home birth verses hospital?

[ludoscotts]

hi my second baby is due in 6 weeks and my midwife this morning was trying to persuade me towards a home birth.

My first birth was very quick, Less than 3 hours from first pain to birth. Only just got to the hospital in time.

My midwife thinks that as the first was so quick there may not be time to get to hospital so is suggesting a planned home birth with the option of moving to hosp if it dosent happen as quickly and I freak out.

has anyone had a hospital and home birth that can offer some advice on the pro's and con's of both?

thanks leanne

[buggie]

I had a hospital birth (was always inclined towards it and gestational diabetes meant it was then required), but, I laboured at home (with support over the phone/once she arrived from my oakwood midwife) and only arrived at hospital 1/2hr before my daughter arrived.

None of us expected it to happen that quickly (not even the midwife!) but my husband and I both agreed that having had the majority of my labour at home (and a straightforward delivery with only gas & air/TENS machine once in hospital) we would be far more tempted to have a home birth if/when we have No. 2 as it didn't seem as daunting as I thought it would (and think hubbie would be worried the birth could happen quicker/in the car!

Best of luck x

[littleEDfamily]

I've had one at Kings and one at home. Both good births, relatively speaking.

For the first - PROS - it wasn't so terrible, one good midwife, got a nice pool to float around in (for free) CONS - hated the post natal ward, didn't know my midwives and really didn't like the second one I had, the trip to the hospital was excruciating, felt a bit like a 'number', blood splats in shared toilet on post natal ward and noisy room mates freaked me out.

For the second (at home) - PROS - felt much more in control of things, didn't have to worry about transferring to hospital at the right time (ie not so early they send you home, not so late you want to kill yourself in the car), had great care all the way through preg and knew one of the midwives who delivered (the others I knew by name as had been prepped for who would be there if my main one was not available), got to have tea and toast straight afterwards and my husband didn't get sent home. CONS - none!

[Sanne Panne]

Had two homebirths but am all for hospital births too, mine were at home because labour was too fast to get to hospital with the first and then, with the second, we didn't even bother planning on going to hospital. With your first born as fast as he/she was it may be more stressful trying to get to hospital than just doing it at home. If all is looking well now (no breech position, no blood pressure issues etc) and your first birth went well you're probably better off at home... UNLESS you find the idea scary. In that case you should just go for a hospital birth and go in at the very first sign of labour. Don't make anyone push you into a homebirth if you don't want one. It's great but if you're not comfortable with the idea it's overrated and not worth it!

[littleEDfamily]

Oh, one CON for homebirth. Looked like a B-grade horror movie afterwards (blood and gore). A bit freaked out about that being in my living room. Lovely midwives do clean up, bless them. BUT BEWARE - 'used' towels should be washed in cool water, or they will go green. Quite foul really.

[The Nappy Lady]

Leanne,

I've had 2 home births so no knowledge of hospital births, but if your first was only 3 hours I'd certainly agree with your midwife and recommend thinking about a home birth. My first labour was 5.5 hours, my second 1.5 hours (both of these timings are from established labour - i.e. contractions 5 minutes apart and making me actually stop whatever I was doing to breath through them).

Both births were amazing, positive experiences where I felt completely in control. Didn't use (or feel the need for) any pain relief, even gas and air...very lucky I know. Had a birth pool for my second and it was wonderful - we did wonder whether we'd get it set up in time, in the end my hubby took a gamble and as it turned out the timing was just perfect - phew.

You are very welcome to PM me if you have any questions, but I appreciate my views are very one sided and not quite what you are after.

Personally I'd say it would be better to be mentally, physically and logistically prepared for a home birth on the basis that it may happen anyway if things go quickly, then if you do end up in hospital it doesn't really matter, but at least things at home will all be in place should they be needed.

Good luck whatever happens....keep us posted!

[The Nappy Lady]

littleEDfamily Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Oh, one CON for homebirth. Looked like a B-grade

> horror movie afterwards (blood and gore). A bit

> freaked out about that being in my living room.

> Lovely midwives do clean up, bless them. BUT

> BEWARE - 'used' towels should be washed in cool

> water, or they will go green. Quite foul really.

Good point - though not always the case....my birth no.1 was quite bloody (thew away the socks I was wearing etc), birth no.2 was amazingly lacking (even to the midwife), less than 25ml of blood loss in her estimation! So it can be either end of the scale. She said she'd never seen such a clean birth pool post birth, it looked pretty much like it had when I got in it!

Top tips - get a big sheet of plastic from a DIY shop and lay it down, or use an old shower curtain, then put old sheets or towels down, or even one of those decorating dust sheets - if possible get old sheets and towels from charity shops or similar (maybe put out a plea here in the wanted section, then post birth you can just throw them away. You can wash it all before you use it of course so if 'feels' right.

[littleEDfamily]

I could share details around the reasons for the extent of blood and gore, but I think I would make myself vom.

[sophiechristophy]

I was hoping to have a home birth, and laboured at home from Sunday - tuesday morning when we went into kings because of meconium in the water.

my advice would be to plan a home birth, and then go to hospital if you want to when it comes to the time. You can always choose to go - the benefit of planning the home birth is that midwives will come out to see you at home during your labour to assess you. It is a lot easier to plan a home birth, and change your mind at the time and go to hospital than it is to plan for hospital and at the last minute decide you want to be at home.

planning a home birth just gives you both options.

