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home births- anyone planning one or had one?

i have decided i want a home birth and oh is all excited about it too. just wondered if anyone else was planning one or has anyone had one?
did it go to plan? was it as you imagined? did you have to go to hospital?
im leaving this late as am due in 3 weeks but home is closer to the hospital than the mmu.
holly x
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Replies

  • Hi, go for it! I had one with my first almost 7 months ago and it was a really positive experience. We hired a water pool and I used homeopathy and gas & air for pain relief. You just have to trust your body as it really does just get on with it, you need to stay relaxed and it will happen!
    Good luck and don't forget to put the champagne in the fridge! x x
  • thanks lisa marie! it sounds so lovely and perfect!
    xx
  • Hi Holly - I had a home birth with my 3rd daughter, Violet 11 weeks ago, it was the best experience of my life - I have posted my birth story on the website, in the birth section. I would really recommend it, being able to sleep in your own bed was a huge plus!! Good luck.
    Sam xx
  • Does no one worry about the neighbours hearing? x
  • yer im worried about the neighbours and people knocking at door but oh assures me he will take care of it and we can play music i spose!
    gonna search 4 ur story now sam xxx
  • hi, i know someone who had one but not throught choice... baby was born just as paramedics arrived to take her to hospital and was born on the couch!! lol.. everything was fine, midwife came out and they didn't need to even go to get checked over.
    personally i wouldn't have one as i'd be too scared and paranoid something would happen and i'd think back to myself 'if i was in hospital they have more things there that can help things etc.' although my first baby was born fine and the midwifes said next time they would suggest a home birth i'd just rather go to hosp.. plus i like it when you stay in hosp get some rest... lol.xx
  • Does no one worry about the neighbours hearing? x

    I'm planning a homebirth and if i disturb the neighbours then tough!! Its revenge for their noise - one side has been doing up the house for a year and sometimes its got bloody noisy till late what with music and drills and stuff, and the other side has a stupid barking dog and they thunder up and down the stairs half an hour before I get up in the morning!!

    To be honest though, I'm not really one for shouting and yelling - so i figure I'll be mostly just turning the air blue with swearing, and if I do start yelling then the music can go up!! I'm sure the neighbours can cope for a little while!

    I know that sounds kinda harsh and not caring towards neighbours, but I gotta do whats best for me, hubby and lo - and thats a homebirth - and its not like i disturb the neighbours on a regular basis
  • i don't see why any neighbours would get annoyed - if one of my neighbours chose to have a homebirth i wouldn't complain at all - and if i heared them i'd think aw bless.. lol. image
    xx
  • I was in labour the whole of the sunday night and wasn't quiet about it.....in fact my oh said I sounded like a caged bear. When we informed the neighbours that we'd had a baby they said they didn't hear a thing!
  • Id never really considered a homebirth, you all seemed to have good births. Its my first and id be a bit nervous but i think id prefer it as i hate hospitals. Is it a lot more relaxed because your in youre own home? (well as relaxed as it can be) Lol!
  • http://www.homebirth.org.uk/ - I read a lot of this site when I was looking into homebirths - a lot of positive homebirth experiences and a lot of positive experiences where people had to be transferred to hospitals but tried homebirth.

    From what I've read - a lot of first baby homebirths do end up getting transferred to hospital.

    tasha - also from what I've read it is a lot more relaxing cause you are in your own home and thats one of my reasons for going for a homebirth - hubby & I both hate hospitals too.
  • kia i used that site as well and they have covered everything you could possibly worry about..
    tasha i hate my hospital its so bad and the mmu is further from the hospital than home thats why im staying at home. that website made me realise it is right for me so deffo have a browse! and as soon as they slightly suspect baby is a bit distressed they have an ambulance on the way!
    xx
  • i have decided i want a home birth and oh is all excited about it too. just wondered if anyone else was planning one or has anyone had one?
    did it go to plan? was it as you imagined? did you have to go to hospital?
    im leaving this late as am due in 3 weeks but home is closer to the hospital than the mmu.
    holly x

