Home Birthers & Hopefuls!

[Mervs Mum]

Wont be long now!!! x

 

[snagglepat]

Bah. Not a hint of a trickle since that first splash this morning. I'm guessing we'd have had more by now if it had been my waters and, as usually happens, once the day got going the contractions stopped too. I clearly have a continence issue! Or this baby is just one big tease.

Saw the midwife though and we declined the sweep for now. She's going to book us in for monitoring at the hospital at 42 weeks but as long as all is well that's all we'll be doing. I'm seeing her again on Tuesday and will revisit the sweep idea then if things haven't got going before. If we get there...

We're off for a family walk/waddle now.

Merv's Mum, your third home birth this month! That is impressive. You must be quite exhausted by it all, though I do find home births incredibly uplifting experiences, so you get the high too. It sounds like you had to do a lot of protecting of space this time. I'm so glad that between you you kept the space, and the faith, and your client got her beautiful home birth. Wonderful stuff!

Gina. x

 

[Mervs Mum]

She and her OH were AMAZING and it really helped that her mum (who was with us) was a 43wk home birther too. 3 in a month is TOO many and I am ready for a rest but this lady booked me at 41+5 after we struck up an online friendship over the past few months (full tale is on NB) so by rights it should have been 2 this month really. She was bloody brilliant!

Keep the faith Snaggle. She's so close it really is a tease but she knows the perfect time to join you earthside x

 

[Bournefree]

You are so nice and relaxed Gina, it's briliant! I'm feeling some great vibes from you! Xx

Inspirational HB Lisa! I think I'd be so angry if the SMW was called in to say something along the lines of "your not allowing us to do our job" - well I think I'd just have to say, as the women in labour - "your not allowing ME to do MINE!" Though that is pretty hard when you are busy, so she must be so pleased you and her OH were there to protect her.

PB - I'm really interested in going to a birth choices meeting!! How did you find out about it? If they have one in my area, I'm going to insist on going! hahaha! I'll write a note in my diary to remind me to ask my MW.
XxX

 

[Tulip]

Hi lovelies! Just popping by to thank you for updating us on the list. I so wanted my HB but Dillon is a Rainbow Baby and towards the end I was just far too anxious and paranoid that something would go wrong

To my utter amazement Dilly-Roo arrived safely at T+6 following 8 hours of contractions timed at 2 minutes apart! The midwife had no idea my body was pushing and she took a cursory glance to find him crowning, still in the sac

Congratulations to the homebirth mummies (maybe next time for me) and best of luck to the Hopefuls xxxx

 

[PeanutBean]

Hi all. We went to our meeting. Bourne I googled for a local homebirth group and found there is one and they meet every two weeks alternating between birth choice at the hospital and home birth at someone's house. I offered to host as I think it's the only way I'll get to attend a homebirth one as they're all in the evening.

Well we were late and found we were the only ones who had turned up! There was the organizer and a brand new trainee mw plus one of the organiser's daughters who played with Byron. Meant I got a great 121 session! Good because in a big group I'd either not really say anything or dominate the session I think but now my history's been covered we don't really need to go over it again in detail.

We talked round the houses about allsorts! Covered all my experience with Byron; they were open mouthed at some things I said (my experiences not my opinions! ). I was given loads of contact names for hypnobirthing, pregnancy massage, natural induction etc. She has started running free birth art classes which seems to be using art to challenge our perceptions, fears etc. Gonna give that a whirl once I'm on leave! She said she works closely with the consultant mw I'm to book my debrief with and reassured that she is super supportive and that I'll have no problems with her. She read a book with us that we would've bought had we the change! It's a story for children really about a homebirth. Generally pretty good though it did mention the mw doing gentle cord traction (!). But good for explaining what happens and suitable art for kids but still showing a birth. She showed me The Mother magazine so I might look into subscribing to that. I imparted my new found GBS knowledge and she agreed that it really shouldn't be anything to worry about based on her experience and conversations with others.

All in all it was a pretty good experience. It was nice to talk and have a little cry and for people to be shocked by things that were said and the way I was treated. You know I don't really need objectivity, I need people to agree that it was crap! So I've lots to do to follow up and will look into housing a session at home.

