After experiencing one with my second child (failed first time due to 'slow' progression) to me there was no other place to give birth.
It was absolutely amazing and everything I had imagined.
I gave birth to Charlotte in water after a very easy 3 hour labour (I will add her birth story at the end) it was practically painless until transition and the energy in the room really helped me feel calm and able to get through to the end.
Olivia's birth was far from this magical experience and totally traumatised me, not only this but I felt robbed of the right birth experience and felt that the birth was not at all how it should have been. It affected my relationship with my daughter and it took a long time to get over.
When I found out we were expecting twins horror hit me right in the face........ damn I am going to have to give birth at hospital. The fear totally spread over every bit of excitement that I had started to feel.
I read many twin hospital birth stories and most were actually pretty awful. The amount of intervention was just as much as my first birth, and then worse many gave birth in theatre surrounded by people waiting to jump on them and shove their hands and instruments into these poor women and totally take over what could have been a very normal (as in allowing the mother to birth her babies as intended) and natural birth.
Women are expected to go in and lay on their backs, have an epidural and syntocinon drip as standard 'just in case'
Now many will read that and think well I don't think it's that bad? but this is what I was given during my first birth. I nearly ended up with a cesarean section but instead was cut and she was forcefully pulled out of me with the ventouse. The pain from this was excruciating and after couldn't sit properly for 6 weeks.
I am 100% that this also traumatised Olivia, imagine coming into the world being pulled out by your head then into a very very bright room having been inside a dark and comfortable place where you felt safe?
Not only this but due to the heavy intervention (which I believe it is) I will more likely need assistance again (ventouse, forceps) or even worse end up with both or one coming out by csection.
Their reasoning for all this intervention?
As with all births there are risks of cord prolapse, high blood pressure and baby becoming distressed, with this their reasoning is that the second baby could experience this, could turn and/or be footling breech. The cases where intervention of csection is required is in only 5% of twin births. But I also wonder whether this 5% could be lower hadn't there been all the intervention in the first place?
So with all this and after reading about the attitude from consultants on twin birth I very much want to have my babies in a peaceful, calm and well looked after environment. Also taking into consideration that there is a real staff shortage at the hospital fills me with no hope of a natural birth there.
Of course all these plans and research may come to nothing, I may go into labour earlier than 37 weeks. The babies may become poorly, I may become poorly. All these warrant the NEED to go into hospital I wouldn't think twice if I or my babies were in danger. But as it stands I am planning to give birth to these babies in water in the comfort of my own home.
I will probably add more to this later when I get time as I have quite a few links I would like to share on twin home births and twin hospital births.
For now here is Charlottes home water birth story. (copy and pasted from a site I go on regularly. Please excuse typos and non smileys!)
The midwife turned up out of the blue at about 12ish as she had an extra box of goodies that would be needed, I told her what was going on and she said it sounded like things were getting ready, but could be like this for awhile yet.
At about 2ish I went to the loo as I felt really odd and saw I was trickling, thought maybe it was still wee and stood up and it was still trickling... thought "hmmm" :think: maybe........
Na!
Went to the bedroom and gush! they went ..... yep thats my waters ::
I rang the midwife, who I can say was very shocked and she said someone would be round to see me.
Rang Paul to get his butt home, text my friend who was alsio my birthpartner and rang Livis grandparents to come and get her.
I was feeling no pain still really, just the lower backache type pain, but certainly no contractions.
Lous grandparents got here and so did Paul, as they were leaving the midwife turned up. She was only the midwife who looked after me at the end of my pregnancy with Livi! :happydance: couldn't believe it... well neither could she as she moved to our area awhile ago.
My friend then turns up and off me and the middy trot upstairs for the checks 8-)
Bp fine, Lottie fine and then she goes to check me..............
Middy "Er Natasha, you did say your pains were irregular"
Me "yes"
Middy " well your verging 5cms!"
:: I could of cried I tell yer!
She got straight on the phone and got someone else to come out, she was laughing saying she couldn't believe it....... (neither could I!)
