But is homebirth safe if it's your first ...

[HotI]

Thanks for posting this.

Just subscribing so i can come back and take a look at the whole article.

[Laranna]

Thanks for sharing this. For my first, there was no way I would have considered a homebirth - fear of the unknown. Although that is a bit odd to say because being pregnant for the first time is an unknown in itself, yet I wasn't afraid of that!

As I go through my second pregnancy and read more and more about VBAC and homebirth, the more I think it would be great to have a homebirth and I find myself secretly hoping at times that this baby will come out quickly before I have a chance to get to the hospital I am VBAC'ing this time and OB is happy for me to labour at home as long as I want which is my every intention because I know once I get into hospital, I'll be monitored closely.

For my next, a homebirth sounds like a very appealing option

[Julie Doula]

Hi Eluned,

Homebirth for a VBAC is definitely an option.

Of women in Australia who had a primary c/s, only 28% are given an opportunity to try for a VBAC. 72% have repeat c/s. Of the 28% who try for VBAC, 58% succeed in the hospital system.

Independent midwives have a 90% success rate for VBAC at home.

You can read here for more information about VBAC & VBAC birth stories, and also an independent midwife's recommendations for a successful VBAC.

If you go back to a similar model of care that led to your first c/s for your VBAC, consider that the likelihood of the same 'recipe' yeilding a similar result is quite high. A different location, careprovider and philosophy may yield a different outcome.

Here's a link about the safety of VBAC from the Birthlove website. Birthlove was down for a long time but now it's up and running again - great source of info. Here's their page on 'how to have a successful VBAC'. This is an American site but still much of the info is relevant to us in Australia.

Regarding the fear of the unknown wrt homebirth for your first, did you feel that same fear of the unknown wrt having your first in hospital?

Good luck!

[Laranna]

Thanks for those links Julie Well with my first a c/s was inevitable due to placenta praevia. Once I got my head around that disappointment, I didn't have the fear of the unknown of having him in hospital. This time, my first natural instictual thoughts were VBAC because well this time there is no 'medical' reason to have another c/s.

[jackrose]

Great to read Julie Doula and thanks for the links!

I wish I had more information in the early stages of pregnancy for my first, she was a surprise and it took me many months to get my head around a baby let alone how to deliver her. I just went along with the system in the beginning and then when I had more information I felt it was too late to change my arrangements. I ended up giving birth in hospital and after 40 hours of labour delivered by cs. I think a homebirth could very well have led to a natural delivery in my case for many reasons....

I'm only just pregnant with my second now and just beginning the process of homebirth/VBAC research. Very excited and enthusiastic about it too . I am now off to read your links, thanks again!

[Julie Doula]

Yes Eluned, as you say, placenta previa is one of the reasons that a c/s is usually necessary. The first woman I supported for a VBAC is here on BB and she like you had a c/s with her first because of placenta previa. We talked about homebirth and she seriously considered it for a while, then eventually went with a plan to stay home and labour at home for as long as she could before transferring to hospital. She laboured at home, got through the "oh God I can't do this i just want an epidural stage", coped by staying on her feet and keeping moving and stayed in the shower until the hot water ran out. Getting in the car was hard, but once she was in she just went into a trance-like state of deep relaxation/concentration, and travelled in the car for more than half an hour, just sitting on the back seat squeezing my hand. By the time she got to her room at the hospital, a quick check found she was 10cm dilated! That's ideal timing for a VBAC - rock up to hospital fully dilated and feeling ready to push. One way you can help figure out the timing is feel your own cervix when you're at home (as long as your waters have not broken prior to active labour starting.) You're just observing for changes. You'll find you can tell when your cervix is starting to open, when it's about half open and when it's hard to feel any cervix left at all ... but hey what's that furry walnut feel?? Izzat my baby's head??? Or you might feel something like a balloon in front of the hardness of your baby's head, which would be the forewaters. OK so NOW you're ready to go to hospital!

There's a good link here on doing your own vaginal checks called "It's Not Rocket Science"

Good luck jackrose, great you are on a mission to get informed and find out about your options, you won't regret it and you'll be able to approach your next birth with more confidence, and maybe think about hiring your own doula or independent midwife? An IM can be wonderful for helping you labour at home as long as possible, she can check the baby's heart and your BP, and make sure you and bub are just fine to continue the hard yards of labour at home. She can help you assess when is a good time to make the move to hospital, and go with you and advocate with you in the hospital. (Of course, once you're at that point, the option of staying home and just having the baby is open to you too.)

Another idea is you could hire or borrow a birth pool to use for pain relief and support during your labour at home. That might be just the thing to get you over "oh god where's my epidural!!??" hump. Seriously I've notcied several women hit a real wall at about 3-4 cm, then once they get through that 'crisis' (with loads of support), they find the rest of dilation, while challenging, not quite as overwhelming. It's like they find their groove, their rhythm, maybe it's their endorphins kicking in - and they seem to be coping better at 8-9cm than they were at 3 cm. Well, every labour is different, but I have seen that happen a few times now.

Good luck! You can do it!

[Laranna]

That's ideal timing for a VBAC - rock up to hospital fully dilated and feeling ready to push. One way you can help figure out the timing is feel your own cervix when you're at home (as long as your waters have not broken prior to active labour starting.) You're just observing for changes. You'll find you can tell when your cervix is starting to open, when it's about half open and when it's hard to feel any cervix left at all ... but hey what's that furry walnut feel?? Izzat my baby's head??? Or you might feel something like a balloon in front of the hardness of your baby's head, which would be the forewaters. OK so NOW you're ready to go to hospital!

There's a good link here on doing your own vaginal checks called "It's Not Rocket Science"

Thanks Julie!!! I would never have considered checking my cervix whilst in labour. All this new info has got me excited! And more confident that I'll get my VBAC

[Tegam]

I'm only just pregnant with my second now and just beginning the process of homebirth/VBAC research. Very excited and enthusiastic about it too .

Woohoo Congrats on your pregnancy Jackrose.....if you need any help or support for your homebirth, just let me know....it can be a long road but its well worth it!



1st birth - hospital - 7hrs - easy, no trauma, no fear, great experience, home in 4days!

2nd birth - hospital - 2hrs - easy, not trauma, on fear, great experience, home in 4hrs!

3rd birth - home - 10mins - easy, no trauma, no fear, FANTASTIC experience......

Looking back, didnt even think of homebirth, they were for tree hugging hippys that lived in byron bay LOL.....followed the system because thats just what you did. Now feel totally lucky, like i had a very close escape from certain disaster having my babys in hospital (ok so a bit extreme but you get the idea). 3rd baby i just had the thought from the moment i fell pregnant. I will have this baby at home as WHY would i have it anywhere else! There was just NO need either time before to use up a hospital bed. I was perfectly ok and so were my babies! Home was right for our family. and if/when we have number 4 it will be at home

[Julie Doula]

Wow, Tegam - did you say 10 MINUTES with bub #3? Woah, you are the woman! I'll have to read that birth story! Sounds like home is the perfect place for you to be with super-fast births ...

Did your midwife make it or was it a freebirth??