I want a home birth but husband against. How do I get unbiased information? Post Reply

[frenchorchid]

I would like to add that, in my opinion, any mom can give birth at home if she invites doctors and nurses home. Then you don't have to worry about your life. After the birth you should go to the therapist and gynecologist for checkups so they can examine you, of course.

[Jathome]

Congratulations :)

Giving birth, alongside sex, masturbation, orgasms and all the wonderful things our women’s bodies can do. Is quite an intimate thing experienced best, most comfortably and pleasurably with those we trust and want to be with. Usually those we know and want with us in our most vulnerable and wonderful moments. Birth although very occasionally can be needing intervention. A midwife who you have grown a relationship with during pregnancy is best placed to guide and support you through something so normal as having a period. You don’t give birth as many times but a midwife has the knowledge of what’s normal. The midwife can be in your home with you. The human body is made to give birth just like any animal we do not need to go to hospital to poo even when constipated. Unless there is a risk or complication. Giving birth at home for me was orgasmic I had a very short labour, I felt safe and I was eating pizza after. Birth at home was my heaven. Luckily my husband had full trust in me like I did he to know what was best for me in this kind of situation anyway! Took a while to explain to others but in the end it’s totally your choice.

[this_is_cat]

I just read this article which might be of interest…

Lots of hospital trusts are now suspending home births because they are so short staffed with midwives but also because of the huge delays with ambulances which means women can’t be safely transferred to hospital if anything goes wrong

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyl ... s-shortage

The latter is particularly concerning - as many others have said, a home birth is only really safe if you can be moved straight to hospital if needed and without that back up, it’s an enormous risk

[KatherineHepburn]

Hi inbloom,

Being an antenatal and hypnobirthing teacher with many years of working with pregnant woman I can confidently say that I am team you.

If you would like a home birth then go for it.

For anyone concerned about whether a supported home birth is safe in 2020 The Lancet published a huge piece of research looking at half a million intended home births in countries with well integrated home birth systems, such as the UK.
It showed that women with uncomplicated pregnancies who intended to give birth at home were:
40% less likely to have a caesarean section.
50% less likely to have an instrumental vaginal birth.
70% less likely to have an epidural.
55% less likely to have an episiotomy.
40% less likely to have a 3rd or 4th degree tear.
60% less likely to have their labour sped up with a hormone drip.
75% less likely for mums to pick up an infection after birth.
30% less likely to experience a postpartum hemorrhage.
And this was compared to women with uncomplicated pregnancies who intended to give birth in hospital

So it is very fair to say that home birth for an uncomplicated pregnancy is considered safe.

It really isn't any faff at all. 
You can hire a birth pool if you like, the midwives will help you to set it up if your partner can't figure it out, and then post birth, while you are tucked up nicely in bed, your midwives will clean up as well as make you a nice cup of tea.

Rather than then sitting in a busy postnatal ward you can be surrounded by all of your things at home, just relaxing and getting familiar with your baby.

It is very rare indeed to have a problem occur mid home birth, but the wonderful thing is that as your midwife is only caring for you .. and not many other women across a busy ward... she will pick up very swiftly on anything occurring out of the ordinary. Remember that midwives are fully trained professionals - so you will be in good hands.

There is a great deal of misinformation about birth out there and it is easy to get bogged down with the 'one size fits all' approach. We tend to ignore the iatrogenic harm that can occur when birthing in hospital by making a false assumption that it is the best place for everyone to birth. It is not.

I can highly recommend joining a Home Birth group on Facebook and getting the following excellent birth books:
What's Right For Me - Dr Sara Wickham
Why Home Birth Matters - Natalie Meddings
Home Birth - Safe & Sacred - Kim Woodward Osterholzer

If you have any further questions you can find me over at Better Birth Stories (web, FB, Instagram) or join our FB group at The Hypnobirthing & Positive Birth Group.

Melanie xx
 

[KatherineHepburn]

Oh and I forgot to say.

Because midwives are so excellent at spotting if things are not going to plan they will get you into hospital in plenty of time if need be. 
For the majority of transfers in (failure to progress, mum tired, decided upon further pain relief etc) you will either go in your own car or the midwives.

Thus the BBC article quoted above is a bit sensationalist as during the last lock down many home birth teams continued to work without interruption. 

 

[YogawithNadia]

I have just come across this and felt compelled to reply.

As a birth doula and mother of 4 who had three babies at home, I admit I am biased but I feel that it is important for the sheer joy and ease of homebirth to be communicated.

As others have said in this thread: Home birth is safe. It is statistically safer than hospital birth (ref The birth Place Study) for second time mums who are low risk and expereinced a vaginal birth the first time.

I run a Yoga & Mindfulness for pregnancy & birth course live online and since Covid the numbers of homebirthers in my classes has doubled. 

In the last batch - 50 % were considering or had chosen home birth.

They did not all get the homebirth but just booking a homebirth already takes you on a gentler less medicalised path. Appointments are at home instead of hospital. In labour, the midwife comes to you and ,if all is going well, there is no need to go anywhere just bed down and let go into the birth experience.

The transfer rate for homebirth is high 45%. Thats not because 45% of babies are compromised - far form it. It's because homebirth midwives are super diligent. If the labour slows, is long, or the mother starts to struggle they make the decision to transfer in. The majority of those transfers are first time mums.

As a doula I have supported quite a few unplanned homebirths with second time mothers - in otehr words the labour escalated quickly and the mother no longer felt able to transfer in. These situations can be a little stressful because the mother has not mentally prepared. 
Usually, in teh end, she's delighted because the baby has arrived and the birth is over and she did not need to leave her home.

Why not mentally and practically prepare for the homebirth knowing that you can always change your mind at the last moment. It DOES NOT work the other way around.

Once you have birthed your baby gently and peacefully at home without triage, VE'S, teh stress of the transfer, the bright clinical environment etc..., you get it. 

I am of the belief that low risk birth belongs OUT of hospital.

The last thing I would say is that whilst being on teh same page  as your husband is important; YOU are the one having the experience. Its HAS to be up to YOU.  You lead on this - not your husband.

I am happy to chat with you. I know Gloria and her team and they are FIRST CLASS midwives - some of the BEST.

Listen to your body and follow your maternal instinct. You will do whats right for you.

Many Blessings on Your Journey.

Nadia



 

[this_is_cat]

Just one point…

Midwives will absolutely not transfer you in their own car!! And in an emergency situation, the last thing you want is to be in your own car, seatbelted into a seat, no medical equipment, stuck in traffic!

There are no situations where a homebirth can really be safe when there are no available ambulances

And sadly, that problem seems to be getting worse