 

[Mervs Mum]

You dont know how happy I am reading that PB - seriously. All sounds FAN BLOODY TASTIC!! I think you'd enjoy birth art too. Good for really getting things out and to the bottom of fears etc. Smashing.x

 

[PeanutBean]

I mention you because she asked if we'd thought about a doula and she wondered if she knew you when I said I'd been chatting with one. She doesn't know you btw! My mum has said she'd be happy to talk through some stuff as she will be there so will see how that goes. I might look into a trainee doula if my mum is nervous. It's funny because I'm coming to realise that my mum is really afraid about it. She is angry and so upset about what happened and then so frightened when any of us in labour. I wonder if a part of her blames herself for not having intervened...? It'd be great if a session talking through things could help her feel strong. I guess I always assumed 4 kids, 2 homebirths would make her confident about it all but it seems not.

 

[Mervs Mum]

I seem to be going more Yorkshire way at the mo although I have a booking in Bolton as you know (Anababe) and have had another enquiry Manchester way just this week. I'm pleased that she also sees that a doula might be useful for you too I think you might have struck gold there with that support group!

 

[LuckyD]

Wow, been away on holiday for a week and loads to catch up on!

Congrats Cathy and Jude on your beautiful babies!

Snaggle - I was sure that I would come back from holiday to read your birth story! Sounds like you are doing great....very different to read your posts tha some others I have read where women have gone past their due date...thanks for providing another take on it all - and I will be checking here every day to see how you are doing!

PB - your meeting sounds great! How lovely to get some good quality 1:1 time - and I love the idea of birth art - I am really interested to see how you find that.

Jenni - congrats on reaching 38 weeks!

Sorry if I have missed something else - lots of pages to catch up on!

Oh, just to add to the discussion around children being present at homebirths - I might have already said this, but I was at the births of both my little brothers at home and it was fantastic. One I was only 3 so don't remember it really well, but my Mum says I was great - she said she remembers looking over at me at one point and me giving her a 'womanly' smile as if to say 'you can do this Mum' . My other brother I was almost 13 so I remember it well and it was amazing - it is incredible to know that I have known my brothers from the minute they entered the world. I even got to be the one that announced my second brother's sex - pretty special. Not at all scary and truly wonderful experiences which I am sure have had a very positive effect on my own approach to pregnancy and birth.

As for me...had a lovely holiday and spoke a lot about birth with my cousin who has a 2 year old. She had a natural birth - started at home but transferred right at the very end as the baby was showing some signs of distress (turns out the cord was knotted) - but still pushed him out without any intervention and she is so positive about it all - it was lovely to hear her story and her attitude as an antidote to so many of the negative stories people like to tell us!

I am working hard at building up my iron - another blood test tomorrow to see if things have improved.

Hope everyone is doing well!

 

[PeanutBean]

Thanks lucky, I will definitely report back on all this stuff as I find my way but I'm not going to have time for the birth art until after I finish work in 6 weeks. Will definitely try it though.

As you mention the children at the birth thing we talked about that after I mentioned my mum will be coming up to be with Byron. She asked if I had any concerns to which I said no! She mentioned that she felt as long as children were free to come and go as suited them there is no danger of it being traumatic. Only shutting them in or out against their wishes would be so. This was because I mentioned another thread here where someone had posted they thought seeing birth would be traumatic for a toddler

 

[LuckyD]

Thanks lucky, I will definitely report back on all this stuff as I find my way but I'm not going to have time for the birth art until after I finish work in 6 weeks. Will definitely try it though.

As you mention the children at the birth thing we talked about that after I mentioned my mum will be coming up to be with Byron. She asked if I had any concerns to which I said no! She mentioned that she felt as long as children were free to come and go as suited them there is no danger of it being traumatic. Only shutting them in or out against their wishes would be so. This was because I mentioned another thread here where someone had posted they thought seeing birth would be traumatic for a toddler

Exactly - if they are free to come and go and if things are explained to them in ways they understand...and great that your Mum is there to be with Byron too.

I have a funny story about a friend who had her three year old boy present at the homebirth of his little sister - his grandmother was there with him, and both she and his mum did a lot of preparation with him before the birth, letting him know if he felt scared or didn't want to be there to let Grandma know and she would take him into the other room. They really wanted him to know that he had a choice and just had to say the word if he wanted to leave...however, maybe they emphasised it too much, as during the birth when Grandma would ask him if he wanted to leave he would quickly state, 'No, I like it, I REALLY REALLY like it!!!'. So cute!

