Home birth with 1st?

thebigmare4

I told DH that I was thinking about doing a home birth with future kids, but not with our 1st. I just thought I'd be more comfortable knowing what to expect.

The hospital that I plan on delivering at has a tub for water births. I plan on hogging that tub. My MW yesterday mentioned the possibility that it might not be opened in time. It's September and I'm not due until end of March!!!! It better be ready by then.

Anyways, it got me thinking. If I do a home birth, I would rent a birth tub.

DH isn't comfortable with the idea, but I'm not yet either. I know I could convince him though if it was what I really wanted.

I just wanted your advice and opinions.

bandwife

It wasn't until the last few months of pregnancy that I realized I really wanted a home birth for my first. It took DH a bit longer to get on board but after doing some reading, lots of discussions with our doula and the midwives, he agreed to it. After having such a wonderful experience at home he cannot imagine doing it any other way. Should we have another baby and I have a healthy pregnancy we will deliver at home again.

We also left the door open to going to the hospital should I want to. Because I am in Canada there really isn't an isurance issue to deciding during labor that you want to or need to move to the hospital.  I think the transfer rate for planned home birth here is 20% but it is mostly for pain relief - rarely emergency.

I say read up, watch some videos and think about if it is something you want. If it is, ask your DH to consider it.

JoelsGirl07

You have to be very comfortable w/ the idea of a HB to pull one off. However, your MW may have meant that someone else might be in the tub, especially if they only have one. And a lot of hospitals won't let you in once you have ROM (despite evidence that this is not harmful). I think maybe you should think about this a little more and watch TBOBB...then keep an open mind.

Some people decide to homebirth after they go into labor...not ideal, but as long as the baby is still in there you can change your mind!

randalin

We had a homebirth with our first and had an incredible experience and like the PP mentioned, now that we've done it I can't imagine doing it any other way.

If you really want a waterbirth and there's a chance that you might not be able to use the tub at the hospital, you might want to give some serious consideration to having a homebirth. 

There are lots of great reason for having a homebirth, but they have to be the right reasons for YOU and need to be something that both you and your partner are comfortable with. 

jteneback

When researching our local hospital I found out that they had tubs but no one really used them for one reason or another - had to be monitored, water broke, etc.  That really changed the way I viewed them.

Also talk to your MW about transfer rates - mine has a 6% transfer rate for first-time moms.  That really made me feel like I can do this!

pinksweetpea2

I had my first at home.  I truthfully don't really understand the wait until subsequent pregnancies for a homebirth.  I didn't need to have a baby at a hospital to know that home was best for me...all I needed was a short tour of the maternity ward and a once over look at the tiny print (i.e. hospital policies).  

GL with your decision.   

shortstuff15

I personally understand the desire to wait until subsequent pregnancies.  I don't ever want a homebirth myself, but I have friends and families who would prefer it and kudos to them.  My one friend was in labor for 38 hours at home with her first, stuck in transition at 8 cms, before being transfered to the hospital for failure to progress.  She ended up with an epidural, vacuum and forceps and basically everything but a c-section and finally gave birth after 42 hours of labor.  She had a perfect home-birth for number 2.  My cousin just had her baby 3 weeks early after being induced for low amnioic fluid.  She too was planning a home birth but obviously ended up with a hospital one.  And many of my other friends (and myself included) have needed suction help, or some other intervention that is not available at home, for their first babies and those who have had 2nd babies have not had the same issues.  Hense my personal thoughts that home births can and are good, but should be done for subsequent births, not the first. 

Disclaimer - I am in Canada and therefore the health system is somewhat different and from what I read here and from what my friends and family experience, Canadian doctors have lower rates of intervention anyway.

longingtoholdher2010

This is my first and we are having a home birth. I am really excited about it. IMO why go through a birth at the hospital that doesn't line up with what I believe birth should be about for my first child and then go back and have a home birth and say I wish I would have done this with my first it was amazing! I just say skip the hospital and have my birth the way that I want it. We are very very excited and my MW and doula  brought my birth pool  when I was 3 weeks out from my due date.We already blew it up and are just waiting on LO now. I think it's 100% the best way to have a baby. GL with making your decision.

kesrya

longingtoholdher2010:

why go through a birth at the hospital that doesn't line up with what I believe birth should be about for my first child and then go back and have a home birth and say I wish I would have done this with my first it was amazing! I just say skip the hospital and have my birth the way that I want it. 

