Homebirth, yay or nay?! Here's my experience!

Homebirth- just the very subject divides peoples opinions! Some folk are all for it, while others think it's the most stupidest choice a woman can make and believe it puts babies lives in danger.
The majority of the people against homebirth are usually uneducated about homebirth and have totally no idea about the ins and outs of it.



 I was once one of these people.



 My friend, Becky, is a mother of five, all of them but one were born at home. Her first two children were due around the same time I was having my first two children.
 I thought she was nuts having a homebirth, I couldn't understand it at all and my children were going to be born in hospital, end of!

  

My firstborn, Charlie, born on new years day 2003, it was a very difficult, induced labour. I was induced early morning on new years eve. After countless pessaries that didnt work, they decided to put me on the syntocinon drip. Wow that really hurt! The contractions really kicked in and it was agony! I had an epidural which in itself was agony and took the anaesthetist 8 attempts to get the needle in right! I was exhausted by tea time and things still weren't going anywhere, so they decided to break my waters. Still there wasn't much progress so they left me overnight.

 I remember laying on the hospital bed watching the midnight fireworks with my husband just willing this ordeal to be over and for me to have my baby in my arms!

 The following morning they told me it was time to push. After pushing for an hour there was still little progress so they decided I needed help.

 Out came the forceps & ventouse!

I can't remember in which order they were used but they basically cut me and pulled Charlie out. It was an awful ordeal and he was born at 11.03am new years day!

My second born, Olivia, was a very different experience. It was 3rd April 2004 and I was 10 days overdue and feeling fine. I had told my mum I would highlight her hair for her so off I went to her house.

After pulling half her hair through the highlighting cap I felt like I really needed to go to the loo, so off I toddled.

 Sitting on the loo with nothing happening I had no idea it was the onset of labour. After all I hadn't gone into labour naturally before.

 So off I go to finish my mums highlights! After pulling another couple of strands through the cap, I felt the need to go to the toilet again, this happened another 3 times or so before I said "Sorry about your hair but I'm sure something is happening so I'm gona have to go!"

My dad dropped me home and I said to Graham I was gona run a bath and then see what the hospital said. After running a bath I was lifting one leg over the side when BAM I could breathe no more, pain came fast and I was panting like a dog after a run!

I phoned the hospital and the lady on the other end said "get into hospital now" just from the sound of my voice.



So my dad picked me up and off I went with my labour bag (hubby was getting Charlies overnight bag ready for him to go to my mums then my dad was going to drop him at the hospital and Charlie at my mums).

All the way to the hospital I just remember clutching the door handle and breathing deep and manicly. And I will never forget the terrified looks my dad was giving me. He kept saying "don't have the baby in my car".
When we arrived at the hospital my dad in his panicked state practically booted me out of the car saying "you will be ok from here?, I'm going to get Graham for you".

I don't remember how I managed to walk to the maternity ward from the car at all. But I do remember  the midwife opening the door to let me onto the labour ward. She took one look at me and said "come and get on this bed and let me get you some gas and air".

Those first few puffs were magical!

She examined me and to my disbelief I was 8cm dilated!

She bought the phone in and I rang hubby and told him he best hurry. I also remember speaking to my mother in law through the puffs and pants and telling her it wouldn't be long either!

The pain was sooooooo intense now I was asking for an epidural.

 They told me the anaesthetist was at a road accident and I couldn't have one. They were only saying it because I was so close to birthing her.

I was so high on the gas and air that as the woman was setting up ready for the birth I was just laughing to myself 'cos she looked like one of those little weeble wobble men rushing around at high speed!

 She left the room and a few seconds later hubby burst in! I said to him "I can feel the head". He took a look down, made a face that told me I was right and dashed to the door shouting for a midwife!

In came the midwife, and out came Olivia, just like that! So fast and so easy.

After a couple of hours the midwives decided I was bleeding more than I should be and that I had retained some placenta. So I was taken to theatre to have it removed. Other than the retained placenta, Olivia's birth was perfect.

After Olivia, we decided we didn't want anymore babies. This changed when we got married in June 2005 and decided we would like another, so we started trying.

It took a while to fall pregnant with Louie, but when I did I had looked into homebirth a lot more and decided I would like one.


After I had Olivia I got right into the birth programmes that were shown on the discovery channel. One of them was a homebirth show, the more I watched it, the more I thought "wow, homebirth is nothing like I thought it was".




 I had a very unsupportive midwife, she wasn't pro homebirth at all and she put every obstacle she could in the way of it

The reaction from family was the same too, saying I was nuts and putting the baby in danger etc, not one person supported my choice for a homebirth, apart from my husband.

As it happened I ended up in hospital to be induced with what was a very difficult and traumatic labour with Louie.

