homebirthing UK any advice?

[mummabear09]

Hi ladies

This will be my third child my other two were born naturally my eldest at 40 weeks 2 days in the hospital and my second at 38 weeks exactly in the hospital via water birth. So this time I'm looking to do things differently I really would love a home water birth as I found the water birth to be easier, and I'd prefer to give birth in the comfort of my own home. I have the space I'm just wondering if any other mums that live in the UK have done this I've seen a few websites and YouTube videos but all of them are american. Can anybody shed a bit of light on the subject

Thank you xxx

 

[solitaire89]

I had a homebirth in the UK with my first I just let my mw know at my very first appointment that I didn't want to rule out anything when it came to birth, especially a homebirth and she wrote it on my notes immediately that I was planning a homebirth!

There are also lots of other UK ladies on this section who have had or are planning a homebirth, so you're not alone at all. What specific queries do you have? Maybe we can answer them for you.

 

[MindUtopia]

You can read my birth story in my signature below to get an idea of how mine went. I had my first at home at 37 + 5 (we had only just got all our home birth supplies 2 days before so she really caught us off guard!). It was great and seemed so easy compared to all my friends who've had hospital births. I'll definitely be planning a home birth next time as well, assuming all goes well in my pregnancy. I used a TENS machine and natal hypnotherapy to manage pain, which worked great. I was through transition and starting to push before I even realized my labour was that far along. I had planned to birth in the pool in my lounge, but I didn't even get in until I was already starting to push. It actually slowed things down (well, more likely the midwives, who arrived just before, and their overzealous monitoring slowed things down), so I ended up getting up and walking around my upstairs between pushes. My daughter was born in our bedroom on dry land. The Home Birthers and Hopefuls Website (and FB page) has lots of info on it, so definitely check those out, including a list of supplies you might need (which isn't much). I'd say definitely do it if it feels right for you. As for what it's like here in the UK, it's pretty much the same as in the U.S. (except free and I think you generally get more support), so watch all the birth videos you want. Birth is birth wherever it happens, I think.

 

[MandaAnda]

There's this thread here: https://babyandbump.momtastic.com/home-natural-birthing/255340-home-birthers-hopefuls.html and I'd say UK mamas are the majority, although there is a good balance from elsewhere. There's also a brilliant fb page of the same name that's super active.

 

[booflebump]

A must read is this website https://homebirthersandhopefuls.com/

 

[summer rain]

I am in the UK and had a homebirth in the past and am being referred to have one this time. In this area they really push homebirth for low risk pregnancies-I haven't moved but they have shifted around the borders of the NHS trusts and the one I am under now are very pro giving birth at home. They have a dedicated home birth team of midwives and they come to your home for the last few ante natal appointments (and in this area otherwise you never ever have ante natal appointments at home), come to your home for the birth and then for any post natal appointments. Because I had a bit of a mediocre home birth experience with my second youngest I'm a bit lukewarm on the whole idea still but the community midwife told me in this area it's totally different because it is a specialist team and not just community midwives who may or may not be pro-home birth and they are already stretched so thinly as they have to provide so many other services as well. The main difference between home birth in the US and the UK is you get gas and air here but it's not legal in the US. In some areas you can also have pethidine at a home birth but some midwives will refuse to administer it as it does carry a risk of the baby needing an antidote or resuss if they are born too soon after the injection is given. I believe in England it has to be prescribed by a doctor beforehand also xx

 

[Rebaby]

I spent a lot of time in this part of the forum when planning my homebirth with our second baby, and on the www.homebirth.org.uk site just reading about other people's experiences and looking for practical tips/ideas.

Is there anything in particular you wanted to ask about?

I had a hospital birth first time, and (lovely!) homebirth second time, I was in latent labour for a long time but things progressed very quickly towards the end so although I did plan a home water birth and the pool was filled and ready *just* in time I didn't actually make it in there as his head was crowning so there was no way I was up for moving anywhere!

I would definitely plan for a homebirth for any subsequent babies.

HTH

 

[MandaAnda]

Wow, what team are you with, summer rain? I was very disappointed to find out that they don't visit at home at all where I am, just to deliver any kit, I imagine. In a nearby area, with my last pregnancy, they did from around 36 weeks throughout the postnatal period. I'm hoping it works out to where I don't ring them until the last minutes anyway.

 

[summer rain]

In my old area they used to only come over to deliver some of the homebirth kit all other appointments had to be with the GP surgery (the midwives had their own room there). I did want to get an independent mw this time as some of the best ones in the country are based not far from here but alas we just didn't have the financial means for it xx

 

[MandaAnda]

I want an IM, but my hubby can't get his head round the cost. That aside, I'm due after the government seems determined to make it unavailable.