Home Birthers & Hopefuls!

[KandyKinz]

thanks for allowing me to vent girls

And lousielou here's my very personal opinion but do keep in mind that it has been tainted by some years of midwifery training which isn't necessarily a good thing iykwim....

Rupture is rare but it can happen and when it does it can be a scary thing. Outcomes correspond very closely with how fast it is managed and as such detecting uterine seperation early is an important part of keeping mom and baby safe. FHR abnormalities are often the first sign seen when a uterus begins to rupture, pain between contractions can be a clue but in labour that can be pretty hard to assess and checking your pulse regularly can be just as invasive as fhr checks.... Over here ob guidelines encourage continuous efm for VBACs. Quite frankly I do understand their rationale but given the outcomes of studies which look at EFM usage I agree that this form of continuous monitoring is just asking for probs and that the risks of seeing 'pathology' when not there is much higher then the risk of rupture. As such I support both approaches. IA has a much better track record in terms of picking up only the abnormalities that need to be picked up on. With EFM it is VERY VERY easy to subjectively over analyze every little blip... With IA only significant abnormalities tend to be noticed..... And studies have repeatedly shown that only with responding to the significant abnormalities detected by IA are outcomes improved... where as over managing every blip found on EFM has been found to actually worsen outcomes. So statistically speaking knowing a little appears to be better then knowing nothing and it is also better then knowing too much.

Here IA protocol states they should listen to baby q15 mins in active labour and q5 mins or after q contraction while pushing regardless of whether you are having a vbac or not... Personally, if I were your midwife I would be highly recommending [but certainly not demanding] this routine monitoring

 

[KandyKinz]

it cut me off....

Anywho, I feel as though I should hang my head in shame with that last statement....

So yes from a clinical perspective I do feel as though IA q15 mins is an appropriate recommendation for a hbac, I do however recognize that there is the invasiveness aspect of it especially considering your desire for an intimate just the two of you birth and that having that infringed upon can have a very negative effect on the birting atmosphere which in turn can negatively impede progress which can cause a cascade of other interventions..... And while I have found a large majority of women don't notice the checks while in labour land I know there are women out there who find the checks incredibly disruptive :/ It's truly a tricky thing to negotiate and I really wish I had a solution for you

Have you given any thought as to how frequently YOU would like the fhr to be checked? Would q20 mins or 30 mins feel more acceptable or do YOU feel compelled to scrap it all together? Would implenting a midwife no-talking rule help? Or making it known that you will not change positions for the checks? or having them use only a fetoscope or making them keep the doppler volume down?

 

[LuckyD]

Hi all! Sorry for the lack of an update.

Just wanted to let you know that I had my beautiful daughter Lucy on 25th March, at home, in the water. It was an amazing experience, most of the labour was just me and my OH and then the midwives and my mum arrived around 8am, she was born at 12.45. She was calm throughout the whole labour and after she was born - she is amazing and I can't believe I managed to have the birth I wanted, especially as she is my first baby.

Unfortunately after an hour and a half I had to transfer to hospital for PPH - my midwife said I had the biggest placenta she had ever seen and I didn't stop bleeding. It turns out I needed some stitches as well - so, ironically, after my perfect drug free home water birth, I ended up with a spinal anesthesia, a blood transfusion, and two days in hospital!

However, this is so secondary to the fact that my birth went just the way I wanted and that Lucy was born so peacefully. The transfer was a bummer for sure, but in the big scheme of things not that important. I am so happy and proud that she had the entrance to the world that I hoped her to have.

So, all good! Now, will someone please tell me breastfeeding gets easier? Ow!!!

Thanks for all your support - I will be back to catch up again properly soon.

 

[PeanutBean]

Congratulations on the birth Lucky! Sorry you had to transfer but definitely better after than during labour - ow! Bf definitely gets easier and I say that as a mum of a boy who never learnt to latch properly. Takes some practice but you'll both get there.

I have had my first dream about going into labour. Just wait two more days baby...

 

[moomin_troll]

aww wow lucky congrats!
awful the u PPH theres a chance i might too :S
zane wouldnt latch and the pain got too much for me after a week so i gave up but keep at it xx

 

[kiwimama]

Already said it over on your journal Lucky but huge congrats on the peaceful arrival of Lucy. Can't wait for a full story and piccies when you are ready. Homebirth stories are just the best to read. You did so well and I'm so proud of you.

