homebirth vs. hospital birth

[Debz82]

hi ladies,

i know this might not be the right place to post this but was just wondering what your preference was when you do finally get pg, would you prefer to be at home or in a hospital and what your reasons are for this.... or those of you who have already had children what are your experiences

 

[helenbun2005]

i had a very straightforward hopitsl natural delivery. Now i know what im doing i wouldnt panic if i had a baby at home, but i wouldnt plan it, anything can go wrong, and all the women i know who planned a home birth were rushed to hospital with complications...i'd rather be where the drugs and docs are!

 

[Mrs Poppy]

I think for my first I would rather be in hospital just in case

 

[buttonnose82]

myself & DP have talked about this. I want home births but we feel for baby number 1 we will have a hospital birth as I don't know how i will cope with labour and birth having never experienced it before.

providing baby number 1 goes on uneventfully then following babys will hopefully be born at home

 

[morri]

I prefer Hospital too.

 

[booflebump]

I will be having a home birth for my first if my pregnancy is low risk. I did my training in the maternity hospital I would have to deliver at, and would much rather be in my own enviroment, with total control over what was happening than be there x

 

[Debz82]

thanx for the replies, i've always wanted to have a home birth but like u say for ur first i think it wud b better to be in the hospital, i think i'm just scared of hospitals lol but i guess there are both positives and negatives for both, my oh wud prefer it if we had r first in a hospital, still unsure tho

 

[Samantha675]

I planned a homebirth for my son, but it didn't work out. I will be planning a homebirth for #2 as well. I am even more determined this time.

 

[wannabubba#4]

I done a 'domino' bith plan at my hospital - go in, have baby and go home within 4 -6 hours ( as long as no complications). Midwifery led unit too, which I preferred. This was third LO though and only about an hour n half labour and just got to hospital with mins to spare b4 LO made an appearance, so could've inadvertantly been a home birth lol.

I've had two uneventful deliveries ( 1st one was a lot longer and a bit more difficult) but still like the idea of having medical equipment on hand if neccessary; and plenty of gas n air (entenox).

 

[lozzy21]

Im having a home birth. I hate the idea of hospitals.

As long as you are having a low risk pregnancy home births are just as safe as hospitals.
Even if you are then transfered to hospital statisticly you have a lower chance of needed assisted delivery or other interventions.

I need to be comfortable in my souroundings and to be able to do what i want to do when i want to do it.

 

[smartiepants]

I don't fancy the idea of doing it at home, just think I'd feel more secure at hospital. However, I am pretty strong willed and would like to do things my own way and go home asap. I hate hospitals and don't like the idea of people turning up to visit either.

 

[ricschick]

id choose hospital everytime! i just like the idea of the docs being around just incase! i have to go into hospital anyway i dont have a choice i have group b strep so i have to have antibiotics straight away so any sign of labour i have to go straight in. x

 

[goddess25]

I wanted a home birth but i figured with the 1st I would go to the hospital just incase, it was a low risk pregnancy, but I am glad I did had to go to the OR and was prepped for C section as LO was stuck, thankfully they managed to get him out with forceps. I am planning a home birth for #2.

 

[elmaxie]

I had to have a hospital birth for no1 due to gestational diabetes.

But to very honest I dont think I would ever want a home birth.

So much can go so wrong so quickly and that really scares me. I wouldnt want to be at home knowing baby was in distress and have to wait for ambulance to take me to hospital then get tests or examined etc etc those 10 mins or whatever it can take could mean life or death for mum and baby....god I sound dramatic! I work in operating theatres so have seen ladies literally crash into theatre and baby be out within 2 mins and it scares me that being at home that obviously cant happen.

That said you hear so many lovely great stories of home births...

But for me it will be hospital births everytime (not just because I will get gestational diabetes with all my pregnancies). Just the only things I would change would be to leave it as late as I can to go to hospital as it was hell labouring in a small hot stuffy office for 6 hours until I got moved to labour ward....and I wont be taking an epidural (like I was advised to do due to the higher risk of me needing interventions like ventouse/forceps/section) as it wore off every 1/2 hour and wore off before I started to push so just give me gas and air and a bit of anaesthetic in my bottom and that will be me next time. If I need it I can get an epidural or GA for section.

Emma.xx

 

[Debz82]

Thanx for all ur replies, i think its a very interestin to hear all ur views on it, does ne1 kno how long u av to stay in hospital for after ur birth thats assuming everthing went fine and mother and baby are ok?? i guess it depends on the hospital rite?

 

[kintenda]

My ma is a midwife so I think I wouldn't panic either way - she's brill and she has already hand picked a team for me! Haha! Apparently there's some she wouldn't trust to 'carve sunday roast'... never mind doing intimate stitches!!
As we live in rented accommodation, I know this sounds ridiculous but I think I would poop myself regarding any mess on the carpets if we had a homebirth I quite fancy using the local midwifery led birthing pool centre. Failing that, most likely hospital. x

 

[lola84]

I would prefer a home birth but I think DF would be happier if we went to the hospital for the first (would make him feel calmer and then he'd know what to expect for any future home births)

 

[lozzy21]

Thanx for all ur replies, i think its a very interestin to hear all ur views on it, does ne1 kno how long u av to stay in hospital for after ur birth thats assuming everthing went fine and mother and baby are ok?? i guess it depends on the hospital rite?

6 hours minimun but if you have baby late at night they will make you stay over night, one of the reasons i want a home birth!! I cant sleep away from OH on a night.

 

[Debz82]

thanx lozzy i dont like the idea of stayin in overnite eitha

 

[morri]

well what do you do if your OH's on a business trip?