Home Birthers & Hopefuls!

[2ndtimeAbz]

congratulations lucky, such a beautiful little girl! Sorry that you didn't get ur ideal birth, I'm not sure what to say that would help u feel better. From reading ur birth story I think you dealt with it all fantastically well xxxxxxxx

 

[lucky3]

congratulations lucky, such a beautiful little girl! Sorry that you didn't get ur ideal birth, I'm not sure what to say that would help u feel better. From reading ur birth story I think you dealt with it all fantastically well xxxxxxxx

Thanks honey I feel very positive about it, just that I let the homebirthers down but I know I'm not alone there.

 

[KandyKinz]

congratulations lucky, such a beautiful little girl! Sorry that you didn't get ur ideal birth, I'm not sure what to say that would help u feel better. From reading ur birth story I think you dealt with it all fantastically well xxxxxxxx

Thanks honey I feel very positive about it, just that I let the homebirthers down but I know I'm not alone there.

You DID NOT let anyone down!!!!!

 

[luna28]

Congratulations Lucky, Haven't read your birth story yet but the only thing that matter is that YOU feel positive about your birth experience whether it was at hospital, home or burger king! really doesn't matter.

Hope Amy is getting on ok whatever she decided to do.

As for me I have composed a strongly worded letter I will be sending to the community midwifery manager and the head of midwifery outlining the attitudes I have encounted re my wishes to birth at home.

 

[2ndtimeAbz]

congratulations lucky, such a beautiful little girl! Sorry that you didn't get ur ideal birth, I'm not sure what to say that would help u feel better. From reading ur birth story I think you dealt with it all fantastically well xxxxxxxx

 

[SmokyJoe78]

congrats Meg

congrats Lucky - your little one is beautiful

 

[Jenniflower]

It's not positive, and it's certainly not natural. But I've finally gotten to a place where I can relive some of the moments long enough to write about them. So for anything who is interested Using Hypnobirthing during a traumatic birth

 

[PeanutBean]

Congratulations on your LOs lucky and jenni. Please don't anyone ever feel they've let anyone down (including themselves!). No matter what the preparation shit does still sometimes happen and I am sure I speak for all of us when I say that what matters is how you feel about it yourself. Hopefully that's good but if it's not, well we're all here to offer whatever support we can. Even if the best we can do is start rows in third tri threads about tv shows. Everyone who's contributed to this thread and section has boosted everyone else's confidence and helped them see through their difficulties in trying to achieve a positive outcome. We can none of us see into the future. But surely the one thing that can be counted on in here is that we're not judging however things pan out in the end.

Off to read birth stories...

 

[gertrude]

Thanks honey I feel very positive about it, just that I let the homebirthers down but I know I'm not alone there.

I'm very new here and I may be speaking out of turn but the way I see it is you haven't let anyone down. Not in the slightest.

The one thing I do know about birth is that we can't control the uncontrolable and that sometimes the path we plan on walking down ends up going here there and everywhere before we know it. Having a plan in the first place, an idea of how you want it, is great - but not one of us here can guarantee that that is how it's going to work. If it does then brilliant - if it doesn't then hey ho.

The important thing is you and your LO are here safe and sound. That's more important than anything else.

x

 

[BrandiCanucks]

Hello ladies,

Some of you know me from the trimester forums and due date threads. For those who don't, my name is Brandi and I have two kids, Zoe, 4, who is special needs, and Isaiah, 2. They were both hospital births. Zoe's birth is a horror story that I'd love to forget. Isaiah's was the perfect birth. Dilated quickly, two pushes, no epidural, minimal stitches...until 3 hours after birth when he stopped breathing and landed in the NICU for a week because he swallowed the mucus plug. The NICU staff were excellent, the L&D staff for both kids were a nightmare.

This time, I had been planning another hospital birth, but with a midwife this time. As I've gotten further along in my pregnancy, I've considered a home birth more and more. My only obstacle has been my husband who still wants me to have a hospital birth, given my son's experience. I spoke with my midwife today and have changed my mind. I've decided on a homebirth and my midwife has agreed to one, saying I'm a perfect candidate and given my history of quick labours, she has no problem telling my husband it's too late for me to get to a hospital if I'm over 5cm.

So, here I am, a new homebirth hopeful, due April 27 with a baby girl!

 

[KandyKinz]

Hello ladies,

Some of you know me from the trimester forums and due date threads. For those who don't, my name is Brandi and I have two kids, Zoe, 4, who is special needs, and Isaiah, 2. They were both hospital births. Zoe's birth is a horror story that I'd love to forget. Isaiah's was the perfect birth. Dilated quickly, two pushes, no epidural, minimal stitches...until 3 hours after birth when he stopped breathing and landed in the NICU for a week because he swallowed the mucus plug. The NICU staff were excellent, the L&D staff for both kids were a nightmare.

This time, I had been planning another hospital birth, but with a midwife this time. As I've gotten further along in my pregnancy, I've considered a home birth more and more. My only obstacle has been my husband who still wants me to have a hospital birth, given my son's experience. I spoke with my midwife today and have changed my mind. I've decided on a homebirth and my midwife has agreed to one, saying I'm a perfect candidate and given my history of quick labours, she has no problem telling my husband it's too late for me to get to a hospital if I'm over 5cm.

So, here I am, a new homebirth hopeful, due April 27 with a baby girl!