[ryedalema]

Hi Leanne - one unplanned home birth (madam wanted to see the world NOW!) and one unplanned hospital birth (just!). I'd say both were great (well, you know, relatively speaking). The feeling after number one of waking up the next morning with her in the Moses basket and my OH on the other side gazing at her was glorious - but then we had the same with the second as we were only in Kings for a couple of hours.

Our second was a planned home birth with a last minute dash into Kings - which was expertly handled. Of course you will worry about a last minute dash but I'd say that the training/expertise of the staff is immense and I felt in really good hands, so if you need to get to Kings quick then the resources are there. You are minutes from Kings and on really good/wide roads so if you plump for a home birth then a 'dash' would be just that.

Good luck with the decision and please pm or call me if you'd like to chat it through x

[ClareC]

Hiya Leanne,

I think it really all comes down to how you feel about a home birth,are you comfortable with the idea or does it scare you? If your comfortable with it and have confidence in your midwife it certainly has many pros. If your not, would those fears make the experience a non relaxing and stressful one?

If you want hospital, that is your choice just get yourself there asap!

[Saila]

you get 1x1 midwife care with a home birth - but it's touch and go whether you get anything like that in hospital

[craigy]

We have a tendency to make the thought of a home birth far more complicated than it needs to be..

Presumably even if you decide upon a hospital birth you will want to stay at home at the beginning so just have a bag packed and see what happens and how you feel in the actual event..

I kept an open mind with number 2 as the childcare options for number 1 seemed better if I stayed at home but on the actually evening of the birth number 1 was at my mum's and the thought of staying at home did nothing for me ( mainly dur to having major building works done on the ground floor) so we went in and the labour didn't actually really kick in till I got there...

These decisions do not have to be made before the actual event as the midwife will have everything she needs with her as to be honest if a baby is going to come really fast it will pretty much deliver itself....

Ultimately, it's your birth and do what you feel comfortable with as if you don't feel comfortable it will not be a positive experience.....

[ludoscotts]

thank you for all of your comments. Im not worried about the labour being at home as such the thing that was freaking me out was that my first daughter wasnt breathing when she was born and had to be taken away to be worked on. The thought of this happening at home was what was scaring me. But ive been assured that they will have the same equiptment with them that they would use in the hospital so I shouldnt worry.

So after talking to the midwife and hearing your comments we are going to plan for a home birth with a bag packed incase we need to transfer to hosp at the last moment.

will keep you posted on his arrival.

Happy new year everyone x

[Trish]

My first was a hospital birth and I was pretty traumatised by it - fear was my biggest enemy. I ended up with an epidural, very long labour and forceps leading to third degree tear. And a week in hospital post birth. Having said that it wasn't horrific and my baby was healthy and that's the main thing.

I had my second child 6 weeks ago - I had remained undecided as to whether I wanted him in hospital or at home but was leaning towards a hospital birth again. As it goes, when the time came I felt relaxed and in control at home so opted to remain there knowing I could transfer to hospital if necessary. It was an entirely different experience - far more positive. I actually ended up being transferred to hospital because the cord was wrapped around his neck but I still felt in control. I couldn't recommend it more. I was a little put off by the midwives being SO pro homebirth and really did expect to have this baby in hospital but I'm so glad I didn't in the end. It was a much better experience at home. I don't know if that's because the midwifery care is so much better now than with my first, therefore a hospital birth could well be a much more positive experience but its good to have the comforts of home around you when you're in labour.

One example is that the best pain relief imagineable was a very hot cloth applied to my back during a contraction. It made such a difference. Who'd have thought it?!!

[Nubian queen]

Hi:

I had a home birth in july which was the best decison i made. It is my first baby and all my freinds and family was horrified that i wanted a home birth. I was relaxed and was able to enjoy the experience without having to worry about anything else. My water broke at 17:30. Pain started at 21:30. had a lovely bath for over an hour in my own bath. Called midwife at 00:30, she arrived at 01:30. Was already fully dilated when she arrived. 10 mins later my son was born. All natural with no gas or air. I was not worried that something will go wrong. but home birth is not for everyone and if you don't feel comfortable or confident then i will suggest that you might be better off in hospital.

The best of luck with the birth whichever option you go for.

Regards

[Gubodge]

My first was induced at Kings, farily full of intervention, but a pretty good experience. But I loathed the post natal ward so went for a homebirth the second time around, although due to a history of very overdue births in my family never expected to actually go into labour without intervention. Shows how much I know.

The home birth (in a pool with an intact amniotic sac, so there was no mess at all apart from the bloody swamp in the pool itself) was no better or worse as an overall experience for me, but the thing both my husband and I loved was the fact that he was so much more involved and able to give support. It felt like it was all down to the two of us with the midwives merely unobtrusively present, where as at the hospital it had felt like they did most of the work.

And nothing beats curling up in bed with your newborn withing half an hour of deivering the placenta, except perhaps the cup of tea, made in your mug, with your tea bags, to your liking, drunk in the pool between contractions.