Advantages of staying at home during the first stages of labour?

Nurse_In_Training · Apr 28, 2006

Any websites realted to this would also bw apprecaited.

:)

firstyearstudent · Apr 28, 2006

I am not a nurse (yet), but I showed up at the hospital for both my births very late. I really believe in natural childbirth so there were plenty of advantages to me, such as: no one pushing drugs (epidural, pitocin, etc.), being able to walk around, no monitoring, being able to eat and drink if I wanted. I also arrived too late for IV or even triage!

But this was because my insurance wouldn't pay for a midwife/birthing center. In that case I would have gone early and taken advantages of the support they offer.

But all this is relevant to the States where medicalized births are the norm (and what most people want, actually) and hospital protocols can be strict because of liability issues. I don't know what it's like in New Zealand.

The big con for me was hard labor while riding in a car. For people who are unlucky, the cons would include arriving too late and/or there being some kind of medical issue that needs emergency attention (cord prolapse?).

fergus51 · Apr 28, 2006

The decrease in c-sections was the biggest thing we saw at my old hospital. We did about 7000 births a year and studied them. They found that arriving before you were 3cm dilated increased your chance of getting a c-section significantly. So, we stopped admitting women before then:)

babyktchr, BSN, RN · Apr 29, 2006

I want to work where you work :bowingpur

RNnL&D · May 2, 2006

...apart from the fact that many hospitals wont take you in? *grin*
Would apprecaite your thoughts in relation to this. Both pros and cons.
Cheers,
Rachel

Finding comfort in your own space, eating and drinking as desired, free to assume whatever labor position feels best, decreased exposure to foreign bacteria, peace and quiet, no unnecessary people coming in and out of your room, visitors as desired, decreased risk of operative birth, no disruptive interventions -- continuous monitoring, vag exams.

Cons, hmmm, what cons? :lol2: I suppose waiting too long and delivering precipitously at home would be a con to some people, though it worked out just fine for me.

SmilingBluEyes · May 2, 2006

I would think advantages obvious:

can eat lightly as you labor

can shower, move and lay as you choose without monitors and other intrusive devices in the way

can be in the comfort of your own home as you labor....

BUT we still ALWAYS advise moms to come in if they are ruptured, even though some resist. Had one decide NOT to come in for 8 hours later------and there was mec. Would have been nice to know sooner. Baby turned out ok----but you never know what happens at home and once they step through our doors, they are our responsibility. So we obligated to tell them to come in for anything "supicious" like fluid leaks, heavy vag bleeding, low fetal movement, or anything they feel concerned about. No tele triage is the best way....

Nurse_In_Training · May 12, 2006

Thanks guys.

Thoughts much apprecaited.

=)

dawngloves, BSN, RN · May 12, 2006

Finding comfort in your own space, eating and drinking as desired, free to assume whatever labor position feels best, decreased exposure to foreign bacteria, peace and quiet, no unnecessary people coming in and out of your room, visitors as desired, decreased risk of operative birth, no disruptive interventions -- continuous monitoring, vag exams.
Cons, hmmm, what cons? I suppose waiting too long and delivering precipitously at home would be a con to some people, though it worked out just fine for me.

:yeahthat: If given the choice I would have stayed at home until I was 3cm and active.

smk1, LPN · May 12, 2006

Boy i was in there so much several nurses knew me by sight. LOL i kept thinking i was in labor and i guess in a way i was because i would dilate and efface but then it would stop (and it hurt like what the final labor felt like too). So For 3 weeks i walked aorund starting and stopping. When I went in the final time i had been 3 cm dilated and 50% effaced for a week. The nurses made me walk up and down the stairs to keep it going for a few hours. It is funny to look back on because nothing ever goes the way the "books" tell you they will.