Home birth

I thought about it long and hard and finally decided not to for a few reasons.
Firstly my DH just wasn't into it and I don't think it is fair on either of us unless it was what we both wanted.
Also the main reason was I want my 2 days in the hospital afterwards. My DH is wonderful but I know what would happen, the day after bubs was born I would be back doing housework, looking after DD no1 plus baby plus still trying to re-coup from birth. At least if I have baby in hosptial and stay there, there is NOTHING for me to do except look after me and baby.

Good luck in your decision

My friend had an impromptu home birth jsut before NY. It was really good. ANd she still got her 3 days at the birthing centre afterwards - you can still transfer there from home.

After a perfect pregnancy with #1 I ended up with placenta abruption, haemorrage and emergency c/s.... so my advice to anyone contemplating home birth is: you never know what will happen (even though we all hope it will go well), so only go with it if your mw is truely comfortable with it and you are close enough to transfer to hospital if necessary.

Sorry, don't mean to be all cold water!

I was sitting in bed at home the other night and I thought how much I would love to have our baby born at home! But there is no chance of it happening, I want quick access to drugs and medical help should anything go wrong. I am not prepared to take the risk, but thats just my opinion!

My Nana haemoraged with my Mum, and then my Mum haemoraged with me and had to have a blood transfusion, so the chances of it happening to me are quite high, so hospital is best me thinks!!

I really wanted a home birth, the only thing that stopped me was the fact that I wanted a water birth and really didn't wanna pay $300 to hire a pool!. Otherwise I would've def done it!!

Things to remember: you'll feel more comfy at home which is a good thing for labour. Your body works better when relaxed (as much as you can relax during labour).
Get a good midwife, one that supports your homebirth choice! Make sure she is experienced and has done lots of home births before.
And there is not that much mess, my mum (a midwife who loves homebirths) says at the end of the birth she hangs around and cleans up, puts any dirty washing in the machine and turns it on.

If you are keen, go for it!

Spudling wrote: Kylie, they wouldn't let me transfer to the hospital from a homebirth here, I already asked that. I think our maternity ward is great, but boo to them for that decision.

That sucks! Wonder why they won't let you transfer?

There is not mess afterward's that is the m/w job they even put a load of washing on.

Most of you know nime but thouhgt I would add it anyway. I sent ot to treasures. hzopefully it sounds ok.

After much discussion we decided that baby number 2 was to been born at home. we had a trouble free labour with our first I did have an epi, but this time round it just felt right we knew we had good support.
My contraction's started at 5pm on the 9th of august 2006 six day's out from my due date. I did not want to say anything till I was sure this was the real thing by 9pm I was sure we rang our midwife Liz she told us to relax and get some rest and call her if we needed to. We had a rather long first stage with Alan so we knew it was pretty likely to be the same this time around. after a long night of very irregular contraction's we rang Liz about 7am she said she would be around soon to see how we were going. Mum came a took Alan out for a while. when Liz arrived my contraction's were still very irregular she checked to see how thing's were going I was only 3cm. So she went off to do something's and hubby and I just relaxed. Mum came back about noon and hung out all day it was really nice we played card's. At 4pm Liz came back not much was happening still very irregular contraction's at this point she informed me that thing's were going so slow cause I was fighting the contraction's instead of breathing through them. So I got on the phone to a very good fried who helped me get my breathing sorted. We all thought it was still a few hour's away so Liz and Mum headed home to get tea. I decided to hop in the bath with Alan this did not last long the pain was getting really intense Hubby got Alan out. At about 5pm I decided I had enough and it was time to go to the hospital I needed pain relief so I told hubby to ring Liz who unfortunally was out of range at that moment so we waited for her call back. A few Minutes after Pete called her I had a sudden urge to poop. Liz rang back just in time for hubby to tell her to get back now. He got on the phone to Mum worried the baby would come with no one here he helped me out of the bath down to the bedroom. Mum arrived first followed by Liz who called her student Midwife in to help my water's had still not broken. I still really needed to go for a poo so Liz suggested going to the loo. So hubby helped me down to the loo. I started to push hubby said I got this look on my face so he had a look only to see a head. So with great speed Liz come's running down the hallway just in time to catch Michael Joab Baker as he slide out at 6:54pm it was all so quick.
Min's later I am holding my beautiful baby boy, By 9pm we were all sitting drinking coffee it was the most amazing experience. I will defiantly plan for a homebirth next time.