This is exactly how we feel.  I have not had a single friend give birth in a hospital that was easy, smooth and didn't lead to interventions that I am very opposed to -- I have several friends who had easy, comfortable home births or birthing center births.  So the question for us was home or center right from the beginning.  You couldn't pay me enough to go to a hospital right off the bat.  The great thing about my midwife is that she will spend as much time with her patients answering questions for them to make the right decision.  We decided on homebirth because we felt confident that she has experience with any of the complications that might come up, and she will do everything in her power to help us before transfering, however in the case of what she deems a true medical emergency, she will transfer us to the hospital that is about 5 minutes down the street.  I feel this gives me complete confidence to deliver my first at home.

aggieabbie02

We birthed our first at home, and I'm so glad that we did. My water broke 54 hours before she was born (and about 45 hours before I had ANY contractions at all), and I was never on a time clock and didn't have to worry about needing pitocin. My cervix just needed the extra ripening time, I think, and eventually I went into labor, had a normal early labor (maybe 8 hours-ish), and then a super fast active labor (went 4-10 in an hour and a half), before I birthed a 7 1/2 lb baby with double nuchal fists and didn't tear. I know in a hospital, it would have been intervention after intervention. 

 

I think to have a homebirth, you need to be confident in your decision and be really, truly comfortable with your careprovider. Don't be afraid to ask how they would handle certain situations, if they have ever had a poor outcome, how many times they've had to transport via ambulance... you may be surprised at how rare true emergencies are at a homebirth. 

 

And personally... I think the most important birth to have at home is the first one! I see so many people want a homebirth after a traumatic hospital birth or c-section... it would be so nice if they had never had to experience that, and just got to experience birth in a loving, safe, and supportive environment.  

bandwife

dhviel:

 And many of my other friends (and myself included) have needed suction help, or some other intervention that is not available at home, for their first babies and those who have had 2nd babies have not had the same issues.  Hense my personal thoughts that home births can and are good, but should be done for subsequent births, not the first. 

Disclaimer - I am in Canada and therefore the health system is somewhat different and from what I read here and from what my friends and family experience, Canadian doctors have lower rates of intervention anyway.

I had a home birth in BC. They bring massive kits into your home with oxygen, warming tray, etc. They can suction your baby if needed.

I understand a woman's hesitation to have her first child at home - it being a new experience, unsure of how they will cope, etc. But your anecdotal information about friends 1st birth vs. 2nd birth is just that, anecdotal.

The study referenced in this article was helpful to me when I made the decision to birth at home.

roundtheworldgirl

I had a home birth with my first.  We will be doing either a home or a birth center birth with my second (it's complicated).  We bought a kiddie pool to use as our birth tub.

Unless you are delivering in a very natural childbirth friendly hospital, I personally don't think that a hospital birth can prepare you for what to expect at a home birth.  At least around here, hospital births seem to be very high stress.  My home birth was the exact opposite. 

We chose a home birth because I knew there was a very good chance that I would receive unwanted interventions at the hospital (I lived in an area with a 50 percent c-section rate).  And I knew that, were I to deliver in a place where an epi was readily accessible, I would break down and ask for it.  I am absolutely in awe of women who have natural births in hospitals for that reason - it takes so much more will power, IMO, than for those of us who deliver at home or in birth centers!  So I removed the temptation.

Good luck with your decision!

bandwife

aggieabbie02:

I think to have a homebirth, you need to be confident in your decision and be really, truly comfortable with your careprovider. Don't be afraid to ask how they would handle certain situations, if they have ever had a poor outcome, how many times they've had to transport via ambulance... you may be surprised at how rare true emergencies are at a homebirth. 

 

And personally... I think the most important birth to have at home is the first one! I see so many people want a homebirth after a traumatic hospital birth or c-section... it would be so nice if they had never had to experience that, and just got to experience birth in a loving, safe, and supportive environment.  

  Completely agree with this.

d.cubed

I'm with pps.  After the hospital tour, my thoughts were, "Who would want to bring a child into this environment?!"  Everywhere you looked it seemed that they were preparing for an emergency.  

I live close enough to a hospital that, if I need any of the things that the hospital provides, I can still get them.  Otherwise, I trust that my body is going to get this baby out and I'll be in an environment where I will feel comfortable.   

barine

If u're not cofortable then dont do it. i wanted one but i didnt feel peace n not sure. n now i know y. my obgyn was ok wit my natural birth n happy i had  a doula said his wife had one also. my water broke n had to be at hosp was told, was stuck at 2 cm for 16hrs. had pitocin turne dup highest but determ to go on natu and did thank God and great doula. changed positions helped. so its ok to go to hosp inform obgyn going natural, get a doula or someone who can massge, help change positions and read encouraging words to u, have lights dimmed and soft music playing in room with no student nurses/student docs. (i sneaked in crackers with juice)