Home Birth Information

Homebirth in Mid Essex Maternity services

Nationally, the tide is turning towards homebirth and there is growing support from professional and governmental bodies. The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) 2007, states that the information "...suggests that among women who plan to give birth at home...there is a higher likelihood of a normal birth with less intervention."

The Chelmsford, Braintree and Maldon midwives offer homebirth to all low risk women having their first to fourth baby. Following that, we assess according to clinical risk.

Sometimes even though a homebirth has been commenced it is clinically necessary to transfer some women to hospital.  The transfer rate for a patient in her first pregnancy (primigravida) is about  30% nationally and 1-12% for patients in their second or subsequent pregnancies (multigravida). The most common reasons for transfer are slow progress and concern for the wellbeing of the baby.

Homebirth is a wonderful option for patients and allows the midwives to practice as they were taught, providing continuity of care.

Criteria for Homebirths

The criteria are the same as for midwife-led care:

• 37 completed weeks and under 42 weeks

• Low risk obstetric history

• Iron level >10 g/dl

• Singleton pregnancy

• Head first (cephalic) presentation

• Clinically well grown baby

• Body mass index of the mother (BMI) within normal limits)

The final decision is usually made later in the pregnancy when the criteria have been met but we can plan for it at your booking appointment.

The Advantages of a Homebirth

• Feeling more relaxed and calm and as a result needing less pain relief

• A greater feeling of control

• The labour can proceed at its’ own pace

• Freedom to move around / eat and drink / receive visitors

• Not having to leave other children/ partner for the duration of the labour / birth

• Less risk of intervention

The Disadvantages of a Homebirth

There are some events, which when they occur, necessitate transfer to Broomfield Hospital Labour Ward. These can occur at any time during the labour, birth and delivery of the placenta.

There is no access to epidural analgesia, if this was requested, you would have to be transferred to Broomfield Hospital during labour.

Care Plan for Women Having Homebirth

If you decide to have a homebirth, your community midwife will visit you at home at around 36-37 weeks of pregnancy to discuss homebirth in more detail.  At this visit you will have an antenatal check. Your midwife will also discuss with you the situations which may necessitate transfer into hospital.

When labour commences you must call the labour ward.  The midwife receiving the call will then contact your community midwife - if she is on duty.  If not she will contact the midwife who is on call. The community midwife will then ring youand make a plan as to when she needs to attend, based on the information you give her. Once in established labour you will be attended by one midwife who then calls a second midwife for the birth or at
any time for support.

The midwives will generally stay with you for 1-3 hours following the birth depending on the individual needs. You are then left with contact numbers and advice. A community midwife trained to perform the initial baby check will visit after 6 hours or the next day depending on the time of birth.

Community midwives bring all the equipment needed, including entonox but we ask that you provide plenty of old towels and sheets and an ‘old’ clean sheet to provide a cover for all furniture and floors although the mess is usually less than anticipated.