Homebirth in an apartment building??

[FireWithin]

I am interested in homebirthing, but have felt that it wasn't possible for me for several reasons. The first being that we live in a traditional apartment building. I would be concerned about noise (I was quite loud for my last birth), my jerky landlord making a fuss, the small size - also it doesn't fully feel like a home.
We have cement floors and ceilings so I wouldn't be concerned about a birthing tub. I just don't want to get fuss and bother from neighbors.

Has anyone homebirthed in an apartment. Where there special things you needed to consider?

[Persephone]

I'm going to homebirth here, in our 700 sq ft apt. My only consideration was that since we're having a waterbirth, that the floor would be able to support a tub. But since we're on the ground floor, that doesn't even matter. I'm not concerned about the noise, and I think you'll find that even with being loud, many moms have homebirthed in an apt, and no one has said anything. I wouldn't go TELL your landlord what your birth plans are, and as long as it's not forbidden in the lease, there's no legal reason why you cant. I doubt your landlord would even know unless you told him anyway. My only concern for you is that you don't feel completely at home in your apt. Is there any way you can feel more at home there by the time you give birth? Any way to make it feel more homey to you? Would you feel more at home in a birth center or hospital? Would you feel more at home at a family member's or friends house, and would they be cool with you giving birth there? Just some things to think about.

[indie]

I'm planning to birth in a apartment. I'm definately not telling management because its really none of their business and if they had a problem with it I'm really not in the mood to fight with them. We just renewed our lease and DH brought it home for me to sign because I had forgotten about it, but I was glad I didn't have to go to the office just in case someone asked me where I was birthing. Even if you went to the hospital most likely you would do a lot of laboring at home anyway. At least that's what I did with my first birth.

We did decide against a waterbirth because I had a very fast first labor so it seems like more trouble than its worth to spend most of my labor setting the thing up. Our lease does say no water filled furniture so we would be in violation of the lease if we had one. Of course they would probably never know unless something went wrong but I feel better not being liable if it leaks or falls through the floor. We're on the ground floor but there is a very large crawl space under us and I've looked from the bottom up and can tell the floor is not very strong.

As for neighbors hearing, I really don't care. The people above us have woken me up while I was sleeping with earplugs with loud music, yelling, and sex. Most people would think labor sounds are sex sounds anyway and probably wouldn't want to say anything.

I can understand an apartment not feeling totally homey but I figure its better than the hospital.

[2+twins]

My first birth was in an apartment (3rd floor w/birth tub). I just didn't tell the management until after the birth (and it was a long time after) and I did notify my next door neighbor in case there was noise. In retrospect, I shouldn't have bothered. I think it's fine if you just prepare a "laboring mom, please do not disturb" sign and have someone post it to the door in case of noise.

[WinterBaby]

Before I had a homebirth, I felt like I wouldn't want to bother birthing in one of our rental homes since they were only... transitory. That "it didn't feel like our forever home" sort of weirdness and romantic nonsense, lol. But after having a home birth... well, your space is your space, rental or not. It sure feels more secure and peaceful than someone else's space anyhow. And after it's all saidand done, it's still where you'd be bringing your babe back to anyway. Leased space.. but your bed, your linens, your germs, your kitchen/food/coffee maker, a toilet that isn't shared with anyone, and a familiar neighborhood to walk around. Forget the apartment aspect and feel free to stay put - I haven't heard of a woman yet who disturbed her apartment building neighbors. And so what if you feel nostagic about a certain apartment you'll move out of next year. Your home birth is always going to stand out in your mind for all the rest that makes it special that has nothing to do with geopraphy, building, or lease vs. deed even after you're in a new home.

[FireWithin]

thanks for the responses.
I am now less concerned about the noise. Also, less concerned about the apartment not being my home. A hospital or a birthcenter is not my home, yet those are two other options for me. I saw pictures of rooms in a local birthcenter. They were nice and all, looked like bedrooms - but sterile feeling, not the kind of feeling that I get from my bedroom.

We are seriously considering getting a 2 bedroom in this building. Ihave an easier time imagining birthing in a slightly larger space.

One thing I will need to do is neaten up the place a bit - create a slightly calmer atmosphere.

I never really considered birthing in an apartment, but now it seems possible. thanks

[oetien]

I'm also planning on having a homebirth, and I live in a little one bedroom apt. My baby's due in late oct/early nov. Not sure if I can do it either, but I'm almost positive I'd do it!
Thanks for bringing up the topic. I'm subscribing!

[Ruthla]

I had my first baby in an apartment. It never occured to me that I couldn't! That was my home- where else would I have a homebirth?