 I don't want to go into too much detail about it as it was really traumatic and at one point we thought we had lost him. I have horrible memories about his labour and I'm going to stop writing about it now before it all starts coming back!

So after Louie was born on December 12th 2008 there were defo no more babies planned.

In 2010 our circumstances changed and we finally got out of private rented housing into our own house.

 I was feeling broody again but I knew that if I was pregnant I would spend half the pregnancy stressing about the labour because of the experience I had with Louie's birth.

Nature took its course and Frankie was conceived. We were not trying for a baby but not preventing the conception of one either.

After my last birthing experience I decided that this time I was definately going to have my homebirth! As it happens I had a really supportive midwife who was very up for it and excited about the whole thing :)

I decided this time I wouldn't tell anybody I was having a homebirth so then nobody could put a 'downer' on it.

I set up a little homebirth group on facebook, and through that I met some lovely ladies who were a great support. It was lovely as each of us took our turn to birth our babies. Hearing that it all went well and reading the lovely birth stories was such a boost.

 My friend, Emma, had her baby on her living room floor, right into the hands of her partner before her midwife could get there! Her homebirth even made the papers!

We decided to hire a birthing pool as I had always wanted a waterbirth but never had the opportunity to get in the pool.

Louie trying out the birth pool!

On the night of July 24th 2011 I went to bed feeling pretty pissed off that 4 of my friends, that were due after me had gone into labour.

 I had had enough of being pregnant and I wanted to meet my little Frankie. I wasn't due until the next day but I presumed I was in for the long haul as my other babies had been overdue.

At 3am I was woken by a slight cramp, after realising these cramps were coming every 8-10 mins I woke the hubby and told him I thought the baby was on his way!

Hubby s face was a picture!

 He shot bolt upright in bed and said "shit, what do we do, call the midwife?!" I told him to calm down and that I was going to the loo.

When I came back from the loo he was up and dressed and ready for action.

We came downstairs and he kept saying "ring the midwife". I kept saying to him "not until I'm sure, just wait and see how these go".

 I was so used to going overdue I couldn't believe my baby boy was going to come on his due date!

 I was timing the contractions on my blackberry phone app and decided it was time to let the hospital know just incase he was going to be quick like his sister.

 At 4.01am I rang the hospital to let them know.


 Hubby was in the dining room inflating the birth pool by now.

The lady at the hospital was lovely and said she would let the on call midwife know.

 16 minutes later the on call midwife, Julie, was walking up my path.

 I have never see the hubby look so relieved, after Olivias quick birth he was worried he may end up catching the baby!

Julie was lovely, she sat with us, had a brew and we watched morning TV and had a chat.
 At about 5am she decided it was time to call her colleague, Jayne, to come over.

 After all she was bringing the gas and air!

Julie also asked if I minded a student midwife coming. I said I was all for students and they were welcome to come, so I ended up with two, Tarney & Emily.

Tarney was lovely I seemed to really gel with her she will make a fantastic midwife. Emily was also lovely but I didn't seem to gel with her too much and she didn't really seem into it but that could've been because she was feeling a little off....

So there I was sat on my birthing ball, bouncing away, when Jayne turned up with the gas and air. The contractions just kicked in and boy was I needing that gas!

Julie examined me around 6.20am and she said I was a good 6cm, but when I had a contraction she could stretch me to 10 cm with ease.

She said frankie was laid funny and that he was slowly turning ready for the birth and that when he turned he would be quickly out!

That was the only internal examination I had in the whole labour which was another thing I loved about homebirth.

I decided to stay on my birthing ball for a little while as it was helping him turn. I was really getting through the gas and air and Julie sent Jayne to pick up two more canisters from the hospital. Jayne seemed to be gone ages and I was so worried about it running out.
That was the only thing that was worrying me at all. Thinking the gas and air might run out.

As Jayne returned with it I could've kissed her! She had only bought one though. The hospital hadn't refilled anymore, so a little panic set in. Julie assured me it would be fine and if it started running out they would get more.

I told hubby to warm the pool up as I wanted to get in. At 8am I stepped in and my god it was amazing, the warm water was so relieving.

 I was feeling very smug at this point, I had finally got my homebirth, and my waterbirth!

 Everything was going perfect. Amazingly the kids were still asleep upstairs amid everyone going in and out of the house! The pain was nothing like labour pain had felt in hospital.

.

 I was in control, I was feeling strong and I was about to meet my baby. I had no fear at all that anything might go wrong, I was totally comfortable and totally happy.

 The midwives were amazing, they didn't fuss and examine me every 2 minutes at all. They left me to it and could tell exactly where I was in my labour just by my breathing, as could I.

 I knew exactly what was going on and could feel everything. I could feel my baby boy moving down with every contraction.

 As I started to push the gas and air ran out. I went into a panic and said I couldn't do it, but that was silly there was no stopping it. He was on his way now and that was that!

