Please help me decide...

[Sam292]

I am having my first baby and really want a water birth. Since before I even got pregnant I wanted to have a drug free water birth and to do it all as naturally as possible. I was looking in to midwife centre's as I really don't want to have a hospital birth and the one near me has great reviews and I decided that would be a good place to be.

The problem is that they only have 2 delivery rooms and only one of these has a pool which may already be being used. I had also planned all along to stay at home until the last possible minute so I didn't have to wait around labouring in unfamiliar surroundings and this place is only 1 mile from where we will be living so we could get there quickly. But that also means I will have to be out of the pool the whole time I'm at home which I really don't want either. So the obvious option to guarantee a water birth is to buy a pool and do a home birth. If there were any complications I would need to transfer to the hospital from either place anyway so that does not make much difference.

The biggest worry I have with a home birth is my mum. She had a really bad labour with me and one of her favourite stories is to tell everyone how we both nearly died when she was having me. She also hemorrhaged badly with my youngest brother and since I got pg these are her most regular stories to tell me – lovely! I don't know if her labours will affect the way mine goes in any way and I know she has a tendency to over-exaggerate the facts but I just worry that the same will happen to me. If I tell her I'm doing a home birth I know she will say I'm endangering my baby and myself and I know its my decision but what if she is right? So, my question is, what would you do? Am I putting my baby in danger by doing this?

 

[summer rain]

Hi

if YOUR midwife doesn't think you're high risk; then you hopefully have nothing to worry about. Your mum haemorraging is not a risk factor in your notes; at least it isn't in this area. If you're low risk then statistically home birth is just as safe as hospital birth and in some aspects its safer; you aren't going to catch MRSA or any other superbug at home for example.

Soph x

 

[Sam292]

Thanks, that's what I was hoping! Think I'm going to have a chat with midwife about it at next appointment and we will probably go for it.

 

[summer rain]

Hi

Good luck

Soph x

 

[mrsmo7]

Hello

My first baby was a home/waterbirth and it was a really good experience! As first births tend to be longer (i think) the best and most comfortable place to be is at home!

As for your moms "horror" stories I don't know why as women we want to frighten each other but she probably thinks she is doing it for the best to warn you what could go wrong? BUT your moms experence of birth had no impact on your experience!! You are no more likely to haemorrage than anyone else and if this happened your midewives would deal with it!

Have you looked if there is a homebirth support group near you? these can be really usefull!

Good luck with getting the birth you want!

 

[Sam292]

Thank you , I know, everyone seems very intent on scaring me in to going in to hospital with their not so nice birth stories but im sure i will be more likely to have a hard time if im not relaxed or comfortable. I have been looking in to it and apparently in my area it is quite encouraged and there is a support group that Im looking at joining so I'm sure they will be reassuring to talk to. I think where its just not the norm, people assume its more dangerous but that doesn't seem to be the case. My husband is being really supportive of the idea and I think he will be a great birthing partner and it makes me excited rather than scared that I could give birth at home in a place I am happy.