Hospital the sole option for Emma and Paul
Home birth, finally, best says Siobhan
NEW mum Siobhan Thomas was determined to have a home birth and husband Richard is convinced it was the right decision.
Although at almost the last hurdle there was the possibility that baby Milo, now aged five months, would be born in hospital after all.
“I just didn’t want to go to hospital,” says 25-year-old dance teacher Siobhan, who is on maternity leave. “I have never had to go to hospital and I have a real fear of staying there overnight. I knew that home births were possible because I am one of four children and two of us were born at home. But I didn’t think they would let us do it now. It was only when I was telling the midwife my worries about hospital that she said ‘why are you having the baby at hospital then?’”
Richard, a 28-year-old business manager, admits he was initially reluctant.
“I hadn’t really thought about a home birth. Whenever you think of people having babies you just tend to think of them having them at hospital,” he says.
But he was happy to support Siobhan’s choice - although there was a last-minute hitch.
“My pregnancy had been textbook and everything was fine for the home birth,” says Siobhan. “We had a pool all set up. When the pains first started I phoned up and was put through to the birth centre but they told me everything was still OK.”
In fact Siobhan was in slow labour. By the time the contractions began to really kick in she phoned again - only to be told she would have to attend the hospital as there were not enough midwives to attend her at home.
“I don’t think they ever told me that could happen and it was very stressful,” recalls Siobhan. “They said it was the busiest night in months and they didn’t have enough staff.”
Siobhan ended up in the birth centre - but staff told her she still was not ready to give birth. “They said that if I could stand the pain I could go home or I could stay there if I wanted. That was about 4am and they told me that the shift would change at 7am and there would be more staff and I would be able to have a home birth.”
So Siobhan packed her bags again and went home. In the event baby Milo was born after midnight with the help of community midwives Louise Wilde and Lorraine Oates - and everything was just perfect.
“It was just so relaxed,” says Siobhan. “There were the two midwives and they should actually have finished their shifts but they stayed on with us.
“They were really calm and were there when we needed them but weren’t fussing all of the time.”
Siobhan’s mum Yvonne Bradley, and sisters Anita Gough and Kerrey Clarke were there. Richard was to keep them all fed.
“It was really nice being in our own home and being able to get things when we wanted them. If we wanted a cup of tea we could just get one,” says Richard. “We actually had fish and chips. I went to the chip shop down the road and when I told them my wife was in labour they let me have them on the house.
“Because Siobhan was so relaxed, I was relaxed. It may sound silly but it is nice to think this is the house where Milo was born. When he is older and we may have moved to another house if we ever pass this one it will still be the place he was born and grew up.”
Richard is an enthusiastic fan of home birth. “I would recommend it to anyone. I am telling all my mates it is the thing to do.”