 

[Jenniflower]

Inspirational HB Lisa! I think I'd be so angry if the SMW was called in to say something along the lines of "your not allowing us to do our job" - well I think I'd just have to say, as the women in labour - "your not allowing ME to do MINE!" Though that is pretty hard when you are busy, so she must be so pleased you and her OH were there to protect her.
XxX

You have no idea how much this made me smile. I will so be using this on the day if I have to. Seriously, I just went around the whole house telling everyone how great this comeback is.

PB I'm so glad you were able to find some support! Like you said you need someone to be as shocked and appalled with you. I think we all need that when we're upset, not someone to try and get you to see the other side. Also I hope you are able to host a few of those meetings so that you're able to go to some.

 

[Amy_K]

I'm off for a reflexology session this morning to hopefully help things along a bit. I didn't try this on our first, so I'm thinking nothing ventured nothing gained. Also I'm on double strenghth RLT and planning a nice long walk over uneven ground later.

Operation eviction has begun!

 

[pimento1979]

I'm off for a reflexology session this morning to hopefully help things along a bit. I didn't try this on our first, so I'm thinking nothing ventured nothing gained. Also I'm on double strenghth RLT and planning a nice long walk over uneven ground later.

Operation eviction has begun!

Reflexology, acupuncture, uneven walks and double strength RLT is exactly what I did when my waters broke without contractions... and they worked! My birth story goes into specifics... I'll be thinking of you, good luck!

 

[snagglepat]

Cathy, thanks so much for sharing your birth story. It was so beautifully written I could almost have been there with you and I felt honoured to be reading it. Eva is absolutely beautiful and I'm so pleased the feeding is going so well. You look so blissful in your profile pic. Just fabulous.

Peanut - wow. That meeting sounds amazing. What a fantastically positive experience! May it be the inroad to many more.

Good luck Amy! Operation eviction - I like it. Send a bit of the energy this way will you?

We've been keeping an open mind about E at this birth too, although we have just sent her off to my parents for the next 24 hours. She's got a bit of a cough/cold and had R up from 5am this morning and given we didn't get to bed till nearly 2 thanks to my body giving us a good show of going into labour and then stopping again we really need some rest time. She's at the wonderful 3 year old stage where sometimes she can be fantastic, totally in tune and a joy to be around and other times she can be little miss tantrum central, so a lot will depend on how she is at the time, assuming she's awake. It's great to have the flexibility though. We've got two home birth books we've been reading with her: 'Hello Baby' and 'Our Water Baby'. Having two has been good because it's given her a message that babies can be born in different ways. I'd recommend both, although there are elements in each that aren't perfect they're pretty good overall.

So, yeah, we thought it was all happening last night. I started to get stronger contractions through the afternoon then sat down to watch 'Lewis' at 8. By the time it was half way through I was contracting every 3-5 minutes and having to breath though them. We called the midwife who said to give it another half hour and they the time the show finished at 10 I was moaning with them too so we sent out the call. Our midwife and doula were here by 10:45 by which time things were slowing down a bit - I thought it might be the disruption of their arrival. We sat and chilled for a while and things picked up a little, but died back when my sister arrived an hour later. I was feeling really downheartened but our doula did her 'getting back to the positive' thing and suggested we do what we did when things were going well. So out came the Jam and Jerusalem DVD and we all sat and watched and laughed and the contractions came every 6-8 minutes, but never got as intense as they had been. By 1:30 I just wanted to go to bed, so we all did (everyone crashed here expecting things to take off at some point in the night). Things have really tailed off today. We had a lovely morning, bacon butties all round and lots of great conversation but I knew that although I'm still getting the odd contraction I'm definitely not in labour. So our midwife and doula went home an hour or so ago. My parents have taken E off and now DP, my sister and I are going to have a chilled afternoon with some snoozing and maybe a walk. I feel completely normal again now, so who knows. We might still be days off. Bah. This baby is definitely a tease!

Best wishes to all,

Gina.

 

[caro103]

oh Gina, I so hope your baby stops messing with you soon! xx

 

[snagglepat]

I'm definitely playing the long latent labour game here. Since I woke from my snooze an hour ago I've been getting contractions every 10 minutes or so. I can still potter/talk through them though, so they're just playing me. I think I'll take the dog out for a walk in a bit and see what happens but I'm guessing we might be in for another eventful night, whether or not that will result in a baby...

Best wishes all round,

Gina. x

 

[PeanutBean]

Good luck snaggle. I hope you're not kept waiting too much longer!

 

[LuckyD]

Good luck snaggle!