Giving Birth

When it comes to choosing the place where you want to give birth and how do you want your birth experience to be,  there are so many options that I was very confused at the beginning of my pregnancy.

It can be very difficult to make a decision, so don’t feel alone, you’re not the only one who doesn’t have a clue of what to choose. Specially if like me, you’re a first time mum who doesn’t know what to expect from labour.

The best thing to do is to read a lot and get familiar with the different options:

Hospital Birth:

In the UK approximately 97% of babies are born in hospital. A lot of people feel safer in a hospital as you have instant access to life-saving equipment and specialists available for any complications or emergencies. This can be very reassuring for first time mums.

The good thing is that you’re free to choose any hospital you want so ask your GP and also friends who have recently had babies for recommendations. But don’t forget that the distance of the hospital from your home or work is something to bear in mind as you don’t want to spend an hour in a car when the contractions are kicking in.

There are some questions that are always good to ask, try to get as much information about the Hospital as possible. It’s important to know:

  • Their attitude about induction (when labour is started artificially)
  • Caesarean rates
  • Parking facilities
  • Can I move around during labour?
  • Can I eat or drink during labour?
  • Do they use fetal monitoring intermittently or continuously?
  • Do they have 24 hours epidural service?
  • How long will I stay in the hospital after the birth? Can my partner stay with me?
  • What are the visiting times?
  • Do they have birthing pools and midwives that are experienced in water birth?
  • If I want a natural birth (without drugs) what are the types of pain relief available?
  • Do they have a Birth Centre alongside their conventional maternity units?

Home Birth:

If you prefer the idea of giving birth in familiar surroundings you could choose a home birth!

In order to have a home birth you will have to talk to your GP as he or she is the person responsible for organising your maternity care. I guess GPs will be against home births only if they think you and baby would be safer in hospital, however I’ve read that a number of studies have concluded that home births are very safe for women who have a low-risk pregnancy.

The National Childbirth Trust (NCT) run some birth support groups and can supply a lot of information. Birth pools can be rented and in most areas midwives are supportive of a woman’s choice to have a home birth and will do their best to provide a good service for you.