Did anyone have a Home Birth for their first child???

Just wondering if there is anyone who planned a home birth for their first?

What made you decide to avoid hospitals/OBs?

Did you feel safe and secure in your decision? How did your other half feel about it all?

Thanks in advance. :)

Planning a homebirth, this is our first bub. Why did I choose homebirth. Well, I could go into my distrust of pregnancy care in hospitals, my distaste in the thought of being 'handled' and 'managed', my fear of intervention and loss of control, my desire to birth in a relaxing manner with being forced to believe I was wing saved from certain death...but really, it just feels natural, and normal. Even a bit 'meh'. My DF agrees wholeheartedly and is so in tune with what a homebirth means to him. We are a young couple and it is just what feels natural to us :)

I planned a homebirth for my first child but she was born in hospital. I had premature rupture of membranes at 36+4 weeks and labour did not start on it's own. After 15 hours I went to hospital for monitoring then returned home. Two days later, I returned to hospital and was put on a synto drip. However, my homebirth midwives monitored me at home during those 72 hours and were at hospital with me during labour and birth (and did home visits post-birth). This was incredibly reassuring and helped me to let go of the homebirth dream for that birth.
Like PZ, I chose homebirth as an option because it felt natural to me. I believe in my ability to birth and felt confident that I could do it without intervention (ironically I ended up needing intervention!).
However, I went on to have my 2nd child and 3rd child at home, and WOW, homebirth IS everything I imagined and hoped it would be. I would never hesitate to birth at home if we have another child in the future.
The continuity of care is reassuring. The familiar surrounds of my home helped me to relax and focus inwards during labour. And I really can't convey how awesome it was to hop in to my own bed with my precious bub shortly after birth.
I hope some of that info is useful.

I wish I had! I really wanted a HB first time but talked myself out of it based on the cost. My H and I weren't concerned about birth though so that wasn't a factor in the decision not to HB. I went to a birth centre and spent so much of my pregnancy fretting about birthing in a hospital- I really should have planned a HB! I would have felt much safer and secure with a decision to HB than I did with the decision to go to a BC.

It irks me no end that when I planned the HB second time around loads of people say "well, at least you had the first one safely so the HB should be okay". There's a perception that you should go to hospital for your first birth to 'prove yourself' and it's crap. Hospitals have so many timelines and rules that typically long first labours don't fit into very well so you're better off at home.

We planned our first as a homebirth, but transferred to hospital when I went into labour at 35wks. It turned out to be where we needed to be for that birth, but I believe I would not have had a drug free, natural vaginal breech birth without the advocacy of our IMs.

The reason we chose a HB, is when we first became pregnant, we were with a private OB. I detested the treatment and we realised I'd feel safer at home. So we interviewd for an IM before getting pregnant again (first ended in m/c).

All our ante-natal appointments were in our living room and took about an hour. No waiting in hospitals. Our IM worked with us is preparing for birth and for life with a new baby. We developed a relationship that meant we could trust her to make decisions on our behalf because she knew our preferences. I believe the continuity of care is priceless. We ended up with a joyful, empowered birth, even though it was not at home.

The link to our birth story is in my sig.

I wish I had! I know many women who have and I know many more women who wish they had :)

Good luck with YOUR choice ;)

xx

Yes, our first was a planned homebirth. DW is a midwife, I am a nurse, we both agreed that it was the best place to give birth after a normal pregnancy. It went really well.

I had two hospital births in a country town before i even thought of a HB and it was my OB that suggested one! AMAZING i know and so was the homebirth!

double post!