For the sake of being clear to all who read this (I think you know my story).
My DD14 (it's her birthday today!) was to be a homebirth - because I see birthing my babies as natural as doing a pee... A little harder work - but natural none the less. I am a nurse and had attended a number of homebirths and hospital births. It was a no brainer that my baby would be born into the water at home. Alas fate had other ideas! I transferred to hospital about 24 hours into the labour. My midwife was a beautiful woman very experienced at homebirth - but she was a born again Christian and her loud praying and "praise the Lord" exclaimations just about did me in... My beautiful girl was born vaginally but alas not naturally! I managed to keep at bay a very ferocious advocate for the unnaturalness of birth (his name is well known in Brisbane - he has about a 70% c/section rate...) Between pushes he "forced" me to sign a statement that I was birthing vaginally at my babies risk and peril... Now, I made an informed decision. My babies heartrate was normal, membranes were intact - I was absolutely exhausted but that was the only issue. I knew I wanted more babies and a c/section would only make vaginal births more difficult in the future. There was absolutely no way I was going to the OT.
I had a 2nd degree tear which I elected to not have sutured (again at my peril! )
Fast forward 6 years and I went to the birth centre at the RBWH. I had a beautiful midwife who supported my beliefs and advocated for me. It didn't even enter my mind that the surgeons knife was down the hall way. I knew my midwife and she knew me. She was my advocate and I trusted her implicitly. Importantly she trusted me and believed in me also.
My son was born into his Daddy's hands. My most vivid memory of that labour was my midwife cross stitching at a little table in the corner of the room - in between checks on me... It was beautiful.
My daughter was born much the same - but much faster and more furiously.
My next daughter was born at a private hospital - however I chose an obs who would agree to not enter my birthing space unless a doctor was required. He did so, and I had a midwife known to me (this hospital had a midwifery program that enabled this) support my labour. She was born into the water in a candlelit room surrounded by her siblings and my SIL...
Immy was an emergency c/s at 27+5 weeks...
So, would I have a home birth. You bet ya I would. Unfortunately I couldn't find a midwife to assist me in Brisbane at that time. However, knowing what I know now I had awesome births that really couldn't have been more empowering. The only down side was the drive to hospital that obviously wouldn't be needed if I had a homebirth.
The secret to empowered birth is education and support. Choose a birth place that will tick all your boxes. Care of another woman known by you and trusted by you is not just nice it is IMPERATIVE. Yep some women have great births without this - but when things stray by the wayside you need that woman. Be she a midwife or a Doula. Its not a negotiable.
You need to be educated and make it clear what your thoughts and decisions are. You need to ensure that your birth place have no restraints on movement, using water, managed 3rd stage, HEPB, candles, music, PV exams, what happens post dates, PROM etc etc.
There is no right place to give birth - however I'm a back to basics type of gal... Women have birthed their babies at home for ions - healthy women with uncomplicated pregnancies need not move from their loungerooms when labour begins. Provided they have in place good support.
If I were in your situation, with your history - I would be engaging an independent midwife, hiring a birth pool and trusting that your beautiful body will do it's job just fine. If something goes a little off track - you can transfer. That's not optimal but if it's necessary (and overwhelmingly things go fine!) then you will have a midwife with you to advocate for you and continue to support you...
I am a nurse and had attended a number of homebirths and hospital births. It was a no brainer that my baby would be born into the water at home. Alas fate had other ideas! I transferred to hospital about 24 hours into the labour. My midwife was a beautiful woman very experienced at homebirth - but she was a born again Christian and her loud praying and "praise the Lord" exclaimations just about did me in... My beautiful girl was born vaginally but alas not naturally! I managed to keep at bay a very ferocious advocate for the unnaturalness of birth (his name is well known in Brisbane - he has about a 70% c/section rate...) Between pushes he "forced" me to sign a statement that I was birthing vaginally at my babies risk and peril... Now, I made an informed decision. My babies heartrate was normal, membranes were intact - I was absolutely exhausted but that was the only issue. I knew I wanted more babies and a c/section would only make vaginal births more difficult in the future. There was absolutely no way I was going to the OT.
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