It was kinda neat being able to knock on my neighbor across the hall's door and give her the good news within minutes of the birth!! Actually, I didn't knock on her door- it was either DH, the doula, or one of the midwives, but I remember her coming over for the "birth-day party" that evening. After my 2nd birth, we had to actually go outside to tell the neighbors the good news. :LOL

[mamachandi]

I had my 2nd in an apartment and it was fine-we even had thin walls (I could hear the neighbors all the time) EVERYONE IN MY APARTMENT COMPLEX THOUGHT IT WAS COOL THAT WE HAD OUR BABY AT HOME-THIS COMING FROM ALL HOSPITAL PLANNED BIRTHS! i DON'T THINK YOU SHOULD WORRY!! mY NEIGHBORS SAID THEY DIDN'T HEAR A THING AND i WAS LOUD!!!

[Electra375]

I wouldn't worry about the noise. My ILs lived in the apt attached to our house and they heard it all. My MIL knew when our dd was born by the noise I was making... Apparently I sounded like the cats when they are howling in a fight to one of my ds's, so she just let him think that... :LOL

For the most part it was just the pushing phase that had me screaming (as far as I recall). And that isn't but a few minutes for most, mine was 2 hours... So, let the neighbors think you're having wild whoopie!!! :LOL

[crunchymomof2]

I had mine in an apartment and i was quite loud especially near the end. We didnt get any complaints or even any questions. In fact the neighbors except for the one I told the other day have no idea that it even happened.

[fourgrtkidos]

Originally Posted by crunchymomof2

I had mine in an apartment and i was quite loud especially near the end. We didnt get any complaints or even any questions. In fact the neighbors except for the one I told the other day have no idea that it even happened.

me too. no complaints from neighbors..... no one even knew it had happened.

[LoveChild421]

I had ds in a small one-bedroom apartment. I was worried about the neighbors calling 911 (the walls were paper thin- you could hear people having sex all the time :LOL ) but my midwife told me that if the cops showed up she would just tell them there was a woman in labor in there and they would leave.

None of my neighbors complained and nobody called the cops- my landlord even lived in the same building I did. And I was LOUD- of course it was a lot of low moaning and a few expletives- people probably thought I was just having really awesome sex for 15 hours! :LOL It was a beautiful homebirth- sure it wasn't the "homiest" of places- but it was better than a hospital and I spent some time in the weeks before his birth trying to decorate and make it feel a bit more comfy and homey.

[oetien]

So, telling landlord that you're having a homebirth is NOT a good idea?

[LoveChild421]

I don't think most landlords would be too happy about a homebirth- you know how people (especially men) think of birth as this horribly messy bloody process- and I'm sure they would think the apartment would get ruined : also if you're in a state where homebirth is not technically "legal" like GA then you don't want to open up a can of worms by getting the landlord involved...

[oetien]

Yeah, that's true!
I have a pretty mean neighbor.. I hope they wouldn't do anything to me.
I know homebirth is legal in my state, but in my apt. I have no idea (if it's against the lease, didn't read about it when I signed it, I wasn't planning on hb at that time)

[Electra375]

Actually the legality could be an issue, if the landlord found out and wanted to presue it. I've read quite a few rental agreements in preparing an agreement for my ILs. Most agreements state that illegal activity is prohibited. Of course, logic tells you this is mainly for 'criminal offenses', not necessarily for having a baby.

I would read your agreement carefully and then know the law in your state. All you need is to have CPS come down on your for a bad birth out come in a not so legal state followed by being evicted for disregarding the terms of the agreement.

Don't me to be a downer here, just know your state's laws and the terms of the rental agreement is all I'm saying -- better to be safe than sorry.

[oetien]

I know for sure that homebirth is legal in my state. Should I bother asking the landlord about their rules? Would they be able to do anything if I didn't?

[CluckyInAZ]

I completed pretty much my whole labor in my small one bedroom apartment, but then I transfered to the hospital after I had started unvoluntarily pushing because I thought something was going wrong.

I was super loud and no one noticed, and I loved being at home. I was only embarassed on the way to the car when one of my neighbors was out on his patio playing the didjerydoo and I had to stop near him to go through a contraction He just kept on playing and my husband though it was cool. That guy gave me a big smile when I walked by with my baby a few days later though, so I don't think he was disturbed

[LoveChild421]

I think, legal or not, it's just best to not bring it up- if the landlord comes by wondering what's going on just say you're in labor and most people will leave pronto- then you could just say the baby came so quick you couldn't leave