Birth in my country
Options for Birth in the UK
Expectant mums have a few options for where to give birth in the UK. You can change your mind as your pregnancy progresses and you get advice from doctors and midwives. Generally, if all things are going well, you can choose where you wish to have your baby.
Curious about your options? Read on.
The hospital is the most common place to give birth. You have access to doctors, nurses, midwives, and all the medical staff you’d need. You will also have access to all the forms of pain relief such as epidurals.
All the specialist care you might need will be right there too, so you don’t have to travel anywhere or change locations. You may not have the same midwife you’ve seen throughout your pregnancy, but there will be a team of people should you need something. You are also in the safest place should something go wrong.
The downside to a hospital birth may be their accommodations for your birth partner. Under some circumstances, your partner may not be able to stay with you the whole time you are in labour, something to consider.
These centres are more comfortable than a labour ward in a hospital, but not quite like home. Midwifery centres can either be part of a hospital with access to obstetric, neonatal, and anaesthetic care (Alongside the Midwife-led Unit or AMU) - OR a separate building without access to these (Free-standing Midwife-led Unit or FMU). If you choose to give birth in a midwife centre then you need to find the locations of the ones in your area.
Midwife centres are similar to home births in that, should you encounter issues during your labour your midwife may recommend you be transferred to the hospital labour ward. You may also choose to go there yourself if you feel you need access to the hospital’s facilities. If you choose an FMU, it is a good back up plan to know where the nearest hospital is located in case you need one.
Whatever type of birth centre you choose, you should be informed of everything you can choose or control. You will be told what pain relief is available. You should have access to mats, yoga balls, birth pools, etc., and some places may let you have access to light and temperature controls for your room.
Advantages of birth centres:
- Comfortable
- Accommodations for birth partners
- Close to home or your own home
- Continuous access to midwives, and if you are at an AMU you may also have access to a broader range of care.
When you have a straightforward pregnancy without complications, you can give birth in your own home. It can be a safe option and may even be more comfortable for some women. You have quite a lot of control over the environment. You can have the lighting you want, music playing as loud as you wish, only the people you want present, plus your midwife.
It is always good to seek the advice of your doctor and midwife before making this choice, as with your first baby there is a slightly increased risk of problems during home birth1. If you are having twins or multiple babies, it is not as safe for you to stay home, and a doctor will probably advise you to go to the hospital. However, if you have no pregnancy complications and prefer the idea of being able to cuddle your baby in the comfort of your home straight away, then home birth is absolutely an option.
Concerns to keep in mind for home birth:
- Pain relief options will be limited - You can still have access to gas and air but the stronger pain relief options such as epidurals are not going to be available in your home. You do have access to non-medication-based relief such as birth pools and yoga balls.
- No intervention – now for some this idea might be ideal, but keep in mind that if things start to go wrong you may need to transfer to the hospital to receive help.
Your choice should be made with all the advice you receive in mind, but it should be respected by those around you. Ensure that you tell your midwife what you have planned as they will help you get prepped. Give them as much warning as possible. You can also choose to book an independent midwife if there is one in your area, but this will cost more.
Choosing cord blood banking will not change the rest of your birth plan. If you choose delayed cord clamping, if you choose home birth, if you want to keep the placenta - you can do all of this. The phlebotomist that collects the cord blood simply needs to do the collection in a separate room. This happens after the baby is born, the cord is cut, and the placenta is delivered. If you choose cord blood banking with Cells4Life you can also preserve tissue from your placenta.
Contributed by Cells4Life.
References:
- NHS. Where to give birth: the options. Last updated 2021-04-08