Home Birthers & Hopefuls!

[Celesse]

Grrr....being readmitted to hospital. Abigail has lost 18% of her birth weight and now weighs 6lb14 down from 8lb 1.5. Poor little thing has had a tough time since I went into labour. So now not only did my home birth turn into a hospital section, i also end up with a readmit! **sigh**

 

[freckleonear]

Grrr....being readmitted to hospital. Abigail has lost 18% of her birth weight and now weighs 6lb14 down from 8lb 1.5. Poor little thing has had a tough time since I went into labour. So now not only did my home birth turn into a hospital section, i also end up with a readmit! **sigh**

Sorry to hear that. Hope Abigail starts to regain weight soon so that you can come back home.

 

[Bournefree]

What a wonderful thread! And so informative to, everything yu wanted to know about homebirths is here and makes for pleasant reading too!

The real reason Im here is it is my dream to have a homebirth this time, but I dont think I'll be able to.

I have alot of underlying health issues (I have lupus, fibromyalgia and a blood disorder) and because of this, I knowI will be avised against it again (Wanted DS #2 born at home but I was induced at 37 weeks as he had stopped growing and there were concerns for his health).

Has anyone ever heard of any high risk mothers birthing at home? I have googled this subject, but it dosent really bring much back.

Thank you in advance ladies, I wish you all the best of luck with your pregnancies and births xxx

Hi - I can't comment specifically on your medical conditions with regards to a homebirth. But what I do feel is important to say is; It is your body and you can have a homebirth under any (and I do mean any) circumstances.

You have a weigh up the pros and cons for your self. You are the person that undoubtly knows your medical conditions more than anyone else, after all you are the one living with it. What you have to do, is to investigate how each one, may or may not have an effect on your HB.

Personally I would go through each one, and try and find information on what are, if any, complications associated for each one during labour, birth and afterbirth.

After that, I would then invite your consultant to go through each medical condition and how it might effect you in each stage, and ask how that might be managed in a hospital environment. Also ask the same of your MW - be prepared to leave it with them.. you want full answers, on how they would manage any of the resulting complications, if you have any.


My little soap-box!:
Always remember you can have a home birth, even if you arm has fallen off, and you have been stabbed in the neck! (I know it extreme, and I very much doubt that any women would do this; but its autonomy, and is very important) . It is always your choice. Just the same as any medical intervention is your choice. You have the right to refuse ANY medical intervention offered. Your body, your choice. You should be informed of all the risks and make up your own mind. Empowerment isn't a choice, it's a right, and one that any conscious person has! Freedom, isn't freedom if you can only make choices that are deemed acceptable by "they". “They said this”, “They said that” - You have your own mind, take advice and decide each moment.
xxxxx

 

[Bournefree]

Grrr....being readmitted to hospital. Abigail has lost 18% of her birth weight and now weighs 6lb14 down from 8lb 1.5. Poor little thing has had a tough time since I went into labour. So now not only did my home birth turn into a hospital section, i also end up with a readmit! **sigh**

Oh sweetie!!! I'm so sorry to hear that!! We had a similar experience post birth! It's a horrible thing to deal with - and I know that you must feel bad.. but please don't beat yourself up about it!!! It happens, and god knows why!?

My LO had a "failure to thrive" (I still can't get over how stark this description is!!) She lost 14% body weight, they really wanted to take her in - I refused.. but what I DID do, was to concede to formula feeding in part. It was intensive, but I breastfed, formula fed, and then expressed - It was hard work.. and unfortunately the outcome for me, was we have now been exclusively formula feeding for a few months. I couldn't get my boobs to keep up, and I tried so hard!!! I really do know where you are - and I wouldn't wish it on anyone. The support I CAN give, is that once she was on some formula, she went form strength to strength! She was much more active and alert, and also slept better! It wasn't what I wanted, but I couldn't deny, that she was doing well on the formula, and clearly getting something that I wasn't providing.
I hope you have a even better outcome, and can continue with the BF. I unfortunately lost that battle.

I guess that if I was asked what would I do again - I would say that I would try and continue with the BF exclusively - as I do feel, that the introduction of formula was to the determent of our BF; but who’s to say where that might have left us??? She could have lost more.. Or she could have bottomed out on her weight lost - I will never know?

But in the end of it all, she is happy and healthy and eating and sleeping well. One point for the formula feeding is that, we were the first in our group of ladies to have her sleeping through the night. ~(I’m not too sure if this is a good or bad sign, but it is very good for our family life) Even now all the other mums are still putting in a night feed at 4 months, and are tired, if used to it!

I hope you can continue BF and are supported

xxxx

 

[cupcake23]

Grrr....being readmitted to hospital. Abigail has lost 18% of her birth weight and now weighs 6lb14 down from 8lb 1.5. Poor little thing has had a tough time since I went into labour. So now not only did my home birth turn into a hospital section, i also end up with a readmit! **sigh**

Congratulations on the birth of you little one... I hope she starts gaining weight, I know you are doing your best and I'm sure you will be back home before you know it!