I pulled myself together, and with some deep deep breathing, some moaning and lots of squeezing of poor Julies hand, I was getting through my contractions.

 I was getting a step closer to meeting my baby with every one...

Suddenly I heard Louie crying through the baby monitor, Hubby had to go up and get him as he would be terrified of the house full of people.

 As hubby ran upstairs, Frankies head emerged!

 Everybody stood back while I birthed his body with the next two contractions. Then Julie was saying "he's here pick your baby up".

 I just sat there in shock for what seemed like minutes but it was only seconds. I snapped back to reality and looked down...

There was my baby laying on the bottom of the pool. As I was lifting him out of the water hubby and the kids walked in.

It was amazing. So lovely for them to see their baby brother that soon after birth. I vaguely remember them each kissing me but I was just mostly staring at Frankie in awe and thinking "wow I pulled it off, I got my homebirth".

Hubby took Frankie and the kids upstairs for snuggles while I got out of the pool to deliver the placenta (they wanted a close eye on this bit as I had retained it with Olivia).

 It all went perfect, I delivered a whole placenta and didn't need any stitches, GO me!

The midwives helped me into some nice clean PJ's and then I was handed Frankie.

 Just then the student midwife, Emily, said she wasn't feeling well and was going outside for some air...

 The next thing I knew the midwives were rushing out and giving her oxygen.Then one of them came in to phone an ambulance.

 Emily was having heart palpitations and her heart was beating 200 beats a mintue!

So the ambulance arrived for Emily...and so did a sainsburys shopping van!

 I had forgotten about my food shop I'd ordered! Its lucky he didn't come a bit earlier haha

I overheard Julie cheekily ask him if I got my shopping for free as I had just delivered a baby. I think he was as shocked as me!

 I mean there was a shopping van and an ambulance on my drive! Yet me and my baby boy were sat on the sofa perfectly healthy watching the whole thing!

It was very surreal.

 Emily went off to hospital in the ambulance and by 11am my house was clear of everyone except me, my hubby and our beautiful children.

It was lovely to be with my husband right after the birth rather than being stuck on a hospital ward while he was sent home.

We all rested and watched TV for the day. Hubby even went out to get fish & chips for tea, yum!

So for me homebirth is a winner. It was the most amazing, empowering day of my life.


Compared to my hospital labours with so much pain and interference, give me my dining room any day!

I had 4 lovely midwives to myself and my children got to meet their baby brother as soon as he was born.
 It would be a homebirth every time for me!

Cuddles right after his birth

My gorgeous Frankie, the day he arrived!

  

Well Hello......

 Since this is my first EVER blog I suppose I had best tell you all about ME and my wonderful world :)

My name is Diane and I am a married mother of five, yup FIVE children.

 I'm married to Graham. We met on October 5th 1998, he's my soulmate & bestest friend in the whole wide world. He's the best daddy I could've picked for my babies.

Our firstborn, Charlie Blaise was born January 1st 2003 at 11.03am weighing 8lb 1oz. He's such a laid back dude! Loves dinosaurs & computer games, anything HALO and has got his first girlfriend too! He's growing up way too quickly!

When Charlie was only 9 months old I was surprised to discover I was pregnant again.


Along came Olivia Paige, born april 3rd 2004 at 4.27pm weighing 8lb. She's a full On Drama Queen! Huge lover of anything pink and sparkly, she's very wise to the world (perhaps too wise!) and doesnt miss a thing! You will find her in her bedroom having a convo with her army of dolls!

After Olivia there weren't supposed to be anymore babies, but not long after our wedding, on June 10th 2005, we started feeling broody and decided to try for another baby. It was quite a stressful 2 years of a baby not happening until finally I found out I was pregnant again. I was over the moon but because we found out so early on (at around 3.5 weeks) it seemed like the longest pregnancy in the world!

Louie Caden finally arrived December 12th 2008 at 1.50am weighing 9lb 7 1/2oz ouch!. He's my happy lil Dude! He gives the best kisses & cuddles ever and is cars and motorbike mad! He loves the outdoors and is happiest going for a ramble in the fields or on a bike ride with his dad, he has a toddler seat on the back of daddy's bike and its such a cute sight, Louie's cheesy grin whilst in that seat melts my heart, think its his fave seat in the whole wide world!

In September 2010 we moved to our current house which is a lovely house, and semi rural with gorgeous views and plenty of surrounding fields for rambling and bike rides! After thinking we would quite like another baby, we didn't try to conceive but nor did we prevent conception either, and I found out in late 2010 I was again expecting a baby.
 Frankie Kade arrived on 25th July 2011 at 9am weighing 8lb 9oz, he was born at home, in a pool in our dining room and it was one of the best experiences of my life! He's such a chilled out baby, so good and an absolute joy! So.....the nappy changes and night feeds begin again <3