Hi , I had always wanted a home birth but my DH was very against it.  As it happened I got my way in the end. I had an unplanned home birth with my daughter, and I could not recommend it more. Despite the fact that I had a paramedic and 4 ambulance men all trying to cram into my tiny bathroom, it was so much more relaxed and nice than with my first son who was born in hospital. After I had my daughter and the midwife had arrived to check everything was ok, I went and got in my own bath, had a nice relaxing bath got out and changed into my pjs and then went downstairs for a cup of coffee before going back to bed. My 2 year old son slept through the majority of it all and woke to see his new sister, and mummy never left the house. Having my daughter at home was far more relaxing for the whole family and I would do it again without a seconds hesitation, and with a planned home birth everything is there.

I had my ds (now 2) in hospital and i hated it. I ended up with sever PND which is why i have opted for a HB among other things. I keep thinking i'll be in my own home where i can walk freely where ever i want, do what ever i want and have who ever i want with me. Its your choice hun, you should be as relaxed as possible.

I woudl still love a home birth, i think because there is less chance of intervention and that it woudl be more of a relaxing enviroment for me. i hate hospitals.

i woudl just like to be somewhere i feel comfatable. thats not a bad thing to ask is it?

I have had 2 home births.

Not with my first birth though.

What i would say is that if its what you wnat then you can go with it weatehr you have the full suppoet of midwifes or not.

BUT i would recomend you listen to what they say.

What i would say is that statistics show that home births have less intervention as mum is less stressed being in her home.

Good luck hun in whatever you decide

Why not look  into hiring a Doula for support. Of course you can have a homebirth even if it’s your 1st as long as you feel confident and everything has gone well in your pregnancy. You should be empowered to make your own choices and birth the way you would like things to go.

Once you go into hospital there is more chance for intervention and for things to go not how you planned. Intervention is not always a good things unless absolutely neccissary.

I found on the telgraph (I think!) a birth centers guid (I've lost the link-sorry). There it had stats for your hospital and how many c-sections, assisted deliveries etc. I know when I looked at mine it showed that there were no problems with the homebirths, whereas in the hospital (statistically speaking this is) there were a lot more interventions etc.

For mine it was something like in hospital 26% c-section, and a relatively high number for assited. But for homebirts. Less than 4% had any problems (be it during or after) that had to be transferred to hospital. So that shows there were less problems with homebirths. (well to me it does). Look at it for your hospital/birth center.

i think a lot of peoples families and partners are against it when its first mentioned i know mine was with my first homebirth.

the thing is our parents especially are of the generation where doctors were trying to get 100% of births in hospital and they all revelled in all the new technology that was being invented so they think its best to be where there is all this intervention. my own mother was a believer in if there is full on pain relief there why not take it whether you need it or not!

these days its the opposite they are slowly realising that all this intervention that hospitals provide may actually be leading to more problems rather than solving them. majority of c sections are performed as a result of intervention that was trying to solve a problem that didnt exsist.

i think like anyone considering a homebirth you need to do some reading and look at some statistics (its statistically safer in this country to give birth at home than in hospital) the pp link is a very very good one. and you need to get your partner to educate himself on it too at the moment they are against it with most likely no good reason and knowledge at least if you arm yourself with some knowledge you can put them straight on their fears.

if you have a straight forward pregnancy there is absolutely no reason why you shouldnt have a hb if that is what you feel you want go for it!

mara x

Have a read of www.homebirth.org.uk it's full of info - including getting family and partners support.  Read some birth stories and see if it's something you want to consider.  There's no reason why you can't but at least having your partners support will make it easier, so work on him!!

I would like a home birth. Its my first and i'm 23. My family won't give me support my partner won't give me support and they all keep saying no you shoudln't can anyone give me some support. if my midwife says yes do you think i could?

xx