 

[missamoo]

one thing that is really making me think about it, apart from being bored at the hospital, is that ds wouldn't settle and when i finally managed to grab a shower, when i came out he was screaming the ward down - not that anybody was seeing to him!!

also something i've been thinking about is that when ds was born i got scared of pushing at one point and the mw told me the head was right there and what was i playing at, 2 pushes and it would be over! i bent down and felt the head and that gave me what i needed to get pushing. but i think that if i could have seen him coming i would have been better so i would really like to see what's happening this time. i mean everyone else does, why can't i??

 

[MandaAnda]

Celesse, I'm sorry to hear about the readmission. I know breastfeeding can be so hard to get going after a section (even I was panicking about it the first few days, which is so silly considering my occupation and that I had a SVD).

I will say, if you want to exclusively breastfeed, keep that as your goal, even if it requires expressing. If Abigail spends time on SCBU (I'm not sure if that's part of the readmission plan for you or not, as it depends on the hospital), they can pass a nasogastric tube to give formula and then your EBM, so she never actually has to have a bottle (or even formula if you're able to express and/or breastfeed). Whether SCBU or postnatal ward, their goal should be what yours is; and if yours is to soley breastfeed, they should be supporting that.

*hugs*

 

[MandaAnda]

Grrr, double post!

 

[Babyshambelle]

Hiya chatterboxes.

I totally sympathise with you about the weight loss Celesse. They were obsessed with sticking liv on the scales....this is a topic that really gets me on my soapbox.

When will it be introduced to only weigh LO's in the first few days after birth unless there is a real need to do so? I HATE the '10% loss = formula top-up required' stance that the NHS seems to have adopted....I can't help but think if this were relaxed a little there would be less cases of breastfeeding failure due to 'milk not coming in', 'i wasn't producing enough milk', 'there was no cream in my milk it was only water', 'he/she needed more than I could provide' and so on and so on.

I had to kick and scream to so many doctors and consultants before they 'allowed' us to go home without me giving her formula...but I wonder how many mums would have had the knowledge about breastfeeding that I had (thanks to BnB only!) and would have gone down the formula route and had alsorts of problems as a result.

Sorry about that rant over.

My question for the day is a strange one. As you know we are moving house (yayyy) but we got the tenancy agreement today and it states you can't have a water bed in the house. This got me thinking. If we aren't alowed water beds, surely we aren't allowed a birthing pool?!? I wouldn't want to ask incase they said no and I had aroused their suspicions...but what if it leaked everywhere??? Our insurance only covers posessions, not carpets etc! Hahaha. Anyone a renter and have any idea what we should do?? xx

 

[quaizer]

What a wonderful thread! And so informative to, everything yu wanted to know about homebirths is here and makes for pleasant reading too!

The real reason Im here is it is my dream to have a homebirth this time, but I dont think I'll be able to.

I have alot of underlying health issues (I have lupus, fibromyalgia and a blood disorder) and because of this, I knowI will be avised against it again (Wanted DS #2 born at home but I was induced at 37 weeks as he had stopped growing and there were concerns for his health).

Has anyone ever heard of any high risk mothers birthing at home? I have googled this subject, but it dosent really bring much back.

Thank you in advance ladies, I wish you all the best of luck with your pregnancies and births xxx

Hi - I can't comment specifically on your medical conditions with regards to a homebirth. But what I do feel is important to say is; It is your body and you can have a homebirth under any (and I do mean any) circumstances.

You have a weigh up the pros and cons for your self. You are the person that undoubtly knows your medical conditions more than anyone else, after all you are the one living with it. What you have to do, is to investigate how each one, may or may not have an effect on your HB.

Personally I would go through each one, and try and find information on what are, if any, complications associated for each one during labour, birth and afterbirth.

After that, I would then invite your consultant to go through each medical condition and how it might effect you in each stage, and ask how that might be managed in a hospital environment. Also ask the same of your MW - be prepared to leave it with them.. you want full answers, on how they would manage any of the resulting complications, if you have any.


My little soap-box!:
Always remember you can have a home birth, even if you arm has fallen off, and you have been stabbed in the neck! (I know it extreme, and I very much doubt that any women would do this; but its autonomy, and is very important) . It is always your choice. Just the same as any medical intervention is your choice. You have the right to refuse ANY medical intervention offered. Your body, your choice. You should be informed of all the risks and make up your own mind. Empowerment isn't a choice, it's a right, and one that any conscious person has! Freedom, isn't freedom if you can only make choices that are deemed acceptable by "they". “They said this”, “They said that” - You have your own mind, take advice and decide each moment.
xxxxx

Thank you so much for your reply. Im absolutely going to discuss this with my MW and also my consultant as I believe both myself and my LO would greatly benefit from a homebirth. My DH is backing me all the way and agrees that it would be better for us. I gave birth to DS #2 in a birthing centre at Birmingham Womens Hospital. Ive got to say it was first class, they stuck to my birth plan and everything was carried out to the letter and it resulted in a lovely smooth and easy birth. This time I am ready for a home birth.

