Home Births Ireland

Apefin96

Hi, I'm a midwife In Ireland and I'm currently four weeks pregnant. I know it's still very very early days but I'm super keen to have a home birth but honestly have no idea how to go about doing it! Even though I'm a midwife, i work in a hospital so have no dealings with homebirths.
I hope to go for hse public homebirths (the free option) as private is somewhat out of our budget but I wouldn't consider it if public isn't an option. I know that I should be eligible for homebirths from a health point of view as I'm aware if the policies. I know who my nearest midwife is as well.

For anyone who has done it in Ireland before, how did you go about organising it? Did you book to the hospital first? Contact the midwife first etc?

TIA

Shelli2

A quick Google search shows the below from Citizens Advice with instructions on how to apply via your local health center.

https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/birth_family_relationships/before_your_baby_is_born/home_birth.html#startcontent

Best of luck. X

rosie087

Homebirths are available through the Domino scheme although I'm not sure if Domino is available everywhere. Places on the domino scheme are limited so if you're interested in that you should look into it and try and get a spot. Best of luck!

bee06

rosie087 wrote: »

Homebirths are available through the Domino scheme although I'm not sure if Domino is available everywhere. Places on the domino scheme are limited so if you're interested in that you should look into it and try and get a spot. Best of luck!

Not every domino scheme does home birth. The Cork one doesn’t. There is a separate home birth scheme in Cork and Kerry though. https://www.corkandkerryhomebirth.com/home-birth-scheme

Ca_va

Apefin96 wrote: »

Hi, I'm a midwife In Ireland and I'm currently four weeks pregnant. I know it's still very very early days but I'm super keen to have a home birth but honestly have no idea how to go about doing it! Even though I'm a midwife, i work in a hospital so have no dealings with homebirths.
I hope to go for hse public homebirths (the free option) as private is somewhat out of our budget but I wouldn't consider it if public isn't an option. I know that I should be eligible for homebirths from a health point of view as I'm aware if the policies. I know who my nearest midwife is as well.

For anyone who has done it in Ireland before, how did you go about organising it? Did you book to the hospital first? Contact the midwife first etc?

TIA

I had a homebirth on my first and hope to again with this baby. It was a great experience. Your first step is to get your midwife booked in. If there is a self employed community midwife (SCEM) in your area get in touch with them and they'll help you from there. You'll do combined care with a hospital so you'll also need to register there as normal. As noted above, some hospitals offer homebirth through their Domino schemes as well, but the SCEM option is great as it is the same midwife the whole way through and your antenatal visits are at home.

Happy to answer any other questions.

weirdcatlady

Ca_va wrote: »

I had a homebirth on my first and hope to again with this baby. It was a great experience. Your first step is to get your midwife booked in. If there is a self employed community midwife (SCEM) in your area get in touch with them and they'll help you from there. You'll do combined care with a hospital so you'll also need to register there as normal. As noted above, some hospitals offer homebirth through their Domino schemes as well, but the SCEM option is great as it is the same midwife the whole way through and your antenatal visits are at home.

Happy to answer any other questions.

Hi ca_va,

Where did you find the SCEM? Is if off the HSE website?

vurstflavor

Have you no friends that are midwives
That can do the birth for you. I know some one who trained in uk
And now teaches in ireland. She says the standard of midwives is very poor in ireland
In London they did home births all the time or hospital births with no doctors involved
In uk the first thing they teach is moving the baby around and removing the cord if it's stuck around the baby's neck.

weirdcatlady

No im afraid not. I know ireland seems to be very restricted on options compared to other countries.

catrionanic

Did you get sorted with the home birth arrangements? O have my SECM booked, just doing the HSE application forms now.

Ca_va

weirdcatlady wrote: »

Hi ca_va,

Where did you find the SCEM? Is if off the HSE website?

Yes, I just went through the list on the website. Demand has increased massively in the last year so it has become harder so secure one from that relatively small list!

Ca_va

catrionanic wrote: »

Did you get sorted with the home birth arrangements? O have my SECM booked, just doing the HSE application forms now.

Thats great catrionanic, best of luck with it! I have my midwife booked as well, I'm so glad she was available.

weirdcatlady

No didn't get sorted in the end, the 3 closest to be are unavailable, I've tried private midwives too with no joy!