Re: Giving birth
 

Although woman have and still give birth completely naturally at home, we have been brought up to think that you can only have a baby at the hospital. I think I would probably like the security of knowing I was in the best place if anything went wrong, although I would definitely opt for a single room rather than a ward afterwards (if I have the cash when the time comes!). Epidural's sound quite scary - I know giving birth would be painful but I would rather be in control of my body. Also I have heard tales of when epidurals go wrong - not nice.

Re: Giving birth
 

Home births are lovely when everything goes to plan. We have strict criteria for who is suitable and who is not. Everything has to be completely normal, including the mother's health prior to pregnancy, previous difficult births ie Caesarians are not recommended to have home birth. Funnily enough, a lot of people who want home birth do so because they have had a previously difficult birth in hospital. The Obstetricians usually try to talk them out of it and then wash their hands of them, because if the birth is not in hospital, they do not have to attend it. The midwife cannot refuse to attend a woman in labour wherever she may be, we will transfer to hospital in an emergency, but if the woman refuses despite all explanations to come to hospital we cannot make her. As long as she understands that if there is any adverse outcome, then she hasn't a leg to stand on if all medical procedures to prevent that outcome were followed (and they usually are). 2 midwives will attend a home birth (the GP's round here will have nothing to do with them) One midwife is usually very experienced at home birth and has usually had a lot of experience on delivery suite. The 2nd midwife may have had experience on delivery suite, but may never have attended a home birth (it's the only way to get experience). We do it a bit differently at home and it's really nice, but to be honest working full time and doing on call at night is knackering me at the moment. One of our home births delivered last week, and I have another due in a fortnight...

Re: Giving birth
 

Wouldn't recommend an epidural it was the worse experiance of my life.
Ended up using gas and air has well due to the fact that I couldn't have a top up coz the anethatist went home.

Re: Giving birth
 

Well Jo I hope you feel a bit more at ease now - but everyone's advise has put me off for a while!

Re: Giving birth
 

Right that's it, I've decided - I've finished information gathering and I've decided I'm going private and to hell with it! You lot have scared me to death.
The deal is this. I try a natural birth with a water bath and homeopathic pain relief whilst listening to relaxing music. If that doesn't work I go for real medicine, like the stuff you take for period pains, and if I'm still too soft, I get an epidural. And if the baby refuses to come out after all that time, I get a cesarean.
Hope it doesn't go as far as the cesarean, cos that'll burn a whole in my pocket, but I've decided - it's worth every Euro!!
Ps. I'm well into the rasperry-leaf tea - I have a cup every night before bed!
Thanks everyone for your advice, watch this space....

Re: Giving birth
 

We will be doing....not long to go now!