Home Birthers & Hopefuls!

[MandaAnda]

You're doing great, Cathy! Can't wait to hear another update!

Just read a good blog entry about the "anterior lip" of the cervix that is normal but can be a reason that a normal birth goes out the window (not a good reason, mind you). This makes me all the more determined to have minimal to no internals next time around - one of many reasons for me.

 

[2ndtimeAbz]

wow, fast moving thread again!

Congratualtions lou! hope both you and your little boy are doing great and looking forward to your birth story.

Welcome susie, good luck with your HB! Sounds llike a silly midwife, you sound really sensible about deciding not to give into her fear!
I would say read back through this thread and also in this forum is a thread which is people posting their birth stories, which can give you alot of ideas and information

xx

 

[Zarababy1]

i was just thinking, well reading got me to thinking about it, i automatically assume home birth = birthing pool but after reading about walking about in labour ect i thought maybe a birthing pool isn't actually right for me, i would like to keep moving in labour! but then when i think back to my two other labours they were completely different, charlies was spent pretty much half asleep in the birthing pool really still and chilled with no screaming, Harry's was spent walking about a hospital room shouting at everyone and screaming for an epidural i was certainly more relaxed with charlies labour than i was with Harry's maybe it was the birthing pool that helped or maybe it was my surroundings it was all a bit clinical with harry, and with charlies is was lovely and homely and calm, and in fact if i could go back to that birthing center for this one i probably would over a home birth it was beautiful! hump, iv probably just answered my own question but what sort of experiences have you ladies had with / without birth pools, i suppose i could get one and have it up if i wanted to get in it i could better to be safe than sorry!

 

[MandaAnda]

I wanted a water birth, ideally. I love water and find it very relaxing. When I was pregnant, I looked forward to my daily bath (and had more than one sometimes!). But, at the time, we lived on a second floor rented flat, and I didn't want to chance anything. He wasn't born at home in the end anyway. But I'll definitely be trying one next time. And even if I don't feel I want to birth in it on the day, I'd still like it as a pain relief option. Gas & air didn't do it for me, but I loved my TENS (although I know I can't use that in the water - zap!).

 

[Zarababy1]

ooo yeah i loved my tens but i much preferd the water!! thats probably why i screamed so much in labour with harry - no water! my mum had her hand under my chin most of the time i was in labour with charlie because i was asleep!

 

[chuck]

I want a pool but Hubby doesnt want one in the house?!

I read the anterior lip piece while we were out in the car today, makes sense today. Makes sense to what happened in my labour. Dewi was ROP so labour was slow to progress, ended up flat on my back on a monitor with an epi and got to 9.5cm ... well all that was left was the lip so I wasnt allowed to push.

Not that I had the urge or the energy. I reckon if I'd got there under my own steam I could have done it. BUT the stress of the drip, being left for hours, not making good progress and being told not to eat did me in.

 

[nikki-lou25]

I love the anterior lip piece! I had a lip both times but pushed anyway!

 

[Bournefree]

Hey ladies, there is some really good vibes on here! Must be all our ladies in labour!

Welcome Susie! I couldn't agree with you more.. I esp love your thinking "not giving into her fear"

I found all the advice on cervix stuff from you Gina brilliant and really interesting and the lip article is cool.. brilliant explaination. These type of things just seem so inane.. if your body is pushing, then it would be impossible to stop, and terrifying if someone would be telling you to stop.
I instinctively really wouldn't want to be examined esp so close to the end of dilation. Also I know each labour can be different, but what isn't going to be different for me, is knowing the feeling of labour. I'll know where I am and don't think I will choose to be examined. I was examined twice in early labour with my first, but that was for me to see if anything was happening.. as I had no idea if I was in establised labour or not!? I feel this time, I really will know when labour is happening, and know to let go.
XxX

 

[Amy_K]

Well the midwives dropped off the home birth kit this morning, but need to bring the tubing for the g&a canisters, as the are out of it at the moment. Also, I have to make an appointment to get a prescription for pethedine from my GP, even though I don't really want it. But I guess that its better to have it in case I decide I need it during the event.

We still need to get the pool and our own bits and bobs, but I guess we're almost all set.

The only thing I'm a bit concerned about is what were going to do with our dog on the day. I don't want him getting distressed if I'm being a bit noisy.

 

[wtt :)]

The only thing I'm a bit concerned about is what were going to do with our dog on the day. I don't want him getting distressed if I'm being a bit noisy.

is there anyone who could watch him in the meantime? is s/he quiet if you put the dog in a room with something wonderful to chew on?

