Where to give birth

Homebirth Service

We have a dedicated homebirth team to support you to have your baby at home.

Your midwife will discuss the option of home birth at the time of your first booking appointment if you are expected to have a straightforward pregnancy and birth. If you would like to discuss having a homebirth at any point in your pregnancy, you can either self-refer to the team by emailing rbft.homebirthteam@nhs.net or ask your community midwife to make a referral.

Once we have received your details, we will allocate you a named homebirth midwife who will call you to answer any questions and arrange your next midwife appointment and the rest of your pregnancy care.

 

Meet our team and find out more about our homebirth service

Is homebirth right for me?

A homebirth is suitable if you are:

  • 37-42 weeks of pregnancy
  • Having one baby in your current pregnancy
  • If this is baby number 1-5 for you
  • If you are generally fit and well and your current pregnancy or previous pregnancies have been largely uncomplicated
  • If you have had a previous vaginal birth (including with assistance from instruments), your chance of a vaginal birth this time is greater than 95%

For further information visit (NHS – Where to give birth)[ https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/labour-and-birth/where-to-give-birth-the-options/]

What are the benefits of homebirth?

Deciding where you give birth is a very personal choice. Here are some of the reasons why this could work for you:

  • Your own environment can feel more calm and relaxed.
  • You can have birth partners and family members present.
  • You have access to your own facilities.
  • Women often experience overall shorter labours at home.
  • Cared for by a case-loading team of midwives.
What does the research say about home births?

A Lancet review in 2020 compared the outcomes for over 500,000 low risk women who began labour planning to give birth at home with those who planned to birth in hospital. They found that, overall, those who planned to give birth at home were less likely to experience any of the intrapartum interventions studied.

Read our (Have you considered having a home birth patient information leaflet)[ https://www.royalberkshire.nhs.uk/leaflets/have-you-considered-having-a-home-birth] for more information. 

 

Contact us

If you have any question or would like to discuss this further, please contact us on:

Rbft.homebirthteam@nhs.net