Boom in home births in West Berkshire

Despite higher risk, mothers cited lack of maternity units and fear of birthing 'production line' as reasons for their decision

HIGHER-than-average numbers of first-time mothers are opting for home births in West Berkshire, despite new figures which reveal a slightly elevated risk.

Several local mothers-to-be cited the lack of local maternity units and fear of becoming part of a birthing “production line” as reasons for their decision.

Researchers for the national Birthplace in England Collaborative organisation examined 64,500 births in England and found broadly similar outcomes for home, hospitals and midwife-led birth centres.

However, it reported that, for first-time mothers, that there were “9.3 adverse perinatal outcome events per 1,000 planned home births compared with 5.3 per 1,000 births for births planned in obstetric units.”

This finding was “statistically significant” according to the report, which added: “For women having a first baby, there is a fairly high probability of transferring to an obstetric unit during labour or immediately after the birth.”

Nevertheless, spokeswoman for the Newbury Home Birth group, Claire Bushell, revealed that West Berkshire has a higher-than-average number of mothers opting to deliver at home.

One of them, 33-year-old Stacey Sherriff of Crowfield Drive, Thatcham, travelled to North Hampshire Hospital in Basingstoke for the birth of 14-year-old Jordan.

However, she opted for a home birth for 17-month-old Logan and her youngest, Eoghan, aged 11 weeks.

She said: “The hospital birth went well but it was a long way to go and I didn't feel in control of the situation. I felt part of a production line. At home it was really relaxed.”

Fiona Kennedy, aged 35, of Great Shefford, has opted for a home birth for her first child, due any day, rather than travelling to Great Western Hospital in Swindon.

She said: “The less travelling and intervention, the better and I've been told I'm low risk.”

Thirty-four-year-old Katie Pocock's first child, three-year-old Charlie, was supposed to have been born at home in Alston Mews, Thatcham, but complications meant he was delivered at North Hampshire Hospital instead.

Nevertheless, she was determined to have Evie, now eight months old, at home and said the experience meant she felt more in control of the procedures.

Rachel Peters, aged 29, of Andover Road, Newbury, also chose to have her first child, 19-month-old Madison at home.

She said: “All the research I did led me to believe it was just as safe at home. It was very natural with a birthing pool and less medical intervention. We had a TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation) machine we provided ourselves for pain relief and my husband was there.”

Mrs Peters said she planned to have her next child, due in a few days, at home, too.

Ms Bushell, who is also parent representative on the Maternity Services Liaison Committee at The Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading, said: “Here in West Berkshire, the rate of home births was last reported as 4.2 per cent from 2010 birth registrations provided by the Office for National Statistics. This is slightly higher than the national average of 2.4 per cent but still shows a relatively small minority of parents choosing this option.

“Perhaps, given the new evidence provided by the Birthplace study, a free-standing birth centre closer to Newbury, as has been recently suggested by many local residents, could be seriously considered which would create additional positive choices for women in the area.”

More information on home births is lable online at www.newburyhomebirth.org