Chat Thread for those Mummies that have HAD or want to HAVE a HOME BIRTH

[Mum23boys]

I think i just got my BFP at 8dpo and I will definately be pushing for my homebirth :-) Unless of course anything dictates otherwise

[Atsaukina1]

hey mum thanks for starting this great to chat w/ like minded mamas concerning the birthing process. it is a sensitive topic sometimes especially while Prego.
1st- hossy natural birth(stayed home as long as possible and still was fighting their clock and many many "suggestions")
2nd-4th- homebirth
my mw has been there for 2 of my births so this will be my 3rd w/ same mw

[homebirthing princess]

im planning another home water birth and im very excited about it!! i loved my hb with ds2 it was an amazing experience and so lovely to get in my own bath afterwards then snuggle down in my own bed with dh and ds2 when everyone left, we woke up at 6am to ds1 running in our room as usual (he slept through the whole thing) and he got in bed with us all truely amazing!! xx

[Mum23boys]

I just contacted the Doula I used in 2009 for ds3 homebirth but she is now a midwife and no longer offers her doula service - am gutted as we had a great relationship.

[Atsaukina1]

sorry mum
my dh has always been my "doula" lol I lke as few people there as possible so the mw and her asst. are enough
I'm worried now because my mw is super big here and opened a free standing birth center and has a school so I am worried whehter she's still doing hb's my way(about 1.5 hours from her). I am not ready to spread the news but I did write one of her asst. on fb that lives by me to see if she was. I don't know what I'll do since she has been at my last 2 births and I just love her.

[suregena]

im planning another home water birth and im very excited about it!! i loved my hb with ds2 it was an amazing experience and so lovely to get in my own bath afterwards then snuggle down in my own bed with dh and ds2 when everyone left, we woke up at 6am to ds1 running in our room as usual (he slept through the whole thing) and he got in bed with us all truely amazing!! xx

I would love any tips/advice for a successful homebirth! You're in the UK, too, so that also would help because obviously you used NHS community midwives, right? I'd love to be able to do it in the water at home. Are you on facebook, by chance?

[Atsaukina1]

my last was a wb too. I didn't labor in it though I like to be up and active but when I relaized babe was coming I hopped in fast lol and 2 contrx. later that is where babe was born
def. will have my pool out again and excited it's a summer baby oooh soo nice picturing it in in the sun room

it's official I wrote my mw- she is not doing hb's my way anymore. now if I just lived 30min to the south aggggg

[Mum23boys]

I would love any tips/advice for a successful homebirth! You're in the UK, too, so that also would help because obviously you used NHS community midwives, right? I'd love to be able to do it in the water at home. Are you on facebook, by chance?

Hi hun best thing to do is BE STRONG !!! In the UK most hospitals try and put you off homebirth mainly because it means them sending out 2 midwives to you when they could be using those 2 midwives to attend to 5 other woman in a hospital !! I really had to fight tooth and nail to get my homebirth but aybe in your are it is different. I basically wrote a letter saying i was having it at home no matter what and if they didnt attend and anything happened to me or the baby id be holding them fully responsible - all of suddent they couldnt do enough to accomodate me !!! Staff issues are not my problem at the end of the day. FX Your midwife will think its a fab idea though !!!

As for tips check out Home Birth Reference Site . Brilliant website and the lady on there is amazing and emailed me so many answers to so many questions that i asked - she even sent me the draft letter to use to the hospital when they were being funny about it.

Coping wise I surprised myself !!! With ds1 I had to have an epidural as he was back to back and also because i was in hypertension and stimulative contractions and needed an emcs. DS 2 was natural apart from gas and air and ds 3 was nothing but the water - I find being at home in my own environement being able to do what i want made dealing with the pain so much easier. I also felt more in control - in a hospital u feel like your being told what to do and u just kind of do it as your in their space - at hme its my home and i was in charge and didnt the midwives know it !!! ha ha
I got through with just breathing techniques ( in through the nose out through the mouth ) - which meant when offered the gas and air i couldnt use it as id been breathing inthrough my nose for 8 hours so couldnt get used to sucking the gas in through my mouth !!! very funny indeed.
The water helped immensly too and really took away the pressure i was feeling.
And of course the support from my husbnd and doula who were there to keep reminding me how strong i was and that i could do this - i think the midwives give into you too easily probably because they have to yet when i asked for pain relief my doula stood strong and reminded them i didnt want it and asked them politely to stop offering it to me.

[suregena]

Hi hun best thing to do is BE STRONG !!! In the UK most hospitals try and put you off homebirth mainly because it means them sending out 2 midwives to you when they could be using those 2 midwives to attend to 5 other woman in a hospital !! I really had to fight tooth and nail to get my homebirth but aybe in your are it is different. I basically wrote a letter saying i was having it at home no matter what and if they didnt attend and anything happened to me or the baby id be holding them fully responsible - all of suddent they couldnt do enough to accomodate me !!! Staff issues are not my problem at the end of the day. FX Your midwife will think its a fab idea though !!!

As for tips check out Home Birth Reference Site . Brilliant website and the lady on there is amazing and emailed me so many answers to so many questions that i asked - she even sent me the draft letter to use to the hospital when they were being funny about it.

Coping wise I surprised myself !!! With ds1 I had to have an epidural as he was back to back and also because i was in hypertension and stimulative contractions and needed an emcs. DS 2 was natural apart from gas and air and ds 3 was nothing but the water - I find being at home in my own environement being able to do what i want made dealing with the pain so much easier. I also felt more in control - in a hospital u feel like your being told what to do and u just kind of do it as your in their space - at hme its my home and i was in charge and didnt the midwives know it !!! ha ha
I got through with just breathing techniques ( in through the nose out through the mouth ) - which meant when offered the gas and air i couldnt use it as id been breathing inthrough my nose for 8 hours so couldnt get used to sucking the gas in through my mouth !!! very funny indeed.
The water helped immensly too and really took away the pressure i was feeling.
And of course the support from my husbnd and doula who were there to keep reminding me how strong i was and that i could do this - i think the midwives give into you too easily probably because they have to yet when i asked for pain relief my doula stood strong and reminded them i didnt want it and asked them politely to stop offering it to me.

I shouldn't have a problem, I don't think. I did mention it when they came by because they had to retake my blood samples. The particular midwife I mentioned it to was familiar with me from the pregnancies I lost and also from my son and she said to me, "Oooh, I was just thinking a homebirth would be great for you. I'd get you walking up and down those stairs to get the baby moving out!" Heeh. So, hopefully I can get a lot of support and agreement from the community team. I especially think it would be AMAZING if I could have her, specifically. I absolutely adore her when I do get to see her. She is SO motherly and lovely and warm and the kind of woman you'd want to just crawl into her lap when you are feeling stressed out and she'd make it all better. Hahaha. She just reminds me so much of my own mother!

Well, I'm going to tell them at my next Antenatal appointment next week so fingers crossed they're supportive!

My son was back to back last time. I coped without anything until 7cm when I had some gas and air. I don't know if I was having the pain in my back or not - I seriously can't remember. I remember towards 6 - 7cm when I was on the ball, my pelvis was KILLING me and that is where the pain hurt the most. The midwives were reheating heat packs for me and I seriously was straddling the heatpack while bouncing on the ball and on the gas and air. Hah.

[suregena]

Also, thank you for the link! <3