Meet the midwife

The home birth team came to the house on Monday. The team was a midwife and student midwife come to take various measurements and answer all our questions about home birth. It's rare enough a medical professional comes to your home, so that was in our thoughts above everything else.

Of course we spent the entire week before cleaning the place just so they wouldn't end up saying I'm afraid your place isn't clean enough to give birth in. It’s the labour centre for you! before giving an evil laugh and dropping a smoke bomb to hide their escape. But that didn’t happen. We sat around the kitchen table having a pleasant discussion. The downside being, the whole time I was tempted to say And why don’t we go down to the bedrooms and see how clean they are, but perhaps them thinking me sane and not at all creepy is the better approach.

Of all the people we've met at the various hospitals during this pregnancy, these were the first to actually try to convince us to do a home birth. Everyone we've come across so far has told us the dangers and other problems associated with giving birth at home. The closest we'd come was a consultant who essentially said well, it's your choice, you know what you're doing, so do what you want.

This was different. They spent half the time telling us all the ways that a home birth is good for the mother and good for the baby. And that we should expect a faster, easier birth. They made it clear it would not be a home invasion – though they did say they require tea and snacks, so we have to take their orders in advance. How we chose to do the birth in the house was up to us. They don't require a specific room, it's all about the mother being comfortable.

They also suggested renting a birthing pool, but, given the only place we have enough space for it is the balcony, L decreed that an al fresco birth, while primal, would not qualify as "comfortable".

It was nice to hear at what stage to call them, how many people would be there, what happens if things go wrong, how long they stay after, what paperwork we get at the end, how to register the birth and so on. They also actively engaged me in conversation, rather than looking up surprised with a Oh you're still here look when I speak. All in all, a fairly comfortable experience which has left me much happier about the whole plan.

Also in the good news is the baby is no longer breech. So that’s a win too.