Home vs hospital births - the iVillage debate

The iVillage birth debateShould I have my baby at home? Will I manage better in hospital? iVillage mums discuss their different experiences of labour and delivery




Why choose?
With baby's birth looming, most Mums in the UK opt to give birth in hospital. With only two per cent of mums delivering at home, it appears that fear of the unknown is still a big factor when it comes to deciding where to have your baby.

In normal, uncomplicated pregnancies, where mum is in good physical health, a home birth can be as safe as a hospital birth. On the other hand, many women feel secure knowing that medical help (and painkillers!) are close by when delivering in hospital.

Ultimately, it's all about choice and having the birth option that's best for you and your baby. No matter where you have your baby, every parent wants the best possible outcome - a healthy, happy baby.

I've given birth in hospital and at home
'I had a home birth with my third son in August 2005 after having two hospital births. The hospital births weren't particularly bad, but I felt very much like a patient, strapped to a machine, lying on a bed and being told what to do and when.

'My home birth was a completely different and amazing experience. I laboured wandering round my home, laughing and joking - yes, even towards the end, during contractions! I did everything I wanted, when I wanted to. As for pain relief, I only had a bit of gas and air towards the end. It was a wonderful experience and if I'm mad enough to go through it all again, I'd definitely do it at home, if possible. This is not to say I'm against hospitals and hospital births. Not at all, after all I am a nurse, but for me home birth was the best.'
scarletttears

My hospital birth was great
'My baby girl, Molly, was induced at 37 weeks gestation. The induction wasn't nice at all (the internal and the prostin gel) but once it was done, my partner and I walked around for a bit, then I sat in a nice warm bath for about an hour. I had some lunch with my partner and my aunty, who'd come to sit with me. After a while, I had pethidine for pain relief but at no time was I continuously monitored or strapped to the bed. Every time I had a contraction I leapt up and leant over the bed while the midwife rubbed my back and commented on how unusually agile I was.

'Molly was born without help. In fact, her whole body shot out in one push and I didn't need an episiotomy or stitches. The whole thing lasted just nine hours 40 minutes from being induced to holding my daughter.

'I've heard that you're more relaxed in your own home but if you have a good level of care at the hospital and have a relaxed and positive attitude I don't see why you won't have a good experience there.'
phoenix1985

I had my first baby at home
'My first baby Jamie was delivered at home and the experience was so special, I will definitely be planning to have my second child at home too. As he was my first, I can't comment on comparing it to a hospital delivery but from what I've heard from other mums, I'm so glad I went with my instincts and had my home birth. It really was the best thing for me and my baby. He's a very happy, calm baby who started smiling at four weeks and hasn't stopped since! I personally think that's got a lot to do with his relaxed and calm delivery and a mum who was lucky enough to get the birth experience she hoped for.'
gingernut

I wish I'd been able to deliver at home
'I have had bleeding during all my pregnacies and, on each occasion, was told by my GP that it would be unsafe for me to have a home birth.

'With my first child, I had a natural labour, with only gas and air. It was fabulous and everything went at the right speed and was safe.

'With my second, I was induced three weeks early and nearly ended up with a c-section because my daughter's heart rate was too fast. Luckily I was able to make a monumental effort to push her out at the last minute, although when she was born, she was cold and in shock and needed a bit of oxygen.

'With my third, my waters were broken to start labour. After two hours of labour I was put on a hormone drip because my contractions were 'only' every few minutes. Once the drip was in the pain was so much worse and my son's heart rate was all over the place. I was breathing so hard on the gas and air that my hands locked into place around the mouthpiece. I had to have an internal monitor clipped onto my baby's head. My son was born safely and the labour only lasted a couple of hours but everyone in that delivery room had been panicking, not an ideal way to have a baby.

'My three experiences of childbirth grew progressively worse and I believe that this was because doctors - mostly men who have no idea about the natural processes of labour - got involved and made each birth more technical. How I wish I had had the home births I wanted.'
mammafloss

I started at home, but ended up in hospital
'Gemma was born at home, just as I'd hoped for, weighing a whopping 9lb 8oz. I was quite smug about it as I didn't require any stitches and escaped with a couple of minor grazes which gave me no trouble at all.

'While the birth itself was fine, things went a bit wrong when the placenta refused to budge, so I had to go to hospital after all. Luckily, I managed to deliver it in the labour suite and was discharged again after a couple of hours. Despite this little trauma, home birth was definitely much better than a hospital birth for me.'
mumjane

If you're considering a homebirth or would like to share your experience of it, visit our Home Births messageboard.