So after many ups and downs throughout the pregnancy, we finally got the home birth that we were hoping for!
Almost didn't get the home birth that we wanted as I had a +GBS test around 16 weeks - but after a course of antibiotics I had several -GBS tests which meant that home birth was once again an option (which it wouldn't have been if out had stayed +).
I suffered from severe anaemia in my pregnancy and at one point my hb level had dropped to 8.5, I found it impossible to take iron tablets as they all made me really sick. I had an iron infusion around 32 weeks which raised my hb levels to 10.5 (huge improvement). I had been under the care of a consultant due to Scoliosis and PCOS however my nice consultant who initially agreed to home birth had a stand in who REFUSED to sign my home birth off, due to my previous anaemia,even though my levels were then at 10.5. I was told that it was not my choice to have a home birth, that it was not an option for me and that I had no say in the matter as if I haemorrhaged, it would be a lot worse for me.
I challenged this as I had read that you're less likely to bleed more at home as you're more relaxed and less likely to need intervention (the stand in consultant said that this was rubbish, even though later on, several midwives confirmed that this was actually true!) So basically I was at 36-37 weeks and had been bullied into believing that I had no choice in the matter and was heartbroken about the whole thing as I didn't want to stay over night in hospital again, didn't want to go into hospital again and wanted a totally different birth experience.
So I posted on here and someone recommended for me to call the Supervisor of Midwives, which I did. So glad I followed that advice! The supervisor of midwives told me that the stand in consultant had no right telling me that I didn't have a say in having a home birth and that ultimately, at the end of the day, it was my own choice (the consultant had flatly refused to sign off my home birth or arrange home risk assessment even though I offered to sign something saying that I acknowledge all risks etc). The SOM also told me that 10.5 is barely anaemic and that the stand in consultant was out of order, and that she was going to speak to my actual consultant and put a complaint in as I was treated so badly.
Finally got my home risk assessment done, ordered the birth pool, and got everything ready!
My son was born at 39+2, so everyone expected that this baby would be born early too - however she made us wait until 40+5 (our sons second birthday!) before making her big appearance.
At 4am on my sons second birthday (the one day we didn't want her to come
) my contractions started. They started at 10-20-10-20 minutes apart however by 9.30am they were about 5 minutes apart. As it was the middle of the day, we made arrangements for our son to be collected. My Nan came over to pick him up but as soon as she left, my contractions stopped and didn't start again. By 4pm, we were convinced that it had been a false alarm and OH went to collect our son. By 6pm he was home and my contractions started properly again at around 10 minutes apart! I guess I was worrying about DS and his birthday so I subconsciously stopped my contractions.
I felt so guilty about missing most of my sons birthday so between contractions we set up his birthday present of a train set, lit his birthday cake and ordered in pizza (which I later sorely regretted!).
I rang the MW at 7.30 and told her that the contractions were about 4-5 mins apart and 30 secs long. She said to get in the bath and she was going to call back in 1 hour.
Whilst I was in the bath sitting through contraptions, OH and DS were in the next room watching Tangled - it was a bit of an odd experience to be honest.
When my MW called back, the contractions were 45-65 seconds long and still around 4 minutes apart.
MW arrived at around 9pm, by which time I was in the birth pool with relaxation music on, aromatherapy diffuser on etc. She did a set of Obs and said that I was around 5cm.
The birth pool was great for the first stage of labour but an hour and a half later, I was still at 5cm despite the contractions getting more and more intense and painful and getting longer and closer together.
By this time, the second midwife and her student arrived (it was the first delivery and therefore also first home birth that she experienced!)
My ketones were low so OH had to keep shovelling me full of chocolate (I wasn't complaining).
By 10.35pm nothing else had progressed so we made the decision to break my waters and get things going a bit more - my contractions were trying to break my waters and the membranes were bulging but they just weren't going on their own.
Midwives also noticed that I tended to get stronger contractions out of the pool and I was too relaxed in the pool and it was slowing my labour down a bit.
After my waters were broken, I stayed out of the pool and was on all fours with my head on the side of the sofa.
It was pretty intense as I went from 5cm to fully dilated in 25 minutes. The contractions were soooo painful, more than they were with my son and although I had initially requested for no pain relief, I took G&A when it was offered and had it throughout the last 2 minutes of contractions (after yelling "I can't do this" during transition) and the pushing part.
25 minutes after my waters were broken I was fully dilated and needed to push, which was a shock to pretty much all of us. I remember the midwives jumping up and madly getting everything ready for the actual birth.
After 7 minutes of pushing, DD came into the world on her brothers 2nd birthday, weighing 7lb and 4oz.
An hour or so later after the placenta was delivered, and no stitches needed - we were all cuddled up on the sofa!
It was the best birth experience that I could have wished for, being able to stay at home and go back to my own bed was amazing and OH said that he would definitely recommend the home birth to anyone as he felt a lot more involved in the actual birth (he was maintaining the water temp in the pool, fetching snacks and drinks, etc instead of standing around and feeling helpless like he did at the hospital when our son was born).
so happy
sorry for the ridiculously long post!
