UK Moms - Home Birth Question

[Morgan85]

Ladies,
I live in the U.S. where there is the general idea of when you have a baby, you need to have it at the hospital. Now, I want to have a mid-wife and a natural/water birth at a birth center (my insurance won't cover a home birth) and when I tell people, they look at me like I'm crazy, lol. They also think I'm nuts for not wanting an epidural (I want a natural birth since I've read that it's healthier in the long run for the baby). Are home births more accepted in the UK? Does insurance cover them?

 

[Bournefree]

Hi!
We don't have universal private health insurance in the UK, we have a free at point of service, national health service (NHS)

All pregnant women regardless of presentation are booked with a midwife who provides all routine antenatal care and co-ordinates any other care or tests needed or will refer the mother to an Obst for assessment and joint care if necessary.

Home births in the USA are less than 1%, but here in the UK we are only slightly better - national average is 2.5% So we also don't meet many women who have had a home birth. However, the midwifery model of care means that there are 4 choices for women in the UK on where to have their babies and they will all be supported for free on the NHS; 1 - Home, 2 - Birth centre (this is a stand-alone centre run by MWs with no Drs PRESENT) 3- Midwifery lead unit (this is in the hospital with an Obstetric unit attached) or 4 - an Obstetric unit (Run by Drs but with Midwives present)

So whereas homebirths are supported and provided for they is a great variation in women's experiences of getting one from place to place - Some Individual MWs positively promote them, others seems to be obstructive and reluctant.. but there is a legal duty on all MW to provide un-bais support for informed choice of any of these 4 options.

So we home birthing mummies in the UK still do sometimes get the crazy looks! But mostly from "well meaning" strangers, and not our healthcare provides in the whole.

Xxx

 

[chuck]

In the Uk our healthcare is free (although you can choose to go private and pay A LOT but perhaps get better quality care in some respects).

We can choose to birth in a hospital, birthcentre or at home for free. We are routinely taken are of in pregnancy and labour by midwives, only if classes high risk or we need surgical interventions do we need an OB.

In fact it is our rgjtbylaw to birthwhere we choose and be attendedby a MW. although too many women do not understand this and do as they are told.

Although home births aren't the norm here they aren't regarded in quite an unusual light here I don't think. People tend to think of us as brave rather than super crazy in my experience anyway. There is a growing trend it seems to go down he hospital epi route as that's what is seen as safer and can be witnessed on TV and women are too scared of birth now as they're too vain to get a grip and get on with it!!

 

[madasa]

I don't know anyone else who had a HB. My sister has a friend who did it twice. BuT I have never met this person. But I know lots of people who want one.... now! I have that effect on people

A few people did give me looks and lines like: "you're nmad!" "you're brave!" "you're crazy!" "Oh, do be careful, won't you? You need to look after that little one too, you know...." (breathe, resist urge to SLAP this insenstive, ignorant beyatch!! Grrrr!) But on the whole, people were very positive about it. Especially my side of the family. Smiles and excitement all round!! They TRUSTED me to get my behind to hospy IF there was a problem - that went without saying!

 

[lozzy21]

Home births are still pritty rare in the UK but births with out epidurals are not. I dont think i know anyone in real life who had an epidural.

 

[Greta Chick]

In my city we have 3 options for birth. Main maternity unit with doctors for high risk women, led by midwives for low risk people; birth centre run solely by midwives, 5 minutes drive from main unit; home.

Most women here go to the main maternity unit, not many go to the birth centre (it's been threatened with permanent closure twice) and hardly anyone here has a homebirth.

I don't know anyone else apart from the childrens' centre leader who has had a homebirth. Apart from her, I got comments such as "I'd rather be where I know there are doctors there if I need them." and "I didn't want to put my baby's life at risk by going to the birth centre......Oh you want a HOMEBIRTH?!?! That's even worse!" and "It all sounds very nice and rose tinted but you just don't know what's going to happen during labour. What if something went wrong?!"

Not one person said wow, I'd love to do that, I'll consider it next time or anything like that. I got a few "was it planned?!" and "Wow, you're brave." but they were the only real positives. A few people said they'd loved to have done it "but wanted to make sure if something went wrong they were in the right place." (ie maternity unit ).

My DS and DD1 were both born at the midwife led birth centre and my DD2 was born at home. I flatly refused to go to the main maternity unit as I find it horrific and full of bad stories (most recently my friend). I did have to fight a little bit to get my homebirth from one of the midwives but it's tough. It's my body and my baby so I decide what happens to us.

xx