Monthly Archives: July 2016

Birthed in to Daddy’s Hands

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Our due date according to the 12 week “dating” scan was 22nd April 2016. 
I was hopeful that it would happen then as it was reported to be a full moon on this day and I was very nervous about going over as I had a fear of induction.

Friday 22nd came and went. On Saturday the weather was cool but sunny, the bluebells were out everywhere so I had found a walk through a bluebell wood quite close by. I wasn’t expecting to complete the full 2 mile walk, being 40 weeks pregnant, however, it was such a lovely location, my husband and I ended up doing the full circuit. By the time I got back to the car, I felt that I’d over done it. I wasn’t able to lift my legs into the car. I worried myself a little.

We paused on the way back to the house for some provisions, some scones for that afternoon, some biscuits for the midwives that we were expecting any day and a chicken to roast for the following day.

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Further Information

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If you are considering birthing your baby at home we recommend that you discuss this with your health care provider, who knows you and your family, and is aware of your medical history and any special considerations.

If you live in Surrey, Hampshire and West Sussex, under the care of the Royal Surrey County Hospital, you can contact the Surrey Hills Home Birth Team to explore your birth place options and any questions you might have.

There are several ways of contacting us. You can either express your interest with your current community midwife, who will forward your details to the team, or you can contact the team directly on 07467339395 or via email to our team rsch.homebirth.referrals@nhs.net

Alternatively come along to one of our monthly informal home birth forum’s to meet the team and other mums who are planning to have or have had home births. ( Currently unavailable due to covid-19 social distancing rules)

You may find the following resources helpful when making decisions about who you would like to support you through the childbearing continuum and where you would like to birth your baby.

The Association for Improvements in Maternity Services
AIMS is a well established volunteer organisation which works with health professionals and parents to improves maternity services in the united kingdom. They are a fantastic independent resource of information and support, promoting normal birth and choice, and protecting the rights of childbearing women.

Better Births: Improving outcomes of maternity services in England
A national review of the maternity service which sets out wide-ranging proposals designed to make care safer and give women greater control and more choices.

The Birth Place Study
The Birth Place Cohort Study looked at data from 64,000 “low risk” births, including 17,000 home births, and examined the risks and benefits of birthing across all settings (home, free standing midwifery led unit, along side midwifery led unit and consultant led unit).

Cochrane: Benefits and harms of planned hospital birth compared with planned home birth for low-risk pregnant women
The Cochrane Collaboration (37,000 contributors from more than 130 countries) promote evidence based decision making by providing high quality and accessible systematic reviews of all of the available research evidence of a particular health care treatment/decision.

The Home Birth Reference Site
The Home Birth Reference site provides information and opinions about home birth. The site contains birth stories and comprehensive information about why you might consider home birth and many of the “what if?” questions you might have. Please note that the information on this site was last updated in 2010.

NHS Choices-Where to give birth: The options
A reliable source of information for all areas of health, The NHS Choices has a very user-friendly site with lots of basic information about all of your birth choices.

National Institute for Clinical Excellence: Intrapartum care for healthy women and babies
The National Institute for clinical excellence (NICE) provide national guidance and advice to improve heath and social care. They have published a number of guidelines for pregnancy, labour, postnatal and paediatric care. The website also contains a search facility which allows the user to find research and articles on a specific aspect of health or social care.

What to do if your wishes and requests are not being considered

Professional Midwifery Advocates and Senior Midwives are available to offer help and guidance to midwives, women and families in their care. They can help and support you if you are having any problems with your care, or if you feel that your wishes and requests are not being considered. S/he is an experienced midwife who is available to discuss your birth choices fully with you and explore how any risks may be minimised. S/he is available to support you and the midwife caring for you to ensure that you have a positive and safe birth outcome. You can ask to speak to a supervisor of midwives at any time during your pregnancy, labour and after birth.

You can learn more about your human rights and how they apply to childbearing by visiting Birthrights.