"Unsuccessful homebirth"

I had planned on giving birth at home. I’d registered with the homebirth team, spent money on hiring a pool, and was looking forward to a relaxing birthing experience in my own environment. However, the morning that my waters broke I phoned maternity triage and was informed that the homebirth service was not running. What followed was a series of events, which I believe wouldn’t have happened if I could have had the homebirth I wanted.

When I phoned triage at 00:30, I was informed the homebirth service wasn’t running and was advised to come into assessment to check my waters had indeed gone. I spent a couple of hours there, waters breaking was confirmed and I started getting mild, irregular contractions. I went home, as I knew I wasn’t in established labour, and I wanted to wait until 7:30 to see if the homebirth team would be running the following shift.

By 5am my contractions were strong and I knew I wasn’t going to make it until 7:30. I called triage again who advised I come in or call an ambulance if I didn’t think I could make the journey. We called an ambulance and my husband and son followed us in the car. During the ride I began crowning but the decision by the ambulance staff was to try and get me up to labour ward before I delivered. Out of the ambulance it was clear I wasn’t going to make it up and instead the crew tried to find me somewhere in A&E to birth. It was grim going through A&E. They found me a bay but there was at least 10 members of staff around me, I didn’t know who they were and why they were there because the ambulance team delivered my baby. Shortly afterwards some midwives arrived to take me up to the ward.

Once on floor 13 I kept loosing blood; although slowly, the quantity of blood loss meant I was technically haemorrhaging and needed manual clot removal and drugs to stop the bleeding. It was really uncomfortable having the clots removed. I have bruising on my hand where a midwife (from the night shift) tried putting a cannula in my hand, but messed it up and my hand bled profusely. I also have a bruise on the inside of my arm from the second cannula they inserted.

I required stitches for a 2nd degree tear. I believe that if I had been able to labour at home, in a pool, I wouldn’t have been in the physical mess I found myself in. Not to mention the mental upset that my husband wasn’t with me during the pushing stage and he missed the birth of our son.

While I appreciate that steps are in place to improve the homebirth experience, the proof is in the pudding. I do not believe that the service should be offered if it can’t be fulfilled.