Hi chaz, may well be about the same time we're having our babies! Feel free to PM me if you ever fancy chatting x

Fi + yellow bump 21+5

aww thats gr8 im due the 21st so we may have them at the same time lol neva know, keep me posted how ur gettin on, im goin 2 c the mw on thur so gonna talk 2 her bout it then, hope everythin is fine 4 it!

Hi there, me too! I'm due 20th November with 2nd baby and will hopefully be having this one at home. So far I'm sort of booked for one, but hospital want to do growth scans because I'm on a two different medications (even though neither of them cause restricted growth and one of them has been specifically ok'd by the highest specialist doctor in the region already). If all is well I should be ok for hb after 37 weeks.

Everybodys stories sounds so amazing i would just love to have an experience like that, hope everything goes to plan, iv been reading up on it and im pretty sure its just as safe if not more so than a hosp birth.

good for you hun for taking the homebirth plunge.

i had one with my third and like everyone else it was the most amazing empowering experience of my life. recovery and bonding with baby was much faster and easier.

for me i went overdue by 10 days had been in slow labour for weeks i was due to be induced at 9.am on the monday morning at midnight on the sdunday i woke up with contractions i tried to go back to sleep as i had had them at this time for weeks now and nothing but by 12.30 they were every 2 mins and getting much stronger

so i woke dh the hospital sent an ambulance just incase the mw couldnt make it in time my previous labour was 1hr 25 mins so didnt want to take any chances. mw got there at same time as paramedics and said i was already 7cm dilated so i wasnt going anywhere and she asked me where i wanted to go to get comfy i decided to get on my knees at the side of the bed she put pressure on my back as baby was back to back and all my pain was in my lower back. the second mw arrived and i was amazed at how much they just stood back offering encouragement and just left nature to do its thing only time they got involved was to listen to her hb with the trumpet thing.

by 3.15am i was starting to push and my baby was born at 3.30am (so a 3hr30min labour) they checked her out and let me have her while they checked me out i was fine didnt have to have stitches despite her coming out head facing upwards and they nearly fell over when she was 9lb4 lol apparantly the biggest they had delivered at home (i have heard of much bigger though).

i went and had a bath while they cleaned her up and dh and the other mw cleaned up and i climbed into bed with dh and fed our baby. the midwives left us to it an hour after delivery and our boys came in to see their sister at 8.am. we didnt get much sleep as we were both as high as kites me from going without pain relief and dh from sheer shock i think lol.

sadly i had a hospital birth with my last was still a positive experience but after having a homebirth nothing compares and you really do become pro homebirth lol. i am planning another homebirth with this baby.

best of luck with it

mara x (27+6wks no.5)

Hi,

I had a HB with my second ds and it was the best thing I ever did. My waters broke at 07.30am and my 1st ds went to school as usual, by 14.10pm ds no.2 was born, ds no.1 came home from school to a new baby brother!    How cool is that?

Apart from the ease aspect of having a HB I really feel my labour progressed so quickly and smoothly because I was at home in my surroundings and in charge, not being told to lay down and be mointored or don't lay down etc..  was so different from my first birth in hospital, I really did feel in control.  I had no pain relief and gave birth on all fours on my spare bed with Dp and just 1 midwife present for only the final two hours of labour it was fantastic! not only that the midwife ran me a bath and made me a cuppa after it was great .  I would so go for it, it was defo the best thing I ever did.xx

thank you i will speak to her nxt time im there aint until 17th o July just want it 2 be next week so i can start things rolling and really get into it, its actually quite excitin thinkin bout it

Hiya, I am a DIN mmmy too, and planning a HB. I mentioned it to my MW from my first app at 10 weeks, expecting a battle on my hands and willing to fight all the way but was very pleasantly surprised by her supportive response, even encouraging me to think about a waterbirth! I have trained as a MW (altho0ugh dont practice) and from my personal expericence i would agree that epidurals more often than not seemed to prolong labour (not evidince based, just givingi my opinion).

