My HB baby was delivered on my bed during what was supposed to be my 2nd internal to see if i'd progressed from 3cm and could be said to be in active labour! I went fast and easy. THe bed had a shower curtain on it under the sheet, and the midwives had put delivery sheets (like absorbent incontinence sheets, about 18inches square) under me in case there was mess during examination, there was literally NOTHING for any of us to clean up. I didn't even see my afterbirth, they'd tidied it all up so fast and so easy.

If my baby had been born in hospital she'd most likely have been taken from me and put in the SCBU. She swallowed a little meconium which she'd passed during my incredibly fast and stressful 1st/2nd stage (i was 3cm dilated at about 2pm, delivered at 6.20pm) and was a little blue after birth. Her apgars were 9, 7 and 10. At 5 minutes, when it was 7, she was breathing but blue. THey put her naked on my breasts and i held an oxygen tube running free under her nose. Within seconds she turned salmon pink and voiced her shock at the birth. In hospital they'd have used the machines etc. and taken her from me. My experienced midwives knew my body was the best thing we had to get her going and it worked perfectly. By being at home i saved her being taken from me to go into SCBU (routine for meconium-stained births at my local hospital), and intraveinous antibiotics for both of us which were totally uneccesary since we were both totally fine.

I had gas&air for the last hour or so, and could have had a little pethidine or morphine if i'd wanted (I DID NOT WANT!). I really think my labour was so fast because i was relaxed in my own environment. I don't know of a single mammal species that goes to a strange place with strange companions to give birth. They all tuck themselves away somewhere safe and let nature take care of it. I know terrible things can happen, but i know lots of homebirthers now and not one of them had problems because of it. The people i know with the most horrendous problems in labour and birth, sadly, all had lots of medical intervention leading up to crisis. Failed inductions on the 10th day after the due date, a "too-big" baby induced at 37weeks only to come out less than 6lbs in weight (after several ultrasounds), women cut instead of being allowed to stretch gently to let their babies out. I know a woman who was given a high-forceps because her "pelvis was too small for the baby", yet there was room for the head AND the forceps and her next 2 (over 9lb) babies she delivered without even tearing! Homebirth works when there are no problems because it causes no problems. Hospital birth can treat problems and that's great. But if it ain't broke, why fix it?

I was about 10 minutes from my local hospital should anything awful have occurred. If it starts to go wrong they call an ambulance, they don't mess about. THough birth is dramatic in some ways, the things that you die of instantly are extremely rare in a normal pregnancy. The midwives had oxygen, packs of fluid and various drugs to treat bleeding as well as a newborn recuss pack. I felt far safer in the experienced hands of 2 skilled midwives giving me their full attention at home than i would have with one midwfie who could have qualified the day before looking after me and 3 other ladies in different rooms in hospital.

I have no regrets whatsoever about my homebirth and would need to have an EXTREMELY good reason to birth in hospital in the future.

Quite aside from anything else, i don't know how you ladies find the energy/attention to transport to hospital during labour! I was not moving!

HTH

Hana