Calling All Mommies That Birthed At Home!!!

I had my youngest son at home. Though it wasn't planned that way. I would recommend a birthing pool if you have a small bath tub. It helps the pain so much.

I never have, but just wanted to say goodluck and can't wait to see ur lil one.

I had a homebirth VBAC. Best thing I ever did. Had I gone to the hospital, my second would have been a c-section as well.

No real advice I can give you other than find a really good midwife. Women birth babies, not doctors....just remember that!

So I haven't but my Sister in Law attempted. This is in NO WAY a deterant- just my SIL's experience... She had a great mid wife, they had a pool which I know she liked, and she was super prepared. Her issue came with I believe she started pushing before she was actually dialated enough and wore herself out- so tip 1: let the mid wife check you- because you may feel like pushing before it's necessary. So my SIL is getting tired, obviously, from pushing her baby (who was also sunny side up) against a brick wall for 9 hours, then she finally let the mid wife check her (apparently she is sensitive down there which is why she didnt want to be checked) and had got to about 6 cm... and THEN her body stopped dialating... which has happened to both her mom and her sister. Tip 2: Know your family history- if both your closest female family members stop dialating at a certain point... you probably will too. So poor SIL after 36 hours mid wife finally says (and my mom and her mom stepped in too) and said ok we're going to the hospital.. this ain't working. Tip 3: Have a healthy baby, not a plan- sometimes you gotta just get it done. And then here's the hardest part... Tip 4: Be Prepared to deal with a Hospital- should it go that way. Your mid wife should be a strong enough personality to deal with the doctors to relay what you want. By the time my SIL arrived at the hospital the doctors attitude was "well you're in our house now- we're just going to cut you open and get this done." My brother, her and the midwife had to be very specific that they were willing to work with the docs, but that they, as parents, still were in control. They ended up using petossin (?) because obviously her body had used up it's natural supply. She also I believe ended up with an epidural so she could sleep for an hour or 2 and get some strength back. The doctors still thought they were going to do a C-section- but the 2 meds worked and when they checked she was already fully dialated and ready to go! so no c-section and I think the doctors were bummed- haha. She still had to fight them off giving the baby all the automatic things that hospitals now give babies. And this is in a semi progressive teaching hospital... so maybe research the ones around you so you know where to go just in case... and know which things you want to give your baby and which ones you don't.

I know this was really hard on my sister, because it was definitely not what she wanted, and she has clearly stated she is only open to adoption after this- haha. But she has a beautiful baby boy! Best of luck to you! And Congratulations!

This probably won't go down too well, but please make sure you know the medical risks as well as the undisputed emotional benefits. Don't *only* read what everyone who is pro-home-birth says and writes; make sure you get the full picture from both viewpoints.

I'm a paediatrician and I look after sick babies on the neonatal unit and then follow their progress as they grow older. Some of them have severe cerebral palsy or other brain injuries because they were delivering at home, ran into unexpected problems, and couldn't get to the hospital fast enough (within less than 10 minutes, realistically - the brain doesn't enjoy not having a blood/oxygen supply). If they'd been delivering in hospital, those children instead of being confined to wheelchairs and unable to communicate would probably (I can't say for sure, but I'm talking *very likely*) be living normal active lives.

I know it's a less-than-1% risk, but the problem is that no one thinks she or her child will be that 1-in-500 that has difficulties (or whatever the statistic is, I don't know off the top of my head). And somebody IS that 1-in-500. And that can be absolutely devastating. And you can't predict who it's going to be (okay, you can spot who the high-risk candidates are, but I'm only talking about the "low risk" group here).

Is your local hospital really that bad? Have you had a look around the labour ward? It might be 100x nicer than you imagine.

Good luck and all the best with however you choose to go ahead. Our own first baby is due in 2 weeks!

I have to agree, I wanted to be in the hospital just incase, I had the perfect pregnancy wasnt sick, baby was doing great got stuck at 9cm and had a c-section which was a life savor because there were things wrong with the cord if i had him naturally we both would have bled out before the medics arrived. It was the scariest day of my life watching the doctors take photos and send it to all the major hospitals around America to get input on his condition. Thankfully we both made it but if I did have that home birth I wouldnt be here writing this today!