I went down stairs to tell Paul to get the pool filled quick as the middy said I was going to go quick . my friend (who is due her second child... well was due 4 days before me!) was totally shocked and was in disbelief I was walking round smiling and in no pain
About an hour after the midwife was here the pain was getting more frequent but it was all in my back, didn't hurt too bad but was rather peed about it considering she wasn't even back to back! (so you can still get it there even if baby is in best position! :smug: )
Started coming every 5 mins, still could cope fine with them but were starting to hurt a little.
Got the midwife rubbing my back and everyone was taking it in turns with the massage oil :smug: was rather nice!
Second Middy turned up aswell as a student middy and then two others it was like a circus it was around change over so that is why.. but I didn't mind as they were all so lovely!
Got checked again as the pain kicked in abit more and it was around the lower front too, I was 7 cms :happydance: and baby was well applied :thumbsup:
Still breathing through them fine and coping (made sure I was relaxed down below which really helped, its hard but honestly girls it makes it much less painfull!)
It was about 5ish and I got in the pool, it felt great! so relaxing!
I had middy wiping me with a flannel, everyone being lovely and supportive and was breathing through each one. It was really starting to hurt and felt abit weepy (I think I said id had enough )
Got out of the pool (have no idea, just felt like it ) but was finding it harder to cope with, so went back in
The first middy and other middies left leaving 2 plus the student, the pains were coming thick and fast now and I got the gas and air.
They were very close together and I was finding really hard. I was in transition and started to get upset and just didn't want to do it anymore!
All I could hear was everyone reminding me to breath (and I was tring to relax all below which again helped!) and had no time between contractions.
Then that totaly overwhelming urge to bare down started, it was so intense. I never experienced it like that with Olivia as it was assisted, so was a totaly new experience for me.
By now it was pretty much constant pain, everyone was being lovely and supportive and trying to get me to breath instead of moaning loadly (so moaned with my mouth shut and also the gas and air pipe in my mouth which btw didn't really do much apart from distract me a little)
The midwife suggested I sat in the pool instead as she was getting close, so I did (it felt loads better!)
I felt the urge to bare down again and could feel her coming down... wow what a feeling! she felt more like she was coming out of my bum
It was starting to hurt more and the midwife told me to put my hands down to feel her head coming ( getting teary thinking about it, was so lovely )
I could feel her head coming out and was getting told by everyone to pant (as I insisted I didn't want to tear and wanted help with this!)
My god the pain was so intense! but I kept panting and very very slowly her head was coming! :happydance:
Then it was out! :happydance: wow relief!
I would see her head was such a lovely moment! and the midwife said that I needed to wait for the next contaction as she was turning to be born (which I could feel! again it was amazing!)
Next contraction and out the rest of her came, I grabbed her and brought her straight up was such an overwheming beautiful moment and was grinning like a cheasure cat :smug:
I got her on the boob and we left the cord and then waited until I felt the urge to expell the placenta ( had a natural 3rd stage :happydance: ) it was still attached to her aswell which was fantastic! and within 5 mins the placenta was deliverd! :happydance:
Paul cut the cord and then I was helped out of the pool as it was getting cold for her.
Got me bits checked and thank the flammin lordy I needed no stitches! I hadn't torn or anything! :happydance: :happydance:
It was amazing! I felt (and still feel) fantastic and feel like I have achieved the most wonderful thing in the world! I got exactly what I wanted, my birth plan WENT TO PLAN! and everyone there was absolutly brilliant! the atmosphere was just the best!
Fed little one for awhile and then went for a bath... even had the midwife scrub me back :smug: now thats service!
Charlotte was weighed and came in at 6lb apgar 9
Found out today that the reason she came early is the placenta was greying and was more aged than it really should of been! so she knew it was time 8-)
Booby feeding well except she has a dyson suck but otherwise its just perfect... shes perfect
Heres a picture of my last bump pic the day before
We do have some pictures taken just after but I want them for us
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