    I've had all 3 of my children at home and am planning a home birth (maybe in water) again this time.
    my 1st wasn't quite to plan i planned on staying active and upright but ended up lieing down most of the time cos i was tired, but appart from that yes everything went well , i used no pain relief apart from the bath and back rubs and all 3 of my lo's were born with no problems at home.
    Go see your mw tell her you want a hb, it's never too late even when you go into labour it's not too late because it is every womans right to decide where she gives birth to her baby, however late in the day she decides.
  • im getting really excited about it now. mustbe amazing to wake up at home wit ur baby, have a bath in your own bathroom afterwards and lay on sofa wit your newborn as u recouperate!!
    becky i hope to do it without painrelief too although cant say i willa void the gas and air! xx
  • I wouldnt care about the neighbours as such its just i dont like the thought of them hearing me screaming and shouting.
  • i know what u mean fiona, i can imagine my neighbour with a glass to the wall, nosey cow!! but if i keep them up i dont care! it wont last long hehe! xx
  • hi,

    my future wife is out on her hen night tonight after giving birth to our wonderful daughter on oct 6th, so thought i'd share our story to make you go for the home birth

    we planned a home water birth but the pool water was too cold, so we had the birth on the living room floor!!!!

    i feel we had the easiest birth ever, she went into labour at 15.30 and she was with us by 21.36!

    we had gas and air and my only worry was that the 2 canisters the midwives brought would run out :x

    we went round to the neighbours a few weeks earlier to warn we were planning a home birth and not to worry if screams were heard and they were fine (they had no option really! :lolimage

    the midwives they send are experienced in this and we were well suprised how enthusiastic our health visitor was over a home birth

    go for it, hv said that going into hospital scares you so slows whole process down as your own safe zone (home) and with all the diseases etc in hospitals these days we were DETERMINED to keep out, did and were well happy with our decision

    best of luck :\)
  • Hi everyone, your home birth experiences sound amazing!!
    I'm dreading a stay in hospital, even if its just over night, i had to stay in over night at 16 weeks as i was bleeding and hated every minute of it. I'm dreading that more than the birth!
    Are you always allowed a home birth? What with the serious lack of midwives lately!?

    It sounds amazing to do it at home and just have a nice shower/bath in your own bathroom.

    Would you normally do it on your bed? Sorry to be so naive, I just never considered a home birth but it sounds so amazing. We live just a few minutes from the hospital so if something were to go wrong we wouldnt have a long way to travel!
    Hmmmmm, you've got me thinking now!

    Is it just gas and air you can have?
    I initially wanted epidural all the way but don't want it to have a negative affect on my baby or stop me from moving around or keep me in hospital longer than possible xxx
  • hi feb baby, i was in two minds but after reading about peoples experiences they tend to be quicker and more relaxed than a hospital birth. i think if i was to go to hospital the anxiety and nerves would make me opt for an epidural. as with a home birth, im mentally prepared for the pain and the fact that i will be able to move around my own home comfortably really appeals to me. i also think if i try and put off the gas and air, when i do have it it may be more effective... thats my theory anyways!
    logie thankyou for your story i told my oh about all the replies andhe too is really enthusiastic!
    good luck everyone!
    xx
  • Hello guys,

    My fiance has told me about his post re my home birth and I have just read it and your replies/further questions. I was given the option of a home birth on the proviso that there were two midwives available to with the expertise needed and luckily there were. I think it is just procedure for them to advise you of this. I don't actually think that when it comes to it you would not be able to have your home birth because of midwife shortages. I had my little girl in apparently the busiest time of the year they have had and still got what I wanted.

    I had our little girl knelt over our settee as laying on my back was uncomfortable. You will have to try a few positions and when you find one that works best stay there until you feel uncomfortable again.

    You can opt for pethidine as well for a home birth but it has to be prescribed by your GP and collected by yourself as the midwives are not allowed to carry it. I did not use this drug however because I had read that it can slow the baby's heart beat as well as your own and therefore slow things down. It was scary choosing a home birth and an extremely big decision because of the unknown risks that can come with birth but the midwives are there to monitor both you and the baby and if there was a problem they would not let things carry on and make sure you were admitted straight away. My baby's heartbeat and my blood pressure was checked every half an hour or so to make sure all was well and you can ask them to check more often if you want them to as I did ask them a couple of times because my contractions started to slow down but all was well.

    I would strongly recommend a TENS machine as well. I did not use the gas and air until established labour and I tried not to use it too much as it does make you feel a little queezy.

    All in all (after all my ranting) if you have the support from your midwives and your birthing partner a home birth would be a wonderful experience and well worth considering.

    Hope all is well with your pregnancies.

    Logie
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