Home births

[hypnorm]

Anyone planning to have a home birth or have you had a home birth?
I am due my 2nd kid in Feb and i really want a home birth this time as i hated the way i was treated in hospital with Ewan. I will get better care from my hubby at home and i will be much more relaxed i think.
Did you find it hard getting a home birth? i had slightly raised BP last time, so got transfered from the maternity unit to hospital and it was horrid!
Would have been treated better at the vets where i used to work!!

 

[bex]

I would like a home birth this time round, even though i received excellent care last time in hospital. However i haven't spoken to my midwife about it yet.

 

[WaitingForYou]

I wanted a homebirth for this pregnancy, but as it's my first OH wants me strapped down to a hospital bed. Me and all of my 4 siblings were born at home. In the bath or in the garden haha.

 

[maybebaby]

I was considering it - but now that I most likely will have to have a c-section that is out. Good luck though!!

 

[Moulder86]

I would like to try a home birth but my midwife has told me I can't have a home birth for my first! Which I think is so flipping stupid it's not fair and I think it's a pile of doggy poo poo!! lol

xx

 

[dizzy65]

yeah, it might be more relaxing.. Me personally would feel better in a hospital, cause i dont no what i am doing and stuff, would like to try it on my second baby maybe.. I dont think my boyfriend would much aprove thou lol cause he and myself would feel more comfortable in the hospital...

 

[bambikate]

I'd like one but haven't discussed with mw yet x x

 

[elm]

I'd love a home birth, haven't met my midwife or anything yet though so will see what's available x

 

[hypnorm]

its the same midwife i had for ewan so hopefully she will be on my side too!

 

[ryder]

Im not having one. This is my first baby and I have no idea how everything is going to go, and im not willing to risk my, or my baby's life for that.

Plus I like the fact that at the hospital I will get looked after and all the cleaning up etc will be done. I could not imagine having to clean up a birth mess in my home.

 

[Lauz_1601]

Hypnorm....CONGRATS! I didnt know you were pregnant, I get so hooked on the 3rd tri these days I dont read the other forums much! really pleased for you

I am praying and hoping for a home birth......I dont think it will end up happening but Iv got to tell myself to think positivive!..............last pregnany I went overdue by two weeks and I was induced, then it wasnt the most straight forward birth and had an episiotomy and a vontouse delivery......so I accept there is a high chance it wont happen, but its what I really want and if I think positive enough it might just happen!

good luck with the pregnancy xxxxxx

 

[carries]

I AM!!!!!!!!!! So are a few others on here. Just to state for the record (and im really not wanting this to turn into a home v hospital thread) there is no evidence that a home birth is more risky or dangerous, in fact homebirths are usually quicker and many women claim less painful. Right now thats said id also like to say that no midwife can refuse you a home birth especially just because 'its your first'. Clearly if there is a medical reason you need to be in a hospital then fine, im not suggesting anyone go againt genuine medical advice however, if you have a normal, safe pregnancy there is no reason you cant have a home birth.

I am anal about organisation and research and so have really really looked into this. Have a llok at the homebirth.org web site, very useful info

 

[carries]

https://www.homebirth.org.uk/

website if anyone wants a look

 

[hypnorm]

Im not having one. This is my first baby and I have no idea how everything is going to go, and im not willing to risk my, or my baby's life for that.

Plus I like the fact that at the hospital I will get looked after and all the cleaning up etc will be done. I could not imagine having to clean up a birth mess in my home.

I think there is just as much risk with a home birth as being in hopsital!
I really hope you get better care than i did, i was not looked after, i was not shown how to breast feed they just tried to physically shove Ewan on my breast, i was sat in my own blood, poo, urine for over an hour after i gave birth, and had to ask the nurse to run me a bath, even then i nearly passed out and they ignored me , i came back to the bed and they hadnt cleaned up any thing there was still blood on the bed and the floor so i nearly passed out again!! i was basically left on my own terrified and not really knowing what i was doing, When hubby came in the next day i said i wanted out of here asap, so i went home against their advice.
They said they would probably see me back as a failing breast feeder, but i proved them wrong and never returned.
So you can probaby see why i'm really not keen on having a hospital experience again!!
Don;t know if ever wrote my birth story with Ewan but it was pretty poor too be honest.

 

[hypnorm]

https://www.homebirth.org.uk/

website if anyone wants a look

Thanks for that i will have a look.

Yeh i certainly dont want to turn things in to an arguement, its just i have not yet had a positive experience with hospitals, which probably has stemmed from my mum being rushed in and out of hosptial when i was 4.

 

[ryder]

Carries and Hypno, I am from Canada, so I cant comment on what the hospital care is like in the UK. Im very sorry that it is so poor there though, here however it is very good. And you are looked after very well, we have specialist for everything.

You can have you birth room set up however you want, you can have water births etc, you can have whoever you want in your room. We have delivery doctors, specially trained nurses, a neonatal surgeon and surgery room, you can have doulas too who are very good. And you get looked after extremely well.