My first birth was an utter shambles from the start. I was strapped down on a bed with my legs in stirrups which I never wanted, I asked to change position and they wouldnt let me. I was told I was not dilated enough to push even though my son's head was in the process of being born! I was given pethedine although I refused it. All of this resulted in my baby becoming distressed and he stopped breathing, so an episiotomy that I didnt want was performed and they sucked my son out with a ventouse. What a disgraceful way for them to bring a baby into the world, upset and not breathing properly. That was almost six years ago, and Benjamin is now a healthy & happy little boy. Im certain that if they had left me to it, on all fours and active as I wanted, my baby would have been born around 2 hours earlier and without any complications or interventions.

Thank you again and I will keep you posted xxx

Consultants shouldnt be allowed in a delivery room, they dont have a clue.

 

[EternalRose]

Grrr....being readmitted to hospital. Abigail has lost 18% of her birth weight and now weighs 6lb14 down from 8lb 1.5. Poor little thing has had a tough time since I went into labour. So now not only did my home birth turn into a hospital section, i also end up with a readmit! **sigh**

Sorry to hear this hun, will be thinking of you and baby Abigail

Its been a little while since I checked in on this thread, I am beginning to struggle with the last few weeks of this pregnancy with tiredness and the dreaded morning sickness is back e.t.c But midwife is coming to mine on Thursday to book in homebirth yay

I am going to have a little read through of the recent posts, I hope everyone is well

EternalRose x x

 

[Mervs Mum]

Hi girls

Hope you're all ok.

I've been to see the MW today and nothing much to report. I have however learned a little bit of interesting and hopefully useful information.

I rang the birth centre to ask a general question that I'd forgotten to ask at my appointment as Hebe started to kick off so I got side tracked

Anyway the MW and I talked in quite a bit of detail about the situation with the recent consultant appointments and she said that I shouldnt think that if friday's appointment doesnt go how I hope, that is the end of my birth plans. She said if I'm not happy with the consultant's recommendations that I can ask for a second opinion from a consultant MIDWIFE who will give her recommendations for my care She recommended I ring one of the 2 consultant MWs tomorrow for a chat before I go on friday. She gave me the names of them and guess what.......one of them delivered Hebe! so as she said, who better to be an advocate for me than someone who has cared for me before and even delivered my last baby.

So I'm going to ring her tomorrow and see what advice she can offer me but I'm feeling pretty good about this....I'm hoping she will help fight my corner in the event of a struggle on friday

 

[LolaAnn]

ohhhh MM that's great news!!

Ok I have a question and I don't think I'm gonna like the answer - we have been forced to move house (long story) and it looks like we might end up in a 2bedroom flat, above some shops, not sure what you guys call them but I guess thats the best way to describe it! Anyway I'm really happy because the new place is really nice and spacious and new, but are you allowed to have a homebirth in a flat/apartment? We've been living in the ground floor of a split detached house.

Sorry I'm a bit lacking in the correct UK terminology hehe

 

[LolaAnn]

ohhhh MM that's great news!!

Ok I have a question and I don't think I'm gonna like the answer - we have been forced to move house (long story) and it looks like we might end up in a 2bedroom flat, above some shops, not sure what you guys call them but I guess thats the best way to describe it! Anyway I'm really happy because the new place is really nice and spacious and new, but are you allowed to have a homebirth in a flat/apartment? We've been living in the ground floor of a split detached house.

Sorry I'm a bit lacking in the correct UK terminology hehe

 

[Mervs Mum]

There are a few girls who have had or plan to have HB in flats so I'm sure it will be fine hun

 

[nikki-lou25]

I lived in a flat when I found out I was pregnant hun, nobody said I couldn't homebirth. I told the midwives I wanted a HB right from the start and she came round to take bloods...GOOD LUCK!

as it happens, we moved and I birthed in a house...but I am pretty sure a flat is fine. On homebirth diaries I'm sure I've seen flats and I deffo remember a couple who lived above a pub!? I think that's same kinda thing

 

[Mervs Mum]

The only thing to check out is if you want a pool I guess.

 

[LolaAnn]

oh sweet thanks so much girls that is very reassuring!! I don't want a waterbirth so I don't think that will be a problem.

 

[MandaAnda]

LolaAnn, I live in a flat (big new build building) and rent, and there was no problem mentioned by my midwife when I planned my home birth. I didn't run it by my landlords, as I didn't see it as their business. I did decide against a birth pool though, as I'm on the second floor and renting. Hopefully, I'll get my home birth next time and should be in army families accommodation, so I'll have a pool.

 

[hope&faith09]

Hey ladies,

Could I join you? I am now seriously thinking about a home birth, my OH isnt very keen at the moment but Im hoping to change his mind! I have a few things im worried about but some of my fellow may mummies directed me to you guys. Hope I can join you.

Sarah x x x