Almost didn't get the home birth that we wanted as I had a +GBS test around 16 weeks - but after a course of antibiotics I had several -GBS tests which meant that home birth was once again an option (which it wouldn't have been if out had stayed +).
I suffered from severe anaemia in my pregnancy and at one point my hb level had dropped to 8.5, I found it impossible to take iron tablets as they all made me really sick. I had an iron infusion around 32 weeks which raised my hb levels to 10.5 (huge improvement). I had been under the care of a consultant due to Scoliosis and PCOS however my nice consultant who initially agreed to home birth had a stand in who REFUSED to sign my home birth off, due to my previous anaemia,even though my levels were then at 10.5. I was told that it was not my choice to have a home birth, that it was not an option for me and that I had no say in the matter as if I haemorrhaged, it would be a lot worse for me.
I challenged this as I had read that you're less likely to bleed more at home as you're more relaxed and less likely to need intervention (the stand in consultant said that this was rubbish, even though later on, several midwives confirmed that this was actually true!) So basically I was at 36-37 weeks and had been bullied into believing that I had no choice in the matter and was heartbroken about the whole thing as I didn't want to stay over night in hospital again, didn't want to go into hospital again and wanted a totally different birth experience.
So I posted on here and someone recommended for me to call the Supervisor of Midwives, which I did. So glad I followed that advice! The supervisor of midwives told me that the stand in consultant had no right telling me that I didn't have a say in having a home birth and that ultimately, at the end of the day, it was my own choice (the consultant had flatly refused to sign off my home birth or arrange home risk assessment even though I offered to sign something saying that I acknowledge all risks etc). The SOM also told me that 10.5 is barely anaemic and that the stand in consultant was out of order, and that she was going to speak to my actual consultant and put a complaint in as I was treated so badly.
Finally got my home risk assessment done, ordered the birth pool, and got everything ready!
My son was born at 39+2, so everyone expected that this baby would be born early too - however she made us wait until 40+5 (our sons second birthday!) before making her big appearance.
At 4am on my sons second birthday (the one day we didn't want her to come
) my contractions started. They started at 10-20-10-20 minutes apart however by 9.30am they were about 5 minutes apart. As it was the middle of the day, we made arrangements for our son to be collected. My Nan came over to pick him up but as soon as she left, my contractions stopped and didn't start again. By 4pm, we were convinced that it had been a false alarm and OH went to collect our son. By 6pm he was home and my contractions started properly again at around 10 minutes apart! I guess I was worrying about DS and his birthday so I subconsciously stopped my contractions. I felt so guilty about missing most of my sons birthday so between contractions we set up his birthday present of a train set, lit his birthday cake and ordered in pizza (which I later sorely regretted!).
I rang the MW at 7.30 and told her that the contractions were about 4-5 mins apart and 30 secs long. She said to get in the bath and she was going to call back in 1 hour.
Whilst I was in the bath sitting through contraptions, OH and DS were in the next room watching Tangled - it was a bit of an odd experience to be honest.
When my MW called back, the contractions were 45-65 seconds long and still around 4 minutes apart.
MW arrived at around 9pm, by which time I was in the birth pool with relaxation music on, aromatherapy diffuser on etc. She did a set of Obs and said that I was around 5cm.
The birth pool was great for the first stage of labour but an hour and a half later, I was still at 5cm despite the contractions getting more and more intense and painful and getting longer and closer together.
By this time, the second midwife and her student arrived (it was the first delivery and therefore also first home birth that she experienced!)
My ketones were low so OH had to keep shovelling me full of chocolate (I wasn't complaining).
By 10.35pm nothing else had progressed so we made the decision to break my waters and get things going a bit more - my contractions were trying to break my waters and the membranes were bulging but they just weren't going on their own.
Midwives also noticed that I tended to get stronger contractions out of the pool and I was too relaxed in the pool and it was slowing my labour down a bit.
After my waters were broken, I stayed out of the pool and was on all fours with my head on the side of the sofa.
It was pretty intense as I went from 5cm to fully dilated in 25 minutes. The contractions were soooo painful, more than they were with my son and although I had initially requested for no pain relief, I took G&A when it was offered and had it throughout the last 2 minutes of contractions (after yelling "I can't do this" during transition) and the pushing part.
25 minutes after my waters were broken I was fully dilated and needed to push, which was a shock to pretty much all of us. I remember the midwives jumping up and madly getting everything ready for the actual birth.
After 7 minutes of pushing, DD came into the world on her brothers 2nd birthday, weighing 7lb and 4oz.
An hour or so later after the placenta was delivered, and no stitches needed - we were all cuddled up on the sofa!
It was the best birth experience that I could have wished for, being able to stay at home and go back to my own bed was amazing and OH said that he would definitely recommend the home birth to anyone as he felt a lot more involved in the actual birth (he was maintaining the water temp in the pool, fetching snacks and drinks, etc instead of standing around and feeling helpless like he did at the hospital when our son was born).
so happy
sorry for the ridiculously long post!
