Having the baby at home (1 Viewer)

[Squiggle]

I am just not clear about what there is to be gained from having it at home... is it just the reasons I said above? Or is there something that I am missing.

For both my mother and my sister hospital birth was extremely stressful... I suppose it is different if you live in Dublin but when she was having my brother and me the hospital was 60 miles away... for my sister it was 40 miles. Having a group of complete strangers standing around talking about her in the third person did nothing to dissipate the stress my sister was feeling... as for my Mum being told that my Dad couldn't be with her only added to her stress levels.

Having your baby snatched from you the moment it's born, is, so I have been told, also not the nicest feeling in the world.

I know about a dozen women who have experienced both hospital and home births. All of them, were they to have another child, would go to the hospital only if it was absolutely the last option.

I have seen a fairly convincing arguments that its easier for the mother to give birth without epidural. The contractions work better etc apparently. With the epidural its possible that the body just doesn't really know what's going on, so certain queues / responses dont go through properly.

But, I have heard that having a child can sting a bit. So... yeah. I dunno.

Two of my friends were given too much epidural and lost the ability to push, resulting in forceps assisted births... just the thought of that makes me cringe.

I absolutely hate hospitals... even going into one relatively relaxed and healthy stresses me out. Add to that the stress of wondering if the birth will go ok and my natural ability to focus on the worst case scenario and they'd have to put me in a white coat after the birth

 

[flashback]

Were any mothers present?

I think your Ma was there Corey. With a smooth skinned, dark eyed Latin type.

 

[flashback]

Yeah... the not liking hospital thing. I get that. Its a bit shit alright. Although, I just had a reasonableish op there, and I was all bollocks to this, I am going to drive me bike home etc etc, and it turned out that I was absolutely fucked, and I realised the sort of depth of the situation only after it was too late. Everything was totally grand, but, I dunno, I was actually glad to be in hospital there.
Having the place being miles away, yeah, that's a pain in the rocks alright.
Them not giving the child to you upon birth... I suppose, this is dependent on hospital policy. Well, it is dependent on policy. The Dad not being there etc... this is all a load of shite. This is just the hospital thinking its still 1954. If this is the way Jo's place is going to be, then, yeah, fuck them. Go somewhere else.
I think most places will hand the child directly over to the mother now though, and will allow the dad to be there. (Vincents did 30 years ago... with a little persuasion from my Dad.)

re the epidural thing, yeah, that's the sort of thing I heard. I just wasnt going to go there with the details. But yeah, it can be messy though right enough. Lots of births were ok with epidural, so, again, you are just rolling a dice. But, no harm in knowing that there are issues with it.

 

[Theseus Mock]

anyone ever seen a birthing video? BBC2 in the mornings used to be gold for this (and mentally scaring)

 

[Squiggle]

In the UK, or at least in parts of it, there seem to be a lot more choices and there is definitely a lot more support available. The system here in Ireland is extremely outdated... our hospitals are a shambles and becuase to try and cope with numbers they literally run maternity wards like a conveyor belt. If it's not going to their timetable they will make it do so.

Haven't watched any birthing videos... but I was watching 'live' when my little brother was born in my parents' home.

 

[egg_]

Its just that if something does, ie a bleed, or they shift into breech late you can be in a lot of bother very quickly.

A midwife can turn a child AFAIK. Not recommended anymore I don't think, but they know how to do it. Also I think it's very unlikely a child will shift into breech after it's engaged, there's not really much room in there

A home birth would be amazing I think. You don't go into the hospital until labour is well under way anyway (or something goes awry), and you've a trained medical professional on hand. Way I see it is a big good-buzz plus for a small additional-risk minus (provided everything is in order and medical opinion says it's ok)

 

[jane]

A midwife can turn a child AFAIK. Not recommended anymore I don't think, but they know how to do it. Also I think it's very unlikely a child will shift into breech after it's engaged, there's not really much room in there

A home birth would be amazing I think. You don't go into the hospital until labour is well under way anyway (or something goes awry), and you've a trained medical professional on hand. Way I see it is a big good-buzz plus for a small additional-risk minus (provided everything is in order and medical opinion says it's ok)

I'm already pretty sure I couldn't have a home birth because I'm at a severely increased risk of dying in childbirth because everyone in my family has a 'slight tendency' toward, er, fatal thrombosis. It's a bummer, but I'd have to have really specialised care, and just thinking about it makes me nervous.

But people I know who've been able to have home births have been really happy with them. One babba I know was even born with her eyes open!

 

[Squiggle]

It's probably not for everyone... but it will certainly be my first preference when the time comes.

And it's going to happen. Midwife engaged, HSE Home Birth approval letter duly received and the Home Birth kit sitting in the hallway at home. Family history of trouble free births going back 3 generations on both sides so can't see any reason why I should have to go to the hospital, but will be booking in to one just so they have me on file.

From what I remember from college, there's very little support for it down here in Cork. In fact it seems like they'd do anything to convince you not to do it.

Actually, from my recent research it looks like there is now more support for Home Birth and hospital alternatives in Cork than there is anywhere else in the country.

 

[Lili Marlene]

...... congratulations?




right?



??


this is worse than jane's 'I have have a shiny thing' thread

 

[Squiggle]

...... congratulations?
right?
??
this is worse than jane's 'I have have a shiny thing' thread

Thanks
yeah
definitely
sorry, didn't think it was ambiguous until I just re-read it.

 

[therealjohnny]

Congratulations!

 

[HMD]

Who's your midwife?

Make sure you get the gas. It's handy to have for guests that call around after the baby is born. We had ours for a couple of weeks after the event with many a happy visitor.

 

[ann post]

congratulations squiggle!!

 

[Squiggle]

Thanks J'stress and ann post

HMD - our midwife is called Philomena. She's lovely. Thought about asking your fella but I was trying to reassure Himself about the Home Birth idea and he didn't seem too taken with the idea of a male midwife.

 

[egg_]

Good luck Sarah. And congratulations

 

[David Kronenbourg]

congratulations

 

[HMD]

Thanks J'stress and ann post

HMD - our midwife is called Philomena. She's lovely. Thought about asking your fella but I was trying to reassure Himself about the Home Birth idea and he didn't seem too taken with the idea of a male midwife.

Philomena was on call for us as Colm was away for the due date. She's supposed to be great.

 

[Squiggle]

Philomena was on call for us as Colm was away for the due date. She's supposed to be great.

I'm liking her so far. As I said to Diddles last week we'll be looking to pick your brains soon Handy to know someone who went through it all in Dublin not so long ago.

 

[dudley]

That's great, congrats!

 

[Unicron]

Congrats Sarah