A real bummer about the transfer afterwards (hope you are feeling ok now) but Lucy obviously arrived very peacefully and that is a wonderful thing. You mentioned that she was calm throughout and that was the same for my Seth. He never had a dip in heartrate at all, and arrived with no crying at all. Led to me crying to the midwife "Is he ok, why isn't he crying?!?"

Congrats again and hope you and the family are doing well. As for bfing, keep it up as long as you are happy to do so. (We aren't bfing this time around, but that's a very long story.)

 

[Bournefree]

Sounds like a brilliant birth LuckyD - my experience of the water is was the same as Kiwi and you - really peaceful baby.

Shame about the PPH and that you had to transfer, but at least not in labour, and you had a wonderful birth.

Invest in some nipple creams! I don't know if you can get it in NZ, but I can recommend Camilosan. It was a nipple-saver! Your nipples will toughen up and latches will become easier, as you and baby know that right positions.. don't be worried about taking baby off to get more comfy.. the latch shouldn't hurt. You can do this by putting your little finger in at the side of babies mouth - they will release in a reflex. And you can try for a better fit!

 

[ttc bubby no2]

Congrats LuckyD!

BFing does get easier so keep at it. Does you midwife visit you post birth to help establish good attachment? Lanolish is what we have here in Aus to put on those tender nipples so if it is available in NZ get some.

 

[2ndtimeAbz]

congratulations lucky!! Great to hear the birth went so smoothly and glad to hear ur ok now after ur pph! Bf got much easier for me after the first week or so of it being uncomfy. Looking forward to bf'ing again this time! X can't wait to hear ur birth story once u have time to write it xx

 

[SmokyJoe78]

Congratulations Lucky!

Like everyone says BF does get easier - I didn't believe it but here I am still feeding DS after 14 months! Creams definitely help and making sure you've got the latch right - try and get some help if you feel you need it - best thing I did was see a breastfeeding counsellor.

 

[sugarcube84]

yes it does get easier!!!i had one scabby nipple the first week (sorry tmi) where he latched badly at night when i was tired i found a bit of breast milk squeezed out and rubbed on and letting the air get to it (boobies out!!!) helped lots, i never got on with the creams they kept mine too moist so they never healed but the above worked great!! I would say by the end of week 2 latching was easy and pain free. Keep going you have just given birth everything hurts and aches and you are probably tired and emotional, try and get some helpif you feel you need it breastfeeding counsellors friends etc and then if somewhere down the line it still isnt happening at least you gave it a good go.Happy mum happy baby

 

[lousielou]

Congratulations Lucky! Lucy is a fabulous name, even if I do say so myself

 

[KandyKinz]

Congrats lucky! Sounds like a lovely birth though it was quite unfortunate the postpartum ended in such an ordeal. You seemed to have handled it amazingly though!

And I too agree that breastfeeding gets easier over time. Latch is really key at avoiding damage and in time you and baby WILL be pros at establishing a good non-hurting latch with zero effort at all! Do you have a lactation consultant available to you? If so they can be marvelous at helping breastfeeding come along. And I second the recommendation of using EBM and air drying to promote healing.


I had my m/w appt today. She's come around to using my dates and seemed completely fine with my declining an IOL. She did revisit her recommendation for me to see the consultant and as I was feeling in a fiesty and somewhat bored mood I agreed to see him today to discuss management should I go post-term [beyond 42 weeks] based on my dates. Considering the consultant's previous response was to abandon care to any woman who exceeded 41 weeks I feel as though some progress has been made but I suppose it is very possible that I've been misguided by the midwife as a way to get me to see the ob Either way BRING IT ON So I have another bpp in 4 hrs and meet with the ob on L&D afterwards.

I also agreed to a stretch and sweep.... I've been trying myself with no such luck as my cx and baby's head is still so high so I figured what the hell... turns out my cx was too high to reach for her to give an adequate sweep as well. Although I'm now feeling slightly violated my feelings of competency re: v/e assessments are now feeling up to par again

 

[KandyKinz]

Also of note my very pro-pregnancy intervention mom is being very much on my side re: postdates management. She doesn't understand at all why they are giving me such a hard time and thinks it's really strange I'm having such frequent u/s's when I'm not even 42 weeks and everything has been healthy and well with myself and baby. I`m loving it Usually I find myself justifying my 'natural' approaches to her as well so having her support is GREAT

 

[PeanutBean]

All good news then Kandy? Kind of anyway! Good luck with the ob.

