Where would you give birth?

[go_away]

Inspired by SCC's recent successful home birth!

Today it was announced that by 2009, expectant mothers will be able to choose whether they go to hospital, a midwife-led unit or stay at home to have their children delivered

How on earth this will be implemented given the way maternity services already are in some areas, if you were going to give birth, where would you want to do it? And why?

Hospital?
Midwife-led birth centre?
Home?
Never?

Interested in what the men would also do if it was physically possible for them!

My choice would always be in hospital. I don't like hospitals, I don't like the way a lot of women are treated when they are giving birth, but I'm not prepared to risk even the smallest risk 'just in case' I needed urgent medical assistance, as every second counts. If 'home-from-home' birth centres had fully equipped theatres in them rather than relying on transferring to hospital if needed, I'd happily give birth there.

[Ballerina]

I think i'm with you there go away. I hate hospitals and i don't like the way women are treated in there, but if i suddenly needed a c section or heamorraged - i'd want to be in a hospital. Especially if it was my first and i didn't know what i was about to go through.

[I'm With Stupid]

Originally Posted by go_away

Interested in what the men would also do if it was physically possible for them!

Depends what was on TV at the time. Wouldn't want to miss anything good by going to the hospital.

[go_away]

[Flashman's Ghost]

Originally Posted by I'm With Stupid

Depends what was on TV at the time. Wouldn't want to miss anything good by going to the hospital.

Go private they'd arrange a TV to be around if there was anything good on.

On a more serious note if I was a woman I'd go hospital, but I'd like to be given the choice to have it at home

I would always choose a homebirth if the choice was there. Unfortunately that choice is never going to be fully available to us all in every situation even if these funds did appear down the back of the sofa or wherever they're going to find them. I'm unable to have a homebirth this time around which is disappointing but such is life. I have heard some shocking stories about hospital births which could curl your hair, but they are constantly trying to improve the situation that expectant mothers are in in all these circumstances.

My sister in law had a natural home waterbirth when she delivered my niece and it was beautiful and fantastic and she wouldn't have changed it for the world, even though complications did arise after the birth and mother and baby did have to go into hospital.

[Wyetry]

Err not that i'm pregnant but i'm torn between all the options - I'd much rather have a home birth - i'm only about a mile or so from the hospital anyway in case of any complications and i've totally bought into the whole being relaxed at homeness.

However the husband categorically does not want me to have one which I think is unfair - its my body I think i should choose where I give birth.

[go_away]

I know where you're coming from Wyetry. About a year ago had you asked me, I would have told you I'd be intent on having a homebirth (possibly even unassisted) but my partner hated the idea. Depending on the type of literature and information people seek, some partners do warm to the idea of homebirths, but I know that my partner would be scared stiff the entire time he was born as the result of a crash c-section under general anaesthetic (a real 'emergency' rather than the usual definition of emergency which is unplanned), and while it isn't hereditary, the one question that caused me to do a 180 was, "Could I live with myself if something happened that could have otherwise been treated quickly?" And for me, that answer was no.

I really don't think hospitals are necessarily the best of places to give birth though. Michel Odent pioneered a fantastic centre in France, and if that money tree did exist, I wish that could be the norm in the UK. Still, when the time comes, my partner has his role - as a buffer between myself, staff members and unnecessary intervention.

[Wyetry]

I think my ideal would be a birthing center - but there aren't any as far as I can tell and with me money isn't even an option - i'd be happy to pay for one but i've only found one in the whole of south london and its miles from my house and only does about 3 births a year - which is kind of scary.

Its mad even if you've got loads of cash the choice is so limited (I'm not saying that I have loads). Given that i live in london I would have thought it would have been greater but my only two viable options are still either my local NHS hospital or the Portman or the chealsea and westminster which is essentially a bit of a nicer room in an NHS hospital (both of the last two are around an hours drive or more in rush hour and not really practical if your in labour).

I am mildly swayed by the Portmans offer of a molton brown goodie bag and a bottle of champagne upon the arrival of the baby.

[go_away]

Its mad even if you've got loads of cash the choice is so limited (I'm not saying that I have loads). Given that i live in london I would have thought it would have been greater but my only two viable options are still either my local NHS hospital or the Portman or the chealsea and westminster which is essentially a bit of a nicer room in an NHS hospital (both of the last two are around an hours drive or more in rush hour and not really practical if your in labour).

Oh totally [south Londoner too]. It's very frustrating and scary - which are not the emotions that a pregnant woman should have when thinking about her options.

[Amira]

For the sake of safety, i wouldnt give birth anywhere apart from a private hospital. I would ideally like a water-birth but unfortunately that option isn't available in hospitals here...so if it was a healthy pregnancy with no risk and doctors thought it would be a simple labour, i would have a home [water] birth at the in-laws.

[go_away]

Is there a particular reason that water-births aren't an option where you live? Would they let a woman labour in water at all?

.so if it was a healthy pregnancy with no risk and doctors thought it would be a simple labour, i would have a home [water] birth at the in-laws.

Where would you send the in-laws, assuming you wouldn't have them in the house?

[Miffy]

It's hospital for me I'm afraid. I'm not quite sure exactly what it is about the idea of a home birth that puts me off. I think it might be partly because I want to be able to scream in anonymity, without the neighbours listening!

Whilst I was expecting Sophie and I was obsessively watching all the baby and birth programmes on Discovery Health, there was one on there where the lady had a home birth and for a minute the baby looked like it wasn't going to breathe by itself, and whilst I know that the midwives are trained in rescusitation and everything, my heart was absolutely in my mouth, and it wasn't even my baby. I knew then that I'd been right that hospital was the right choice for me.

Also, for personal reasons which I won't go into, I don't think Mr M could take the strain of a home birth, simillarly to Go Away's bloke.

I think I should say also that whilst I appreciate that there ARE NHS horror stories out there, I have had six good experiences and some very good care from some wonderful midwives at four different hospitals.

[go_away]

I think I should say also that whilst I appreciate that there ARE NHS horror stories out there, I have had six good experiences and some very good care from some wonderful midwives at four different hospitals.

Out of interest, Miffy, did you see the same midwife throughout your pregnancies? A friend of mine recently gave birth and the first appointment she had, she loved the midwife and they established a really good rapport, then at another appointment she had a different midwife, and she didn't really have a good experience with that particular lady. Luckily when she gave birth, she saw her lovely midwife again and she stayed on after her shift had finished. I know it's not always possible to see the same person owing to shifts etc, but one thing that really scares me about hospitals would be to be 'stuck' with a midwife who I didn't like at an earlier appointment.

Not sure how exactly it works though.

[Amira]

Originally Posted by go_away

Is there a particular reason that water-births aren't an option where you live? Would they let a woman labour in water at all?



Where would you send the in-laws, assuming you wouldn't have them in the house?

well from what i've been told, it just doesn't seem like there is a big enough demand for water births here....so its not viable to have the facilities.

And in terms of the in-laws being around, the house is huge....if i had the birth in our bathroom then i'd just have to deal with kicking out his brother from the room across the living room. Or otherwise i could do it in the big jacuzzi in the basement and have the door to that area closed off. But ofcourse that means anyone going to the garage or coming into the house would hear me scream