 

[caro103]

Amy_K v exciting! not long for you now! do you have family or friends that can have your dog when the time comes? or even a neighbour?

Little rant ladies...
I made the mistake of mentioned i'm planning a home birth to SIL yesterday who's a Dr...blimey did I get a mouthful! errr its none of your business! and I won't do it if theres any medical reason to suggest it shouldn't be safe! another family member was really surprised you don't have to pay to have a homebirth ...err its cheaper for the nhs to do home births rather than hospital so why would they also charge me!?!

Just can't believe how unsupportive some people can be! especially my SIL, she did her utmost best to put me off by talking about everything that can go wrong, and then went on and on about the mess... Good job I'm well informed and my mums a midwife who's way more knowledgeable about the subject than SIL who's still only a trainee GP or i'd have been well and truely freeked out about labour generally, let alone planned a hb! grrr

Hope the ladies nearing their due dates are doing well! xx

 

[PeanutBean]

Caro. I don't get quite as bad but something along the same lines with my anaesthetist friend who thinks if she'd only done my epidural I would've been entirely happy worn my first birth experience. They only know what they see and mostly I find people with such one-sided opinions have never even given birth to have a clue how it feels.

 

[caro103]

ah thats so true! thanks hun. Not that i've ever given birth before but I know what I feel and want to aim for. Plus know I react well to gas and air (had a coloscopy with it in the past), plus water is always my thing when i'm in pain. I'm not stupid and know labour is going to be like nothing i've ever experienced before, but at the same time does it hurt to have others be a bit supportive of choices! guess Dr's usually only see ladies who have more complicated births too, she'll have never been to home births nor many of the more straight forward ones! Nor has she had kids!

At the end of the day its not her baby

Your friend does sound similar though! grrrr xx

 

[PeanutBean]

Yeah my friend is so lovely but this is a real sticking point as her opinion couldn't be further from my own.

I don't mean to imply not having had a baby yet means a woman can't have an opinion just that she hasn't had that experience that shapes us so much and I guess has no personal evidence to justify why her opinion might be more 'right'. Not sure if I'm putting this across quite right but hopefully you get what I mean. I think the main thing that is underestimated is how profound an experience it is giving birth and how cheated and worthless a bad experience can make us feel or empowered a good experience can make us feel. The focus of many people is simply on pain relief and getting the baby out and until a woman's been through it she might not realise there is the whole special side to birth.

 

[Mervs Mum]

Just so you all know Cathy / Pimento had her baby this morning and they are both well - I'll let her tell you the details

 

[chuck]

Wheeeeee hope theyre both well!

 

[snagglepat]

Hi folks,

Woo hoo for Cathy! Oh I'm so pleased! Can't wait to hear more when she's ready.

Jude, I hope all is going well for you too.

Amy, if it helps, our dog was really chilled out when I had DD at home, even though I made a right old racket. It seems vocalising is my main coping mechanism (I had a sore throat for days afterwards) but it didn't seem to bother him at all. He seemed to pick up that something important was going on and just chilled in his bed most of the time. My sister and cousin were there so took him out for walks a few times so his needs were met and he was quite happy.

Caro, what a good thing you're so well informed. I'm really glad your SIL didn't manage to put you off or instill any of her fears into you. You already said it all, you know you're making the right choice for you, for the right reasons, and are being sensible about it all so what right does she have to try and influence you? I hope it doesn't become a sticking point for you, but on the positive side, just think what a learning point it could be for her after you've had your wonderful home birth and it's all gone well.

No news here. DD stayed with my parents this weekend so we had a lovely chilled time. We indulged in a good session of nipple stimulation this morning and it worked a treat getting the contractions going. Unfortunately they stopped as soon as we did and neither of us felt we had the sticking power to keep it going for hours, but at least we know it's a tip we could try once labour starts if things seem to flag. My cervix seems to be thickening up too, which is a bit unexpected, but then nothing in this late pregnancy seems to be following a normal pattern. Oh well. We saw our midwife yesterday and all is well. We'll see her again next Saturday and I may consider a sweep then if I'm still pregnant, but we'll play it by ear. At least with having an IM we don't have the induction pressure to deal with if we do go over 42 weeks, but we can still jump into the NHS for a bit of post-dates monitoring if we want to.

Best wishes to everyone else too.

Gina. x

 

[Mervs Mum]

Thanks for the update Snaggle x

 

[Jenniflower]

Just so you all know Cathy / Pimento had her baby this morning and they are both well - I'll let her tell you the details

 

[wtt :)]

Congrats Cathy!