joy has to come out one way or another. Your body will help you unless there is a medical reason it cannot like hip/pelvis problems but you should have some indication of this by now. So try not to worry too much, you'll feel better and be able to cope better in the long run if your not all stressed out and worried sick to start with, this only complicates things and leads to a more difficult birth anyway

 

[MandaAnda]

Good points, deej.

And interestingly, regarding hip/pelvic problems (those are the two areas that are affected by my SPD/PGP actually) the Home Birth Reference site says:

SPD is a painful condition which can occur when the pelvic ligaments soften during pregnancy. Pregnancy hormones cause these ligaments to relax, which allows movement of the pelvic bones during birth. Some women's ligaments soften more than others, and a great degree of softening can cause instability of the pelvic joints, and particularly the pubic symphysis, which is a joint at the front of the pelvis. While it can make pregnancy painful, it can certainly make labour easier as the pelvic ligaments stretch easily to allow the baby's head to pass through. It does not necessarily make labour more painful, although it can do. It is often recommended that women with this condition avoid having an epidural, because if anaesthetised below the waist, they may open their legs too wide, which can make the condition worse. I suffer from this condition myself and, while I curse it in pregnancy, I love the 2-5 minute second stages it gives me in labour!

Thankfully, no one has used that as a reason for me not to have a HB (but then my MW has probably forgotten about it!). I'm vitamin D deficient and now on supplements for it, but she doesn't see that as a reason not to have a HB either, so yay!

 

[BabyHaines]

Thats interesting - I knew this pelvic pain was a good sign!! lol

 

[Mervs Mum]

I hope I'm not giving the impression that I'm worried about being unable to deliver a 'big' baby! My last baby was 8lb 11oz and was easier to deliver than my 7lb 10oz first baby! Mine and OH's family tend to have bigger babies. In fact Hebe was on the smaller side. My Grandma had all 8/9lb plus babies. My sister and I were 7lbers but my mother smoked with both of us....My MIL had 9lb 4 and 9lb 5 babies...and she and her brothers were 10lbers. It doesnt concern me really I just wonder if they will make an issue of it if I want to go for a vaginal breech delivery.....

 

[Shifter]

They almost certainly would do Lisa, but they CAN and SHOULD find someone experienced enough to help with that kind of delivery, even if that means sub-contracting an IM. Not that it will come to that of course, lots of time to turn