Home water birth - your thoughts?

[Amygdala]

How do you feel about home water births? I'm considering one for my second. First was 6 hours from waters breaking to LO arriving, no complications apart from a very slow third stage.
So lets hear your thoughts and opinions. I'm very on the fence so anything would be helpful, arguments for and against, good experiences and bad. Thank you!

 

[solitaire89]

I had a home birth and it was fantastic! I loved that I could do what I wanted when I wanted, and that there was never any worry about having to get to the hospital in time, or being turned away. I could get comfortable in whatever position I wanted, and it wouldn't have mattered if that meant a handstand with my feet on the wall. I didn't need to ask anyone if that was ok, because it was my home! I also loved that when I wanted an ice lolly from my fridge I could just go and get one, I didn't need to wait 20 mins whilst OH went to the hospital canteen to get one which wouldn't have been the right flavour/make etc

It was supposed to be a water birth, but didn't turn out to be one in the end. I had the pool set up in my dining room, and I used it for about an hour, but after that short stint I decided I felt happier on dry land. I wouldn't have been without it though. I used a Birth Pool in a Box, the bigger one, and we didn't bother with the pump or cover or heater or anything like that. We covered it with some thick plastic sheeting we got from B&Q and it worked fine for us. HTH

 

[Amygdala]

Thanks for your reply! How do you fill those and heat them up/keep them warm? Was there any point during the birth where you got scared or wished you were in hospital?

 

[solitaire89]

No worries

We filled it by "replumbing" our downstairs loo - we disconnected the taps and attached long flexible pipes with outdoor taps on the end! We have a tame plumber - I did his PAT testing and he replumbed the sink... Having said that you can get tap adaptors for hosepipes so that you can fill it from the taps without the need for a plumber which would be just as easy as our solution, and if worst came to worse, bucketing it would have been fine. We filled it at about 39oC, and when I got in about 3 or 4 hours later it had only dropped by one degree.
Not once did I get scared or feel any need to go anywhere else. The mw was there all the way through, she didn't leave the house once she arrived, which is better than hospital from what I gather where they'll disappear and you don't know where they've gone!
If you have any more questions, feel free to fire away

 

[jamhs]

This is a brilliant help!! I just got my pool delivered today and am so excited, but nervous too!! Hope I have a great birthing experience that I can update you on!!

 

[solitaire89]

This is a brilliant help!! I just got my pool delivered today and am so excited, but nervous too!! Hope I have a great birthing experience that I can update you on!!

Is your pool an inflatable one? Can I suggest that if it is you get it blown up sooner rather than later if you're at 37 weeks or more, just to check that it is all air and water tight. Even if you don't fill it (we never put any water in ours until it was filled for the birth itself), it will mean you have time to get it replaced if there are any problems. That and the fact that my LO arrived at 38 weeks - we got ours at about 37 weeks, inflated it at about 37+4 to check it, left it up for a few days for the parents/in-laws to see it, and it never got taken down as labour started for me at 37+6! I have some fantastic pics of me/me and OH/MIL in the pool before it was filled It was worth it just for the giggle!
Oh, and don't be nervous - a home birth is the best thing in the world. I can't see where you're from at the mo (stupid browser), but if you're in the UK it means that you can put your LOs place of birth as your home address. Silly little things, I know, but I love that when my LO is older and asks, as kids do, where was I born, I can show her exactly where.

 

[Daisydog]

Fantastic that you are going down the home water birth route. We planned for that but weren't able to go through with it all unfortunately. Totally agree with the suggestion to do a test inflation, worth knowing how long it takes. Also figure in that it takes ages and ages to fill it up!

Depending on the size of your house I'd also have a think about how you want to be active during your labour. We had our pool in the livingroom and it was so big I could barely walk around which was limiting. If I could do it again I'd have shifted more furniture in advance. Hope you have an amazing experience!

 

[Bubsta]

This is such a personal choice. I can only give you thoughts from what I would do... This isn't me telling you what I think YOU SHOULD do. X
For me personally, due to having an emcs with my DD, 'I' wouldnt Have a home birth. I was so relieved to be at the hospital so when my LO was in distress, they could get her out quickly. Having said that, I haven't educated myself on the whole home birth process. There may be steps in place to have this sort of issue quickly resolved. So long as you do your homework and there are contingency steps in place for emergencies then you should do what you think you will be most comfortable in doing. Good luck. X

 

[enceinte2012]

I'm planning a homebirth too. Not sure about the pool, I think I'll be comfier just pottering about. Like you I'm a bit nervous (first baby), but I'm literally 2 minutes from the hospital if something goes wrong. I still think the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. I'm 35 weeks tomorrow so not long to go!

 

[Blah11]

I attempted a waterbirth but after my poor mum and oh filling it up i was only in it for 20 mins or so and hated it. I got out as I wanted to push so that was maybe why as i was in transition when i got in.

I lovvvvvvvvvvvvvvved my homebirth though - no negatives at all.

 

[GingerPanda]

I think I want to do a waterbirth, but the state of Kentucky made it illegal for midwives to practice because you have to have a license, but they stopped issuing those licenses in the 70's.

The closest birthing center (that has amazing reviews) is like... two hours away in Ohio.

My OB is only affiliated with one hospital- a white-sheet, high-tech, cesarean-pushing, catholic one about fifteen minutes from my house.

 

[NaturalMomma]

I think they're great. I tried for one with ds2, but ended up standing in my living room instead. I'm trying again this time around, but know that my body may decide on something else.

 

[Guppy051708]

My home water birth was a million times better than my hospital birth.
Im hoping for another this time too.

 

[Amygdala]

Thanks for all your replies! In the end, I've come to the conclusion that a huge pool in our tiny house and having to fill it with our very old, very slow, very small boiler would irritate me more than staying at home would relax me. So hospital it is again where I'll hopefully have access to a nice large, easily filled birthing pool like last time and where I don't have to worry about the clean up either. I still like the idea of a home birth but hospital just seems more convenient in the end.

 

[xsadiex]

My first was born at home and I used a pool during contractions, it was a wonderful experience! I can't wait to do I again with number 2

 

[sue_88]

I'm planning a home water birth & very excited. Transfer would be 20mins by ambulance if needed.

I'm really looking forward to her being born in my house

 

[Kess]

I had a home water birth. There's a link in my signature to my birth story. It was fab, a million miles better than it would have been in hospital. My living room is tiny but we managed. And my MW was using kettles near the end to keep the temperature perfect, so our boiler wasn't relevant. Somebody was, anyway, I was in labourland and not really aware of much outside of me and DH - my Mom, Dad and sister were all there too so it could've been any of them.