Home birth - the pros and cons

i am just starting to prepare for a home birth-towels, plastic sheets ,aromatherapy oils xxl bean bag. i cant wait!. this is my third child and i am determined not to have my experience(cos lets face it thats what it is not a illness)spoilt by worrying about car parking expense, visiting hours, whether my kids are too noisy for the woman in the bed next to me,and trying not to step in blood from the person who went to the toilet before me(yes that did happen), and not only that how nice an idea to have your baby in the comfort of your own home then snuggle down in your own clean bed and relax. yes BRING IT ON ! i really cant wait i and i hope women out there arent being talked out of it by there doctors or midwives unless for genuine medical risk to the mother or baby.good luck everyone on forthcoming births and roll on july 4th!!

Hi Laura
Well done on the home birth decision! You will love it.
I had a home birth for my second baby and i will do the same for this one al being well. (Due early Jan 08)
I had to change consultants as my first one wouldnt even consider me having a home birth as i have kidney problems but my second one said as long as i was fit and healthy and promised to go into hospital if need be then she could see no reason why not! Of course i promised but i had nointentions of it unless the baby or I were in danger!
It was a lovely experience and one i would recommend to anyone who has had a problem free pregnancy.
I had a gym ball and bounced on it for hours, had my son at home until I was ready to give birth, (When my friend took him for a few hours), then he came back and was the first to see his baby brother!
I was relaxed, my midwife was fantastic, my husband felt involved and could do everything he wanted, pop kettle on, make sarnies, etc. He felt so left out first time round and kept getting shoved out of the way!
I had a cheap shower curtain to give birth on and hopped straight into a clean, familiar bed with my new baby. My husband cut the cord, dressed our son, and it was all about us.
No noise from other babies, hospital staff or anything and within 40 mins of the birth it was just us and our new arival.
We all snuggled up in a warm cosy bed and spent the night looking at our little miracle! And the next day our friends and family could come at our convenience to visit. Lovely!
I had no pain relief as i was so relaxed at home but everything was there on standby should i have needed it. I got a little scared at about 6pm (he was born at 9) but i think that was more the fact that I had had such a time of it before and was scared it would be the same...it was nothing like it!
My baby was well over due but he was perfect. Breastfed straight away. (My first was so traumatised by his hospital birth it took him 36 hours to feed!)
Well done Laura
Best of luck for July. Keep us posted as to how you get on xx

hiya philippa- thanx for replying to my thread, your labour sounded just what i want, when i was having my second baby i was sure i wanted an epidural as i did with my 1st, however when it got round to them sticking it in the woman was getting very annoyed as i has contractions every few seconds as he was already coming out,so in the end i felt everything as well as a needle in my back. this gave me the decision that if i know what it feels like and am still willing to have more children then gas and air will do me. one thing i did want to ask tho is u said your baby was overdue, i just wondered how overdue because i was told if i do go overdue then i wont be able to have a home birth, i was induced last time at 42 weeks. i do have big babies too 9lb at least. when i reach 36 weeks i will be doing eveything in my power to bring on labour just incase-long walks, curries, pineapple, old wives tales i dont care im doing them as well as more fun ones that include my husband lol.also u said about just having a shower curtain to deliver on, was this enough because i have just decorated my living room and have this image of my new laminate floor being ruined lol. only 8 weeks to go now and counting xxx

Good luck to both of you, hope you get the kind of labour you want. My first baby is due in Sept and, while I considered home birth, have decided to go to hospital. Sure in a lot of ways I would be more comfy at home, but the fact that we're a good half hour drive from hospital if there was a problem puts me off a bit.

Hope someone can help me! I am due at the end of August with my first baby so everything a bit new and unfamiliar...I called the midwife to arrange a homebirth - how naive, thought it was just a matter of letting them know what I'd decided. First thing she asked was why, sort of took me by surprise as I wasn't expecting to have to justify myself! Can anybody give me their experience of how to go about convincing the midwife that this is what I want? So far pregnancy has really suited me, no problems at all and only trips to hospital have been for booking and scans - want to keep it that way! Thanks in advance

Emma. Midwife was probably just surprised, although home birth is your choice its not one that the majority of women make. Dont feel like you have to convince her, or justify yourself. It will be your labour and, especially as youve had no problems so far, should be completely safe to give birth at home.
If when you speak to her again, she isnt more supportive you could always consider changing midwives.
Good luck
Em x

Hi Girls.
Ok first Laura. My second baby..the one I had at home was born on the 31st Jan and he had been due on the 7th! (43 wks)
I really had to stand my ground with this but for the week leading up to the birth I had scans and bloodpressure tests every other day. My treatment was second to none! And baby is now 3 years and 3.5 months! He is perfect in everyway and has always been so chilled out!
Re_ The hower curtain. I got one from wilkos for £4 and it was more than enough. there was no mess anywhere and everything was simply scooped up inside it and taken away. Easy!!!

Emma P Hello! LOL This is hilarious isnt it?
My hospital is about 20-25 mins away and it was really something to consider. We liveout in the country so we are quite away from anything. The week I had G it was snowing like the Dickens and we were worried the ambulance wouldnt get through if needs be but all was well and the midwife got to us ok. She was amazing!
I suppose it wasnt so bad for us asMy husband was a farmer for 17 years before his change od career and he joked that he would drag a bale of hay in and et the baby out himself. LOL I don;t think he was joking either so I was pleased kate to come to us!!!

