Home birth

littlepinky84

When i got to 35 weeks ish with DD, the MW asked me if i wanted to have a homebirth infact she practically begged me, and was telling me about the home birth she had been to the nite before, sounded great but wasnt ment to be as i was induced at the mw led unit,

I say if you want a homebirth fight tooth and nail to get it, you as a pregnant mother to be has the right to deceide where you birth

Jo_R_2

Snuggles wrote: »

Just been reading this thread with interest, and at the risk of being shot down in flames, just wanted to give a different viewpoint.

Surely, it is unrealistic to expect the NHS to be able to cope with home births on demand? How could they ever have enough resources to allow for this? It may not be the woman's preferred option, but it is always going to be more cost effective to have the resources concentrated in one place (ie the hospital).

I know childbirth is a wonderful thing etc, but the fact is that resources are always going to be limited, and unless you are prepared to pay, I'm not sure why anyone should expect the right to a homebirth. I can be feeling really ill, but still have to drag myself to the GPs surgery - I don't expect him to come to me just because I would prefer it, it's not realistic.

Am I alone in thinking like this? Just to be clear, I don't mean to criticise anyone, I am just genuinely interested in why people think this is something that should be available on the NHS.

I think the point is that women have a choice about whether to pick a hospital birth or a home birth, as it is something that is an option through NHS care. So on a funding/legal standpoint, it's a right, just as you can ask to see another GP, that sort of thing.

Whether it's practical or not in terms of budgets and staff levels is another matter (or not!) I'm lucky where I am in that home births are positively encouraged. I think you are looking from the viewpoint that a birth is a medical process so should be in hospital (all tied in with where the resources are) but birth is a natural human process, if you like, so in a low-risk pregnancy there's really no reason why it should be in a hospital.

I planned a HB with DD2, due to the experience I had with my first (I ended up delivering baby on my own in my room, so I may as well have been at home!). Unfortunately DD2 wasn't playing ball and didn't want to come out so I chose induction at 43 weeks, and the registrar looked at me like I was mad when I said I needed time to think about it. The thought of giving birth in such an artificial environment puts the fear of god into me, yet I "had" to, It wasn't what I wanted but the midwives made it as close to what I had wanted as possible. I'm currently planning a HB for baby #3.

izoomzoom

hiya, i just wanted to add two things and hopefully not deviate too far from the op, but ....

1. you can't have a home birth until you are 37 weeks so can't officially book one until you are thereabouts, so perhaps that is why the MW was a bit non-starter.
2. giving birth is not a sickness or an illness, so why do you have to go to hospital ?

I had my third child at home and it was awesome. MWs were brilliant !!!

betterlife

hi just noticed this thread, im 30 and have had all 4 of my children at home, if i can help anyone let me know x