You can choose your own option
As long as your pregnancy is running smoothly and you’re fit and healthy, you are free to choose the birthing option you feel most comfortable with. Of course this all depends on what’s available at your hospital and whether your doctor agrees. Talk through the options available to you with your doctor and partner. Remember that the birthing option you choose is not cast in stone. You can always change your mind.
Hospital births
The benefit of having a hospital birth is that you’re in a place literally packed with expertise and facilities. You’ll have the full range of pain relief options, immediate caesarean section if needed and emergency care available should things become tricky. On the other hand some hospitals can seem cold and unfamiliar, which may make it difficult to relax.
Whilst hospitals have set procedures, you have the right to ask to be treated in a certain way. You can refuse aspects of your labour care including foetal monitoring, having your waters broken and drugs.
Talk to your doctor about how your chosen hospital deals with childbirth. If you hear anything you’re not sure about or don’t like, just say so. You can then talk it through, agree on what you would feel more comfortable with and put it all into your birth plan - make sure your partner is aware of your decisions too.
Maternity homes
Maternity homes are more homely than hospitals and have less medical intervention. If you do need intervention you will be transferred to a hospital for medical care.
Not every area has a maternity home, but if yours does you can generally book into it if your pregnancy is low-risk and you have a good chance of a normal delivery at full term.
Maternity homes don’t offer all pain relief options, caesareans, assisted delivery or special baby units. But most mums who give birth in one actually find they need less intervention anyway. That may be because maternity homes tend to offer higher levels of one-to-one care from a nurse, throughout your labour and beyond. Which also means you’ll get loads of support when it comes to learning to breast-feed and can leave when you’re ready to.
Water birth
A water birth is seen as far less stressful for a baby as they are born into an environment that is quite like the one they were growing in. Equally for mum, it can reduce stress and the need for pain relief. There’s no need to panic about your baby’s breathing either; it doesn't begin until he or she is exposed to the air, so the safety risks are minimal.
Some hospitals can provide a bath, shower or pool if you like the idea of using water during your labour, so check in advance what your hospital offers. If you plan to have your baby at home, talk to your doctor about the possibility of having a water birth.