WELCOME! Now you're officially one of us! (((evil laughter)))

What midwifery practice are you with? Some of them host 'homebirth nights' where they gather in a group and talk about homebirths and the benefits and the what they would do should such and such emergencies occur, then they show off the equipment they bring and often have guest speakers who have recently had a homebirth to answer questions. Often they try to to get a previously skeptical dad in who was "transformed" by the experience and is now totally pro-home lol. Anyways, if your practice does host such nights it would definitly be very beneficial to get your husband to go or atleast have him come for a prenatal visit and have the midwife go through homebirths in detail for him. The 36 week home visit tends to be perfect for that though that is putting it off a little late..... Often the scariest thing for husbands is the unknown and it can be very reassuring for husbands to get to see first hand the little hospital midwives carry with them in the trunks of the cars which contains resus equipment should baby stop breathing, anti-hemorrhagic drugs should you start bleeding too much, etc etc.

 

[BrandiCanucks]

I'm with Community Midwives of Brant County (they also practice in Hamilton). My midwife didn't mention anything about a homebirth night, but I'll ask her about it when I see her in two weeks.

Thanks!

 

[luna28]

Had a turn up for the books today recieved a call from one of the mws I met earlier in pregnancy (also a SOM but always seemed reasoned and sensible) I hadn't seen her since 28 weeks so she was unaware of the hb and other issues,) anyway she called to check I had recieved my results she mentioned the consultant and I told her I thought it was a total waste of time, to which she agreed and is going to cancel the appt and said they will drop off the kit next friday no issues or conditions and she didn't even mention my HB level
I was going to send off the letter to head of midwifery today but it looks like I don't need to now? although part of me thinks the management should be made aware of the behaviour of some of their mws? esp as if this other mw wasn't around it would still be going on.

 

[Amy_K]

Well I have a baby! Plans obviously deviated A LOT from what we had hoped for but in the end our son, Gruffudd was born safely, weighing a healthy 7lb 8oz.

After a total shambles of a day at hospital yesterday, we went to the labour ward after 12 and a half hours hanging around getting upset and frustrated. My waters were broken at 8.45pm by which point I was just simply too tired and worn down to negotiate an extention on the two hours they were going to leave me to see if contractions would start naturally.

The ARM was the most unbelieveable painful thing I have ever experienced, and I sort of 'went outside myself' towards the end of it, which is incredible weird to say the least.

Oxytocin was started at 11pm and contraction started about 30 or so mins later, the dose was increased every 30 mins until I was having 4/5 contactions in a ten minute period. I was coping really well with the pain on G and A and TENS until about 2.30am when the peaks were getting too intense and verging on the edge of my tolerance. I asked the MW to examine me because, depending how far along I was and how much longer I was likely to be labouring at that intensity I was considering a half dose of pethedine. The exam told her I was just 3cm! I was disheartened just incredulous and actually had a bit a laugh at this point. But given I'd been labouring for 3 hours and the pain was now at its peak I decided to have the pethedine to help conserve my strength for what I knew was coming.

I had the pethedine at about 2.55am and was waiting for it to kick in when about 3.15am my body started involuntary pushing and there was not a thing I could do to stop. One push was so violent that the rest of my waters squirted out and I peed myself. I knew judging by the timescale that it was far to soon for be needing to push and I was worried something was wrong.

I told the MW that my body was pushing on its own and that I couldn't stop, and asked her if this was right.

She said she needed to examine me but I couldn't cooperate enough because of the pain, pushing and fear.

She put teh light on and sent my husband out to get someone else to come in the room.

At this point I was worried because I thought something was really wrong and kept asking if they needed to send me for a c-section.

But no! It was actually time to push because bubs was ready to be born!

With this knowledge and a renewed sense of calm and purpose I got up onto my knees and opened my legs. I told the Obs who was trying to coach me that I knew what I needed to do and when the next contraction came I worked with it and beared down as hard as I could and felt bubs head being born. I gathered my strength and then used the next two contractions to birth the rest of his body.

My husband didn't even know he had been born untill the Obs said "3.31am". The 2nd stage of labour lasted just 4 minutes! Not to mention having gone from 3cm to 10cm in about 40mins.

I didn't feel the instant relief and euphoria that I did after the birth of my daughter two years ago and I couldn't turn to bend to pick up bubs. I couldn't really enjoy holding him either I felt just 'out of sorts'. My placenta was taking some time to come away and there was a little bit of concern that I might be retaining it. Eventually, with some big bearing down it did come out and it was HUGE! I instantly felt better and gave bubs some time on the breast.

Despite now being 19 days 'overdue' bubs showed no traditional post dates signs, and my placenta was healthy too. He could have happily cooked for another week!

Anyway, cut a long story short we are both fine. I had a small 2nd degree tear which didn't need stitches and bubs had some scratches on his head from the ARM.

 

[SmokyJoe78]

Fantastic!
Huge congratulations to you all!

 

[chuck]

Congrats Missus!

Lovely Welsh name!

We've got top think up something Welsh but English friendly for our blue bump!

 

[LuckyD]

Congratulations Amy!! xx

 

[jessop27]

Congratulations Amy xx

 

[pinkmonki]

Congratulations

 

[2ndtimeAbz]

congratulations Amy!! I can relate to alot of ur birth to my first, well done getting through it, those involuntary pushes are the strangest thing! Well done!! love ur name xxx