my heart was set on homebirth nut i dont know if i can :(

[jasminejo24]

hi ladies just wanted an opinion on my homebirth vs hospital choice

i have read a lot about homebirth and it sounds wonderfull and i was seriously considering it but im not sure if its a good idea here are my reasons for concern

1. my flat is tiny and there is no room to fit midwives with equipment + birthing pool + me + bf and i have to get down 2 flights of stairs to get out in emergency

2. i hate this neighbourhood and we are trying to move, quite a lot of the people who live round here scare me im scared in fact that they will rob the flat if i leave in a hurry to go to hospital because we have been robbed before

3. my downstairs neighbour plays loud thumpy music any time he wants even 5am and nothing short of the police will get him to turn it off and the police round here wont come out to tell someone to turn music down even if its on at 5am also when he leaves to go out instead of peace and quiet we get his dog barking and howling every few secconds till he comes back

my point is is it worth trying to give birth in this environment or would it be better to just go to hospital. my hospital has seperate rooms with en suites and birthing balls, gas and air, etc and 4 available birthing pools. almost exclusively midwife staffed too.

i think if we can move before i give birth then as long as we find somewhere nice then homebirth is def what id go for but i just cant think that in this situation that homebirth would be less stressfull and more relaxing any ideas or advice on what you would do in this situation?

 

[NuKe]

if I was in that situation, I think I'd go for a hospital birth tbh!

 

[stardust599]

Is there a birthing centre near you rather than an actual hospital? I would still take the hospital though.

The point of the homebirth is that you are relaxed, comfortable, happy, safe etc. in your own environment. It actually sounds like you may have more chance of achieving those things in hospital.

I am going for a natural birth in hospital this time. Because a home birth doesn't appeal to me as I live in a small flat, I have noisy neighbours in/out all day so it's not relaxing at all and also because there is a long transfer (30mins) to the nearest hospital. I just wouldn't be able to relax enough to give birth and would feel more comfortable in the hospital. And also because I would like the extra support afterwards - cleaning done for me, cooked meals, on call support with breastfeeding, limited visitors etc. Like yours, the hospital near me is lovely - it has clean seperate rooms with ensuite, birthing balls, a pool etc. Although my actual labour wasn't nice and some wrong decisions were made I do feel that I had a lovely postnatal time afterwards in the rooms and it's one of the things I most look forward to (aside from missing my LO!) x

 

[madasa]

Are there any birth centres in your area? If not and you really feel you wouldn't be happy at home or in hospital, do you have a relative or friend you would feel happy going to to birth?

There is really nothing stopping you booking a homebirth and still turning up at the hospital if you dont feel comfy in your own home when labour starts.

The midwives will probably have someone do a home visit and talk to you about your home situation, the space they need, the stairs issue etc. You don't HAVE to have a pool to birth at home.... But some of the pools really are quite compact! I have La Bassine and it took up hardly any room at all. Or there is your bath tub?

What kind of support do you have?

 

[jasminejo24]

i live in worcestershire i have a mw but the closest birthing center is bridgnorth when i mentioned it my mw just kinda dismissed it like she didnt think it existed and i looked it up online and wasnt impressed with the facilities tbh
my bath is rubbish cant get comfy in it when im not pregnant let allone in labour
the only other places i could birth would be my mom and dads or my mil's however i couldnt birth with anyone but my oh there so it would mean throwing them out of there homes and there is a lodger at mil's.

i think unless i move before i give birth its hospital all the way but i suppose im lucky that ive been told so far im having no probs and they are happy for me to just be seen by a mw for the whole labour and delivery and that 1 of the 4 birth pools will be booked for me when i first ring