Home birth

Has anybody here opted to have a home birth over hospital? If so what was your experience like? (you can pm if you prefer!).

I am really considering it... I had so much intervention with my son it made it absolutely horrendous and I believe if they had left me alone it would have been much easier, I think I would prefer to be at home...

Well I've experienced it - but as the child, not the mother

My Mum had 4 children. 1st was born in hospital, middle 2 were born at home and last was back to hospital, as being an awkward so and he so, he was breach.

Evidently this was some years ago, but I know my Mum much preferred home birth to hospital.

My friend has had two water births at home - no pain relief was needed at all, everything was nice and relaxed and all was great.

I thought about it with my daughter but ended up glad I didn't. Things initially progressed well and quickly, but went downhill very quickly. There was no progression of the last stage - the decelerations were causing concern and she just wouldn't come any further, not even with ventouse (it broke twice) so I had to have an emergency CS and she then had to be resuscitated (I only found this out a couple of years ago from my notes). It turned out we had been back-to-back.

People have normal deliveries though with back-to-back babies and babies can turn during labour. I don't know why it didn't work out that way for me.

My brother was born at home and everything was fine.

Thanks for that, yes my son was back to back and failed ventouse... But I am sort of thinking that if I plan for home birth and then either change my mind or can't cope with pain/things don't progress then I can always transfer to hospital...

Not my experience, my daughters.
Her 1st child was born in hospital 3 years ago. She was taken in as her waters had broken. The whole ordeal was quite stressful, not helped by a very surly ward sister, who informed her there was nothing they could do as all the delivery suites were full.
Labour hadn't started, so my daughter was given a tablet to induce her. That didn't work and it was almost 24 hours after admission that she had a bed on the labour ward where she was put on a drip to induce.
My daughter was overwrought by this time which didn't help when she did go into labour. It was a long labour involving an epidural, and she had 3 different midwives attending as their shifts changed, although they were all excellent.

18 months later she gave birth to her 2nd child at home.......she was adamant she wasn't going to hospital this time! She was shopping in town till 5pm on the day then phoned me to say she had stomach ache and thought she'd eaten something to upset her.
2 hours later she rang to say she was in labour and the 2 midwives were with her, and by 10pm the call came to say Evan had been born. An easy labour, she was calm and quiet and totally at ease in her own surroundings.
I'd say go for it, if you're confident you can cope.

I know a few people who've had them - they're the ones with positive tales to tell - unlike me with PTSD and permanent damage. It's not an option they'll ever allow me with my BMI and the previous prematurity - but there's no way on this planet I'll go back to the hospital I had Erin at at the very least!

Same here, I have to have a c section next time thanks to some very nasty forceps so no home birth for me, but to answer your question, my best friend planned to have a home birth but unfortunately did have to be transferred to hospital as things just weren't progressing, babys heartrate dropped and she needed an emergency c section, all ended well. I'd say go for it, as already mentioned you can always be transferred if needs be, and because it's your second it should be fairly relaxing at home because you'll know what you're doing

I've had 4 children, the last 2 where home births. My first birth was in a hospital with induction leading to epidural, the second was also a hospital birth but with zero intervention and no pain relief (which helped me believe that I could definitely have managed at home)
The first homebirth was using a birthing stool and the second was a pool birth. I unequivocally recommend the water birth! and wish I had used it for all the others. It was so relaxing and calm in comparison to all the others. I had the lights off, candles and music. My water-baby was the only baby not to cry, he just stared at me
I had an attending, independent midwife at each of my homebirths and had no monitoring of heartbeats etc at all. I was also able to delay cord cutting for many hours and baby's cord stump came away after only 3 days with no "aftercare" (ie iodine, drying powders, antiseptic washes etc).

I attended my friends home birth with her 3rd child. Everything was so calm and laid back. My friend was very relaxed. No stitches or intervention required, and one of the best things I have ever witnessed in my life

Well our 2nd was a home birth, but not intentionally!

Delivered by me on the bathroom floor while on the phone to the emergency services, awaiting the ambulance, and they talked me through it.

She was born "in the bag" but other than that it was a straight forward birth.

I was assured that rapid births don't usually come with complications, the maternity suite at our local hospital was fantastic with our 1st and although my wife had considered a home birth with our 2nd she had intended to go there again, really for peace of mind in case things didn't go to plan.

I guess we are lucky with the facilities locally, but they were calm and relaxed and as homely as possible.