Worried about the birth after last time.

[anita665]

We live about 45 mins from the hospital. I guess an hour really by the time you've got ready to leave the house.

With my last birth I was too late and gave birth at home. First contractions to baby was 1 hour & 40 mins. It would have been enough time to make it but everyone says you'll be ages and for the first few contractions I didn't even want to tell anyone in case it wasn't actually labour.

The contractions were strong and close together from the start and we went to the car after about an hour. I sat down and felt pressure so we just called an ambulance.

Luckily the birth was very easy and there were no complications.

I would really prefer to give birth in hospital though. I'm so scared of anything going wrong and if it does, being so far from help.

My midwife said to plan for a homebirth but I really don't know what to do. I've heard each birth often becomes quicker. My first was about 3 hours so the second was certainly faster than that.

 

[Betheney]

My mums labours all last 40mins to an hour from first contraction to baby being born. She had a great deal of anxiety over the labour and all you can do is have absolutely everything ready and dive in the car with the first contraction, that's what she did. She made it to the hospitals with all but just about one birth i beleive, i think my brother Owen was crowning on the front driveway of the hospital and they had to run out and grab her. lol

 

[amerikiwi]

Hello fellow unplanned homebirther! Your story sounds very similar to my second birth. Figured it would be ages (my first was 18 hours) but it progressed so quickly that my son was delivered by my MIL and DH at home after a 45 minute labour.

The advice given to me by my midwife following his birth is that I'd have several options if I have a third down the road. I can either plan a homebirth, be induced early, or check into hospital (at cost) early and wait.

 

[anita665]

Hello fellow unplanned homebirther! Your story sounds very similar to my second birth. Figured it would be ages (my first was 18 hours) but it progressed so quickly that my son was delivered by my MIL and DH at home after a 45 minute labour.

The advice given to me by my midwife following his birth is that I'd have several options if I have a third down the road. I can either plan a homebirth, be induced early, or check into hospital (at cost) early and wait.

Hmm, none of those choices are really ideal. Waiting in hospital would be terrible when you have children at home!

How long did you have to wait for anyone medical to turn up after your birth?

 

[solitaire89]

Just to let you know I've just replied to your other thread:

https://babyandbump.momtastic.com/home-natural-birthing/1055543-anyone-else-planning-home-birth-they-live-far-hospital.html#post18911515

 

[amerikiwi]

Hello fellow unplanned homebirther! Your story sounds very similar to my second birth. Figured it would be ages (my first was 18 hours) but it progressed so quickly that my son was delivered by my MIL and DH at home after a 45 minute labour.

The advice given to me by my midwife following his birth is that I'd have several options if I have a third down the road. I can either plan a homebirth, be induced early, or check into hospital (at cost) early and wait.

Hmm, none of those choices are really ideal. Waiting in hospital would be terrible when you have children at home!

How long did you have to wait for anyone medical to turn up after your birth?

No, I personally couldn't imagine checking into hospital early and waiting. Of those options, I'd prefer the homebirth. If you're really keen on hospital vs. home though, are there any hotels/holiday home/short term apartments close to hospital that you can look at checking into? It'd probably be way cheaper and a lot more comfortable than checking into hospital and waiting.

Two ambulances arrived about 10-15 minutes after the birth. My MIL was just getting ready to put the jug on for a tea-lol. They took myself and bubz to hospital for a quick checkover and my DD still refers to ambulances as "Jayden's car" now.

 

[anita665]

Two ambulances! Treated like royalty. I just got the one. Luckily I got away with not having to go to hospital though.

 

[amerikiwi]

Yeah-I got the royal treatment. I think they dispatched the second ambo when word was sent that DS had arrived but wasn't breathing at first. (MIL hung him upside down and slapped him on the bottom to get the first scream-he was nice and pink by the time the ambos arrived). I even got to choose which ambo to ride to hospital in.

Nice you didn't have to go into hospital afterwards. Did the ambos have all the equipment to cut cord, weigh the baby, etc. all at home? A midwife arrived at the same time as the ambos and kept apologizing for making me go in--something about not being licensed for homebirths.

Have you reached any conclusion on scheduling a homebirth or not?