Emma D Hiya.
My midwives were all for me having a home birht and were actually fighting over who came to me. they al gave me lists of their shifts in the end!
However my consultant wasn't so up for it so i changed her and off we went.
The decision is yours and you just need to say you would feel more comfy and relaxed at home. I was born at home which helped my make my decision as my Mam is fantastic and told me honestly what it was all about.
You will have a team of midwives so try talking to anyother one if you can and don't let them bully you! People think because it is your first baby you can rail roaded. Dont be put off. If it is what you want go for it.Good luck xx

Rationally, ive got no reason to think anything will go wrong as have had easy pregnancy so far. Theres just that niggling doubt, that I think would make me tense. We live in the country too (Exmoor), and although snow shouldnt be an issue in Sept, the distance from hospital did play a big part in my decision.

Well at the end of the day if you make a decision that you are not happy with it will spoil your labour so you need to do what you feel most comfortable with. And this is your first and I must say first time round i wouldnt have thought about it but then it wasnt offered to me either. I was only 22 back then and terrified of anything going wrong...which in the end it did so it was just as well i went to the hospital that time. Well it was a maternity wing actually and really nice. i felt comfortable there.
You can change your plans anytime. Go with your heart x

Hi all

thanks for the advice. Have had another chat with the midwife and we're all set - think I maybe just took her by surprise the other day. This time round she was very supportive indeed!

Fantastic. Well done!!!
Wilko's sell cheep but strong shower curtains for £4 if you can find them. get ya sel one of them and a cheep gym ball.
Thats about all you'll need. You can get a script for pethadine from the doc and you get the gas and air stuff just before your due. After if you don't need them just send them back to the hospital.
Just go with the flow and remember you can change your mind at anytime. this is your baby and your body. Use your instincts xxx

well done emma im really pleased for you, been busy today with the millions of baby clothes and started getting a little corner of bits n bobs readyfor labour, im allergic to pethadine but will look forward to the gas and air,anybody experienced a tens machine??? just been discussing home birth with my friend who was cooking a lasagna, went into labour,midwife came round, had a beautiful baby boy then felt peckish so had her lasagna-how fantastic! my last 2 babies went overdue so does anybody know any sure fire ways to get him out on time other than the usuals. im loving this thread as i feel like the only pregnant woman in my village !thanx guys u make me feel normal!

Snap. I have spent more time on here this week than anywhere else LOL You guys are all so nice and supportive. Feel like I have got a load of new friends. I havent told anyone I am expecting yet so it is nice to have you lot xx

well u will have to keep us posted on every stage and i will do the same, ive got a appointment with the doctor to discuss pain relief next week and theres a chance i might not ba aloud a home birth because im over weight,however midwife is still supportive of a home birth as she says my blood pressure and glucose test all came back fine so fingers crossed- mind u like we've all discussed its my decision and unless they said there will be medical risks im sure i will have him at home-we,ve already named him dawson- cant wait he will be my 3rd and there all boys! isnt it gonna be fun !

Dawson is a lovely name. I have used my boys names on my two sons so will hve to think up some more but I like Gabriel and Robson. I would like to think we might get a girl this time. The last five babys in our family have been boys and my Gran is desperate for a great granddaughter. Think she will have to look to my cousin (who just got married 8 weeks ago) as I think i am prone to boys and I doubt my sister will have anymore. I don't mind. I adore my boys. You sound so excited. Its ace isnt it? I think I am getting carried away. I have months to go yet and already I am looking at replacement covers formy car seats, mat clothes and dopplers!!!!

Hi All - loved reading your messages, especting first baby on 27th July and planning to have a home birth with no drugs (midwives have already told me they only do gas&air for home birth anyway!) - grateful for any advice on alternative therapy stuff - been looking into Natal Hypnotherapy and starting to feel really confident that I'll get the birth I want - still having the odd wobble though! Hospitals stress me out and make me feel ill even when I'm perfectly well so I think a home birth is way forward :-)

Hi Jennie
Congratulations!!! Reflex is great uring pregnancy as is Reiki. You can train in reiki yourself (like me) Then give yourself and the baby treatments whenever you like. I don't know anything about natal hypnotherapy but I am studying past life regression and hypnotherapy at the mo. It is amazing what you can do with it so look into it and give us the low down!
I think any therapy that relaxes you and supports your bodys natural system is best for mum and baby. I am going for acupunture on Monday..my first go at this. Apparently it will help with the sickness, support my immune system (I have IGA Neuthropathy/Auto immune disease affecting my kidneys) and help to reduce the chance of'crashing' after the birth. As this is baby number three I think I will need all the help I can get LOL

Hi Philippa - Thanks for your response - I had totally forgotten about Reiki - I had that done a few years ago and loved it - will def look into it before the birth. Natal Hypnotherapy is great, type it into google and go to their website, they sell self hypnosis CD's for labour etc - they even do one for overcoming morning sickness - I was sick right up until about week 23-24 so I'm gutted I didn't discover that website sooner! They also do lots of aromatherapy stuff etc - have a look. So, you are on number 3! You must be an espert at this childbirthing business by now! ha ha

oh p.s Philippa - really good to read about the birth of your sencond baby at home - sounds like you had a perfect birth just like the type of one I want!

oh wow i havent really though about things like that, i guess now is the time to start looking with 7ish weeks to go. had a bit of a scare last night- was having the usual braxton hicks and they started to get a rather a bit uncomfortable. so i sent the hubby to the shop for some strong painkillers and told him to read the label first to check i could take them, he brought back nurofen which i have taken in pregnancies before, however after taking them in bed i decided i would just have a read of the paper and saw in bold letters do not take in the last 3 months of pregnancy- so ive been up all night worried and only just been reassured by my midwife who says not to worry cos i only took two- now she has decided to come round today to give me my anti d injection which i wasnt due until next week- why did i have to open my trap lol i hate needles!let me know philippa how that acupuncture goes your far braver than me!