Home birthing

[bumphope]

So I met with the midwife the other day and she was absolutely lovely (although I am sporting two large bruises on my arms where she took blood!). She asked what my thoughts were about the birth and I said I wanted a home birth.

She said fantastic and they actively encourage them for low risk deliveries, the only caveat being that if they are short staffed on the day then they might not be able to accommodate, and I might have to go to the hospital.

Do any of you have experience with home birthing? I'm worried that they are always going to be short staffed (such seems to be life these days for midwives) and that the chances of me having a home birth really are quite low. She avoided my questions when I tried to quiz her. Do they say they are all for a home birth but when the time comes do they realistically not have the staff to support them?

Also, what would happen if I refused to go in? Would they send one midwife to me rather than the two they say they need? Or would they refuse to see me at all because I wasn't following their recommendation to come in?

I know its a bit early for this but I'm worried about it!

X

 

[Celesse]

I've read about two scenarios for when you refuse to come in. a) they are forced to send someone from the labour ward. b) they really cannot accommodate you and tell you either come in, or phone an ambulance when your pushing who will bring you in.

I think they are technically suppose to provide someone and its recommended on home birth sites that if they say they can refuse on staffing grounds to send someone then you should write to the supervisors of midwives and say you WILL be staying at home and they have x months to sort out the staffing levels.

In reality most teams only have a finite number of births they can accommodate at one time. If they can only manage one birth at a time and two ladies are in labour and labour ward is full what can they do on the day? I think most of the time they can accommodate you if the home birth rate for your area is low so it isn't an issue.

 

[bumphope]

Thanks Celesse, that's what I thought really, they can only work with so many people, and I don't think anyone could blame them for that.

I hope you're right about them being able to accommodate most of the time. I don't really like the idea of being so arsey and telling them they have 7 months to sort the staffing out, but I would be so devastated if I couldn't have my home birth due to staffing!

It's so difficult isn't it.

I'm wondering about hiring a private midwife to come just on the day to back up the nhs, but I don't know if they're happy to do that or whether they only offer their service for the whole pregnancy....

X

 

[eris]

I think it's fantastic you want to do a home birth! I wish I could answer your questions, unfortunately I can't because I have no idea!

I do have a friend who birthed all 5 of her children at home. She is originally from England and moved to the US after the birth of her first child. She didn't have a midwife or even a doula present. She only had her DH.

 

[bumphope]

I think it's fantastic you want to do a home birth! I wish I could answer your questions, unfortunately I can't because I have no idea!

I do have a friend who birthed all 5 of her children at home. She is originally from England and moved to the US after the birth of her first child. She didn't have a midwife or even a doula present. She only had her DH.

Wow! Good on her! I wish I was confident enough to do it with just my husband here, just with it being my first I have no idea what to expect and I really want someone who's seen it all before to sit and make 'it's all normal' faces at me!

Seriously though, that's incredible, great for your friend!

X

 

[Celesse]

BTW my first was a planned home birth and I got the "staffing talk" every time I talked to the midwife about the birth. On the day my own midwife was on call, and brought along another midwife and then a third joined us as shift changed......and they I got transferred in cos DD had a really high heart rate..... but point is, even after all those talks I still got the staff.

 

[eris]

Hahah I told her she was crazy. My first delivery wasn't very smooth and ended up in an emergency c-section and my second started out the same as my first. My midwife actually had the surgeon on standby in case of that happening again. It didn't so I did get a vbac, but they wouldn't allow me to have it at home. I'm not sure it was even an option.

I totally understand your feelings! I contacted a local birthing center to see about having my delivery there and they at first told me they couldn't accommodate me at the center, but could do a home birth. I was a little nervous about that, but then after I got to thinking I started getting excited, but then they called me back and said "Just kidding! We can't help you at all as this will be your second time vbac!" I was like, uhh what? hospital birth for me it is.

I hope you get your home birth and everything goes very smoothly for you!

 

[EarthMama]

My son was born at home, in my kitchen.

It was WONDERFUL to just be AT HOME right after birth!! I couldn't IMAGINE doing it in a hospital after the experience I had. During my labor I loved the freedom of being able to move my body any way I wanted to. I even labored outside next to a river and waterfall for awhile!

Highly recommended if you are low risk and feel comfortable with the idea.


edit: also I'm sure hospital births CAN be just as lovely with the right facility/staff! Just for me, it wasn't an option. (jungle life)

 

[ms.tjulz]

I too am wanting to do a home birth this time around, more so after watching the documentary "The Business of Being Born" : )

 

[lowblow1]

I have to say, I loved my hospital birth. I had a private room and I was brought ice water and food but otherwise left to labour with the gas and air. I was very active and on a Mat or ball at all times and they checked hb every four hours. When I was pushing my midwife was great and she was born gas and air only after 8h active labour. I loved that I wasn't at home because I had the experience of bringing her home to see people which was lovely!!

Good on you for wanting a home birth though. I just wanted to tell you that I was active and free in my birth at hospital too xx

 

[Hansie]

I have had 2 beautiful home water births would really recommend one. Of course I will be booking one this time

 

[Lois22]

Hey congrats on your pregnancy. I had a homebirth with my daughter (first) .

I also got told that if they are short staffed I'd have to go to hospital. When I went in to labour I rang and they were a community midwife down (you have to have 2 present). I said I really don't want to come in to hospital. She said she'd what she could do and phone me back.

When she phoned back she said that the ward wasn't busy at all. They would send one of their hospital midwifes out to me as she lived near me anyway. Her name was helen and was a complete bitch to start with as she didn't really like the idea of home births. When it came to change over of staff (Emma stayed with me as I was 9cm and wanted to see it through). My actual antenatal midwife who I had all the way through my pregnancy came on call. She came and helped deliver Emilia .

Bit of a long story but you can push for it . I'm hoping for another home birth this time.

Good luck xx

 

[Lois22]

Oh and helen wasn't a bitch in the end . I think seeing it all changed her mind about only being at hospital.

Xx

 

[bumphope]

Oh wow thanks ladies so much for all your replies!

I'm definitely keen for a home birth, I love the idea of being able to go to my bed with my baby after the birth, it just sounds so perfect - I so hope it all works out!

Great to hear so many of you have had the staffing talk but have still gone on to have a home birth, it makes me feel so much more confident!

Thank you.

X