However, home births are more risky. The only way a home birth is safe is if you give birth with little or no complications. I personally would not be able to live with myself if I DID have some kind of complication that could have been fixed at a hospital, and lost my baby. I just couldnt do it. Simple fact is, hospital has emergency professionals and equipment available, your home does not. All you have is a midwife who is only a nurse.

Just my opinion, I find it scary when people say that home births hold no risks though... Seriously, do what you want with yourself and your family, but acknowledge that there are risks.

Im not saying that they are bad either. I may consider it one day, but just definately not for my first baby. I simply dont know what is going to happen, how im going to handle the pain etc.

 

[Gems]

Im going to have my first in hospital. Nothing against home births however two of my friends who planned them and prepared for a home birth ended up in hospital, simply because there were not enough midwives available to come to their homes on the days they went in to labour !!! how bad is that??!

 

[hypnorm]

RYder, do you have to pay for your care over there or have medical insurance? just curious.
Here if you want a doula you have to pay thousands of pounds for the privelidge.
Fair enough if a home birth isnt for you, i wasnt keen with my first and it was all unknown although i had ALOT of knowledge from dealing with the same equipment and drugs at the veterinary surgery where i worked.

I was very stressed in hospital and my bp went up initially but levelled out once i had managed to relax, personally i think i will be more relaxed and comfortable in my own home, obviously if there is any dire risk to me or baby then we are only 20 mins from the main hospitals here.
The midwives are more than just nurses too they are specifically trained.

 

[carries]

Carries and Hypno, I am from Canada, so I cant comment on what the hospital care is like in the UK. Im very sorry that it is so poor there though, here however it is very good. And you are looked after very well, we have specialist for everything.

You can have you birth room set up however you want, you can have water births etc, you can have whoever you want in your room. We have delivery doctors, specially trained nurses, a neonatal surgeon and surgery room, you can have doulas too who are very good. And you get looked after extremely well.

However, home births are more risky. The only way a home birth is safe is if you give birth with little or no complications. I personally would not be able to live with myself if I DID have some kind of complication that could have been fixed at a hospital, and lost my baby. I just couldnt do it. Simple fact is, hospital has emergency professionals and equipment available, your home does not. All you have is a midwife who is only a nurse.

Just my opinion, I find it scary when people say that home births hold no risks though... Seriously, do what you want with yourself and your family, but acknowledge that there are risks.

Im not saying that they are bad either. I may consider it one day, but just definately not for my first baby. I simply dont know what is going to happen, how im going to handle the pain etc.

Sorry Ryder but this simply is not true. Please show me independant research that shows homebirths are more risky...it doesnt exist. In any case i didnt say that homebirths hold no risk, i said they hold no more risk than a hospital birth. I respect that you have your opinion but throw away comments like 'i wouldnt risk the life of my child' are not helpful. It insinuates that by choosing to have a home birth I am doing just that and it couldnt be further fromt he truth. To be honest, im not having a homebirth due to a bad experience with the NHS or hospitals, I just know that I will be more relaxed and the labour will be easier if I am at home. Clearly, if there are complications I will transfer to the hospital and the midwifes always ensure arrangements are in place to cover that.

I have absolutly nothing against hospital births whatsoever and im certainly passing no judgement on those who choose to have them, I just find your slightly accusetory tone a little offencive.

The question asked was 'is anyone having a home birth, not please pass comments on how dangerous you view a homebirth to be.

Sorry for going on but I just really dont think it was a helpful or in fact accurate comment.

 

[ryder]

Carries, I did not say home births are MORE risky themselves. By the way, YOU were the person who brought up hospitals vs home (not me) , if your going to make comments like there are no risks to home births, be prepared for others to comment. There are alot of people on this board who read the information posted here and having omments and knowledgeable input from both sides is only fair.

I said that if all goes well and no complications they are safe. The thing that IS risky, is the fact that you do not have emergency staff, surgeons and equipment available like AT the hospital.

Understand what im getting at here?

And for me, being my first baby, and not knowing how my body and the baby are going to react, I personally want to have whatever available that I can. Im 20mins from the hospital and 20 mins is too far when yours or your babies life is on the line.

I work in a hospital, so I have alot of knowledge about how procedures are done, the different medicines etc. Im not nieve to any of that.

Maybe that is why im much more cautious? Because I can see how quickly life can disapear? I can see how seconds in an emergency means all the difference? Especially with babies? Sometimes I would rather NOT have the knowledge and experiences I do.

None of this is meant to offend anyone, I just feel that everyone deserve to know the facts from both sides.

Hypnorm- yes, health care is covered in Canada. No matter what you have a bed in a hospital and medical care covered by the government.

Prescriptions outside of the hospital are not covered, except by employers, you pay a small fee to your employer per month to be included in medical coverage which covers prescriptions, eye care and dental.