My home birth experience was overall really positive. Only things I would change were that I wish I'd stuck to my guns about not having any VEs and not having a doula next time. The VE was by far the most (actually ONLY) painful thing about my labour. And it was completely unnecessary, except that I was so calm and relaxed that the midwives thought I wasn't even in established labour (when they checked I was fully dilated!). So it helped them, but did me no favours and I'd not consent to one again. I also wouldn't have a doula. Generally, I'm a big fan of doulas and I'd tell most people to have one, particularly if it's your first natural birth. But even two midwives was two people too many in the room, and my doula sucked and was mostly in the way and not very helpful. I'd rather be on my own (which I was for nearly all of my labour anyway because my doula went away on holiday to AFRICA, yes really, when she should have been on call for me and barely made it there in time!). But I was just much happier labouring alone with just my husband and things progressed much better then. I'll also probably hire an independent midwife next time, just because I want the extra postnatal support I didn't get this time around, though overall my NHS midwives were wonderful at my birth.
