Home birthing

[sparkle05]

Hello ladies, I was all booked for a home birth with my last child. I rang my midwife after my second contraction because something didn't feel right. It was 1am and she told me to have a bath and phone her in a couple of hours. I explained that i didn't have that long and she laughed and said it was very unlikely that i didn't have long. I shouted my husband to take me to the hospital. We arrived at the hospital and were told to go home and phone the midwife i explained that i had and if they sent me home i would have the baby in the car. A very stroppy midwife took me to a bed gave me some gas and air and looked at my notes. I shouted that i wanted to push she opened my legs and said "no your no where near" to which i told her to break my waters so i could get the hell out of there. The midwife gave a sigh and did as i asked. Well all hell broke loose she broke my waters and my DD came out with them. I don't think i have ever seen anyone looked so shocked. My labour had lasted 1hr 40 minutes.
I would really like a home birth this time but i am so worried that i am going to be all alone with no gas and air lol when i give birth as no one will listen when i say i need them.

 

[JenStar1976]

Not really sure how it works, but if they see on your notes that you had a really quick birth first time round, surely they will pay a bit more attention the second time round and come out to you straight away? Have you voiced your concerns with your Midwife at all? x

 

[sparkle05]

No not yet. At my booking in appointment there was a stand in midwife as the lady im having was off ill. I have another appointment in august so will mention it then. I was dissapointed in the way i was treated last time. Im sure that mother knows best lol.

 

[summer rain]

sparkle05 I had a very similar experience. I'd already had a very fast labour (3 and bit hours from start to finish) with my middle son; and I thought the local midwives took this seriously when planning to give birth to my youngest; which to be fair most of them did but they changed the system so I had to go via the hospital to contact my local midwife team and the hospital were extremely blase when passing my message on to them. I had to call the local midwives and make it clear to them this baby is coming soon; and due to the delay they both got stuck in traffic (even though one was only coming from a mile away; the other from about 25 miles away as she had gone home). They both arrived only 5 minutes before he came out and its only when they popped my waters (in my case I was 9cm and the bag of waters and his head was bulging out. They also didn't have the correct attachment to the gas and air (something I really worried would happen and I kept mentioning it at my ante natal appointments!) so I didn't have any gas and air. I'm worried now as I've moved to a new area (albeit centred around the same hospital) with completely different midwives so I worry they won't take me seriously. Still in a worse case scenario I'd rather give birth at home before the midwives can get there; than in the car or on the floor somewhere in the hospital.

Soph x

 

[sparkle05]

sparkle05 I had a very similar experience. I'd already had a very fast labour (3 and bit hours from start to finish) with my middle son; and I thought the local midwives took this seriously when planning to give birth to my youngest; which to be fair most of them did but they changed the system so I had to go via the hospital to contact my local midwife team and the hospital were extremely blase when passing my message on to them. I had to call the local midwives and make it clear to them this baby is coming soon; and due to the delay they both got stuck in traffic (even though one was only coming from a mile away; the other from about 25 miles away as she had gone home). They both arrived only 5 minutes before he came out and its only when they popped my waters (in my case I was 9cm and the bag of waters and his head was bulging out. They also didn't have the correct attachment to the gas and air (something I really worried would happen and I kept mentioning it at my ante natal appointments!) so I didn't have any gas and air. I'm worried now as I've moved to a new area (albeit centred around the same hospital) with completely different midwives so I worry they won't take me seriously. Still in a worse case scenario I'd rather give birth at home before the midwives can get there; than in the car or on the floor somewhere in the hospital.

Soph x

Oh no I dont understand why they wont listen i am on baby no 4. My first baby arrived after a 24hr labour. My second a 3hr labour and the thurd 1hr 40 minutes. So i dont think i have a hope in hell of getting anywhere this time.
I have a feeling that it has all changed in our area as well. When i had my last baby you got put directly through to the midwife. This time though i think you call the hospital and they call you back. Do you know if you are allowed to store the gas and air at home before the birth ? I supose i would rather be at home than on route somewhere lol.

 

[summer rain]

Hi

I'm in exactly the same position, although my first labour in terms of established labour was 6 hours; the overall length of it was over 24 hours. I wish you could store the gas and air at home beforehand but I'm pretty sure its strongly controlled, the frustrating thing was seeing the canisters in the bag there but being unable to use them. I made them go back to their nursing station and get the proper attachments then I used a whole canister when I had my stitches!

 

[Celesse]

Not sure how it works in other areas, but in Newcastle you phone labour ward who contact the midwife, who then goes to the hospital and collects some more equipment before coming round to your house. They tell you it will take the midwife at least an hour to reach you.

ETA: it took mine about 30mins but I'd already been on the phone to her earlier that day and seen her at the hospital as we went for a scan.

 

[summer rain]

Hi

down here the midwives have a local clinic where they keep the equipment (I'm not sure about in the area where I am now; but that was definitely the case in my old area) thus they can pick it up very quickly (one usually picks it up the other comes straight) once the hospital contacts them on their mobile; and in theory at least one of them should get there in about 20 minutes, thats in theory. Didn't work out that way last time.

Soph