My previous births werent anything terrible, but i dont feel they were that positive either, after seeing all that is avalable to women, the choices they have and how much that can affect their labour, there is no way i am having a restriced, controlled birth which is how i see my sons births. So am plannign to stay at home, and be in control myself this time.

Have a chat to your MW and fingers crossed for you all goes to plan!

No but even if she isn't don't let that put you off, it is your right to labour where you want and the chances are it won't be her that attends you so what does it matter what she thinks?! Fight for what you want, hopefully you won't have to but if you do be strong because it is such an amazing empowering experience you will not regret it!

First of all thank you 4 the gr8 feedback, i have had a look at that homebirth site and i agree it is a fab website talks about all the things i was wantin 2 know bout, I also had an epidural with my first and im sure thats why it became a longer and more complicated labour so i reckon if i was at home it would probs b a lot quicker and easier. Iv ordered some books from my library aswell so ill have a gd read of them, i really do think i will hav a hb as everything i hav read has been so positive about it, and not that many ppl can be wrong, im just hoping my mw is supportive of it as iv heard from ppl who say theres havent been and i can imagine that wouldnt really relax anyone deciding on there first hb

This will  be my first homebirth out of three and i already know its a better experience. Don't waste your time traumatising yourself with the disempowering experience of a medicaised birth. Its not good for you or baby, read some good books. All women need to be informed as its a big thing having a baby and it can effect how you feel for the rest of  your life and your relationship with your baby.

Congrats on your pregnancy first of all hun! Secondly, do it do it do it lol!! I had my 2nd ds at home 7 weeks ago and it was the best decision I ever made! My 1st ds was an induction leading to 19 hr labour, epidural, ventouse delivery and retained placenta  I am now absolutely sure the epidural slowed things down a HUGE amount and had I been mobile I would have been able to deliver him myself. This time I only went 3 days over so luckily avoided the arguments with hosp to avoid induction and it was 5 hrs 45 mins from first twinge and I only used a birth pool for pain relief

As pp said the more you look into it the more you will want it lol! Homebirth.org is a great website for info & is what made my decision for me! There are so many reason why hb is better but you will find them out all for yourself so I won't ramble on any longer! and if you want any specific info or want to ask anything feel free to pm me.

Holly xx

First, have you checked out the birth stories on this forum? They are always great. Also there is loads of stuff on www.homebirth.org.uk birth stories, advice & opinions, even a section for fathers in case your OH needs convincing. Warning, the more you look into it the more you'll be convinced home birth is the way forward & question why you ever contemplated a hospital birth at all lol! I've experienced home birth & planning another for this baby due in Dec so if there are any specific questions feel free, pm if you like. I wanted a HB for baby no. 2 but MW seemed unsure so I went for hospital birth because I wasn't bothered, unfortunately ds was almost born in the car & I delivered in a side room as I couldn't make it to the delivery suite as he was almost 'out' when I go out of the car. Most of my labour was at home & things progressed so quickly compared to my 1st. Needless to say I wasn't going through that journey again so baby 3 was planned home birth. After my hb I regret so much not having all my births at home. After much research into home births and the labour process I am convinced it was going into hospial with my first DD that slowed a really well progressing straightforward labour down resulting in an episiotomy & forceps delivery (of course I can't be sure). There would have to be a really good reason for me to give birth in hospital now. In my opinion home births are so much more relaxed enjoyable & natural experiences, nothing can compare to the comfort of your own home & belongings & your whole family being fully involved instead of being whisked off to a strange environment & arriving back sometime later with your new arrival.  Sorry for long waffle, I hope you make the choice that's right for you & if there's anything you want to know, please ask.

Karen 17+0

Hello iv been thinkin bout having a home birth now for a couple of weeks and would love to hear from ppl who have done so. This is my second first was a hosp birth n didnt hav a bad experience or anyhin just feel id rather have it at home for a few reasons, but not 100% sure yet. with my first i had an epidural which slowed labour n i needed forceps in the end but i think if i hadnt had epidural i could have taken at least a few hrs off my labour as when i went in2 hosp havin only been labouring for 2 hrs i was 5cms, so at home i couldnt have this n it may not take as long but i really dont know probably wouldnt work out like that