 

[chuck]

helloo ladies, sorry it's been a busy weekend - it was my birthday so we went out on Sunday to meet friends and had a lovely curry instead of a sunday roast, I didn't get the lie in I wanted but its mothers day next weekend so goddamnit I'm getting a lie in!! BUt I did get an Amazon Kindle! Totally unexpected and awesome so I'm a happy mummy, and my Ma gave me money to get my hair done - mmmm the salon has vibrating massage chairs now DIVINE!!!

Glad to hear you got a lovely birth Lucky..like you said shame about the transfer but you LO got the best entrance to the world!

Sorry to hear about nonsense with post dates and housing...nothing's ever easy is it?

I saw my MW this morning - I'm looked after by 2 and I haven't seen this one in ages as she's been on a stint at a hospital nearby (staffing issues). I asked how it was and in her words...'well the MLU is lovely but the labour ward *shake head* is ummm horrible. All the staff were so miserable, I felt sorry for the ladies I had to take up there!'

LOL...we think the same way about that particular hospital if I transfer I'm asking NOT to go there again.

We had a bit of a chat and got around to the subject of OB's and how she hates their opinion of MW's who must be wicked people for wanting women to go through so much pain when they don't have to - and how she hates how epidurals are even an option for a woman having a normal birth, she said well they have their place but they shouldn't be available to a woman who isn't having any intervention it's madness turning our backs on natural labour!

LOL bless her and I thought it was just as nutter mothers thinking like that!

But all is well with me and bump, blood pressure low, Iron high (11) baby is head down and this morning was ROA (now bump just stay that way dammit don't you dare go back to back!).

I asked about a birth plan and she said well if you want to write one and put it in your notes then do it, but in all honesty it wont be looked at or if it is it'll be ignored if they can get away with it. YOu and who ever is with you should know and be vocal about your wishes.....hmmm...now I'm not too certain about this.

I dont want to get hung up on a 'plan' in as much as I know from experience that things rarely go to plan, but I'd rather have some preferences laid out especially for transfer...she agreed with me on some points like NO AROM, NO VE unless there is a medical NEED for them as I refuse to be put on a timeline for delivery again. But she said that I shouldn't HAVE to ever voice a preference for staying active etc as who ever is attending me should also be encouraging me to stay active - shame that wasn't the case in hospital where I was told of for wriggling or trying to roll over <facepalm>

LOL she did also look at the notes from the VBAC clinic that state the MW team need to call a meeting about my HBAC so they are all aware of the situation...she sniggered and said gosh what does she think we are? You're HBAC was discussed months ago at one of our regular meetings with the local consultant MW and there's no problem sheesh!

So a good appt all in all, I think I will print off a few birth preferences for home and transfer to put in my notes, I'd certainly feel more at ease having them in black and white as I doubt I'll be able to voice my opinions at times and Hubby isn't 100% behind my choices (he's have me in hospitla following recommendations).

 

[PeanutBean]

She sounds great Chuck! Glad things are looking fairly straightforward.

 

[SmokyJoe78]

That sounds really good Chuck - she sounds very supportive

I'm going to see my MW again (first time after I got really upset last time at her negativity over HBAC) on Thursday, but feeling so much more confident about telling her what I want and what I don't!

 

[rachiedata]

Fab Lucky, well done! Lucy will no doubt be a very calm baby due to her lovely peaceful entrance into the world!

BF gets easier by all accounts... how unfair is this, I've sore nipples already, and no baby to speak of yet!!

Cloth nappies arrived today, sitting in a cloud of lovely soap powder fumes with an alcohol free Becks

 

[chuck]

I couldnt get past the pain with BF'ing last time.

I was exhausted after no sleep for days and a long labour, the EMCS being pumped full of drugs and having a tongue tied baby...I was bleeding before I got home and it was painful no matter how many people tried to help.

I ashamed to be honest I didn't make it through the hard bits and carry on. I wanted to so badly after the horrible delivery I suffered.

I'm going to try again this time but I figure if baby only gets a couple days worth of Momma milk its got be better than none.