Home Birth?

Amazing or Scary?  We asked our amazing community about their thoughts on and experiences of Home Birth.

• • I planned to be at home first time but transferred in for blood loss- was very disruptive to my birth zen ? Second birth at home and all I imagined- LOVED IT!! A  hospital birth seems scary to me.

• • As a student midwife I am constantly analysing this. For me I see all the pluses for home birth, own environment, less intervention, more freedom, healthier in terms of germs etc. BUT as your first birth is always unpredictable I think it’s a case of confidence and whether you would find a transfer disruptive.

• • Amazing!! My second birth was a planned homebirth and out of the three births I’ve had, it’s my favourite!

• • I had an unplanned home birth second time around. It was extremely quick (about 90 mins from start to finish). My husband delivered the baby on the kitchen floor with the help of my neighbour. The ambulance arrived around 20 Mins later. It was amazing and not all at messy (though I have had to replace a lot of towels and throw rugs!).

• Hospital is my place of safety (weirdly enough)! But I understand why people love home births. In hindsight my birth would have worked well in a home scenario but I liked my low risk hospital delivery!

Wow! Some Really Positive Stories!

• • I’m planning a home birth for July, my second baby. It’s encouraging to hear these stories!

• • I had a wonderful home birth with my first baby almost two weeks ago. Couldn’t imagine it being any other way.

• • Lucky enough to have babies 2&3 at home. My first hospital birth was really scary, lots of intervention and I felt really alone. At home it felt safe and reassuring with a midwife totally focussed on me and the baby. They were brilliant and I am so grateful my body/my baby allowed it to happen this way. Meant I wasn’t away from the other kids too and they got to meet each other at home and life continued…. hopped into my own bed with tea and marmite on toast!

• Home was the only thing that felt normal to me – you go to hospital if you’re ill! Had an amazing amazing experience.

This One is Amazing!

• I had a planned home birth, also only 8 minutes from local hospital, but no midwives were available when my son started to arrive, which was only 2 hours after my water broke following a sweep at the hospital! So my husband was talked through delivering him over the phone by a 999 operator!!!! Took an hour for an ambulance to come! Luckily the ambulance arrived just in time, his head was already crowing when we called 999, he was born 20 minutes after they arrived.   I would have another home birth. Even though my husband was panicking, I found myself completely taken over by some kind of inner lioness birth-mode and I was completely in the zone and unfazed. I loved at home and being able to just go to bed after he arrived.  For those worried about the mess, we covered our bed with cheap Argos shower curtains and then old sheets on top and rolled it all up and threw it all was after. No mess at all! ?

Another Brilliant Story!

• • First birth in hospital, 9 hours total. Second birth I called an ambulance as he came so fast and the need to push was about 40min after the first contraction. Rapid response guy arrived and assessed. Then 2x ambulances. They all decided it was too late to move me (show, waters and need to push) so rapid response went to hospital to collect a midwife (he was awfully fast ). She was amazing as were them all. He was born about 30 min after the midwife arrived. Re the mess there was very little as the midwife had her special ‘sheets’. We used towels to protect the bed but they didn’t get anything on them. 3rd labour was planned home birth. Again only the odd contraction and the need to push came very fast. Midwife made it just in time before I shot out a baby and my husband cracked it it was smooth and relaxing (as much as pushing out a baby can be). And the best bit was the baby’s big brothers were watching a movie downstairs and were able to come see there little sister within seconds of her coming out! (I didn’t want to scare them too much and see all the action). Definitely recommend a home birth but the best advice I had with pregnancy number 1 is to be open up all birth options as you just never know what may happen xx

• • Amazing amazing amazing! Birth no1- hospital, forceps, spinal, the lot. Birth no2- home birth, no pain relief and straight into bed. Felt like superwoman afterwards!

• • Fought hard for my home birth, but was totally worth it and wouldn’t have made it to hospital anyway, a little speedy Gonzales!

• Planned for a home birth – had the birthing pool all set up in the lounge ready to go! But after a very calm early labour, my waters broke with loads of meconium in them so we decided to go to hospital to be monitored. Good thing we did as labour had suddenly gone turbo and an hour later he was born and needed serious medical help for severe meconium aspiration syndrome. Glad to have laboured at home initially but incredibly glad to have had a crack neonatal squad on hand (poor little guy spent the first 11 days of life in NICU). Would love to try for a home birth next time, but best laid plans and all that…!

Home Births are not for everyone.  If you would like to know more about Home Birth and if it’s for you then please do come and join our  Online Antenatal Classes where we have tonnes of information about Home Births and whether or not it’s the choice for you.