One of the greatest benefits of a home birth is the fact you can stay in your own environment throughout the labour process. You can be comfortable and confident in your own surroundings with the reassuring sounds and smells of your own home.
If you and our team decide that a home birth is the right option for you, you will need to provide your own birthing equipment if you wish to use it such as birthing balls. You may want to use a pool at home. If so, you would need to look into hiring one and make yourself aware of any insurance requirements this might have. We are unable to provide birthing pools for use at home.
Criteria for Home Birth
We can recommend it is safe for you to have a home birth if you are experiencing a low risk pregnancy. There are some situations where a home birth may still be considered as a safe recommendation when you are experiencing a high risk pregnancy. You will need to discuss this with one of our team first. If you wish to discuss home birth as an option, contact your community midwife or speak to your consultant.
Birthing partners
Due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, we have adjusted our policy on birthing partners at home birth. Currently;
- We ask you to restrict your birthing partner to one individual, preferably from the same household. If you or your birth partner is either positive of, or has any signs and symptoms of COVID-19, we ask that you contact us as soon as possible on 0191 282 5748.
Students
As a teaching hospital we will occasionally have students who may request to attend a home birth. They are mostly student midwives but could also be:
- Doctors
- Paramedics
- Nurses
The students can be at various stages of their training and may be male or female. They always appreciate your permission to watch or participate in any part of your care as this experience is vital to their training. It is your decision as to whether you will allow any student to participate or watch any or all of your care or whether you would like to decline students altogether.
