Home Birthers & Hopefuls!

[vikirose]

Can I be added to the list. Hoping for my 3rd HB in dec. Had my first ever scans with this pregnancy as I passed on them with the other 2 and was told I have a low lying placenta so another scan at 34 wks. Still as long as there's no danger to baby I'll be a stubborn one to talk into a hospital!! Thanks

 

[Rebaby]

Welcome aboard

Well i had my home visit from the mw's this morning, my caseholding student mw and the mw who was supervising her who i saw at my last appointment as well, so it was nice to see two familiar faces

They were very positive and enthusiastic, and looked through my birth plan and were happy with it and answered all my questions.

The only thing is that something my student mw has said has puzzled me, she said if i think i'm in labour, i.e. contracting regularly, then to ring the radio room and they'll send a midwife out to me. But she also said if my waters break then to ring triage and they'll want me to go in to be checked over...but my labour STARTED with my waters breaking last time...and surely the whole point of a homebirth is that i don't have to trek out to be checked over, when i am planning to stay home anyway?!

The thought of having to go in freaks me out a bit, as i can just imagine waters breaking, having to get a taxi to the hospital, being strapped down to have an admission ctg- then someone isn't happy with the trace, then it all just spiralling iykwim?

Should i ring them to clarify why there's a difference? I'd be happy for a mw to come out to me if my waters break, i just don't want to go in...what do you think will happen if i refuse?

It's great to know everything is in place for our HB and that they'll go on call for me from next week happydance: ) but this one little point has left me feeling a bit puzzled and nervous...

 

[wigglywoo]

Sounds a bit odd to me. Did she mean if they went and you weren't contracting? As in PROM?

 

[lynnikins]

called my MW today and they are trying to organise and appointment to see me to discuss the homebirth

 

[Blah11]

That sounds off to me too. I wouldn't go to hospital at all unless it was an emergency. Once you're there they might try and persuade you to stay and no one in labour needs that stress! You've had a Lo before, I'm sure you'll know when your waters go. My first signs of labour was ROM too. My contractions started en route to hospital although very mild.

 

[cranberry987]

I'd imagine they mean if waters go with no sign of labour. Give em a call tho

I'm changing my mw woo! Spoke to someone last night who gave me another shit story about her which was the validation I needed to trust my instincts. Left a msg for community mw team as head of midwifery is on holiday. Ooh get me being all assertive. Celebrated by opening the liquorice allsorts supposed to be for Xmas

 

[chuck]

I'm guessing its more of a if your waters break and you dont start contracting soon then go to triage kinda thing.

I'd say use your own judgment on that one, like you said theres no point draggin your self to triage for no reason.

 

[sun]

rebaby - My son was born early and it started with my water breaking and took about 4h to go into labour after that point. I have discussed this with my MW (what to do if they break and nothing happens right away). Basically for me if they break before 37 weeks I go right in - no HB for me! But if they break after 37 weeks I page the MW and she will come to my house and I will try to start labour like I did at the hospital with my son. She will monitor me and if nothing happens for too long then I will have to go in eventually. Last time though I had 8h to get labour going before they were going to intervene! xx

I would definitely clarify with the MWs there. But I agree with the others - I wouldn't go in unless there was a good reason. Lots of labours start with ROM! Usually regular contractions aren't far behind.

 

[chuck]

LOL my waters with Stanley didnt go until I was ready to go at transition/10cm LOL they went in style too, they exploded all over the living room!

 

[SyllyPoohBear]

Welcome aboard
Should i ring them to clarify why there's a difference? I'd be happy for a mw to come out to me if my waters break, i just don't want to go in...what do you think will happen if i refuse?

It's great to know everything is in place for our HB and that they'll go on call for me from next week happydance: ) but this one little point has left me feeling a bit puzzled and nervous...

Did you have a positive GBS test? Because in my mind that's the only reason you need to be "check out" And even then there are home remedies for GBS positive people. I would definitely ask for clarification. And you can always explain that the reason your having a HB is because you don't want to go to the hospital. If they aren't qualified to do all of that at home then they shouldn't be preforming HBs.

PS. you don't have to worry until you hit the 24 hour mark after your water breaks. If you haven't had contractions by 24 hours then you should consider doing something.

 

[SyllyPoohBear]

Wide awake, in pain, can't sleep, hips are killing me so have got up and taken painkillers and chocolate cos I'm feeling sorry for myself. Tempted to wake up Paul (one of his favourite catch phrases is "one up, all up") but I think he might actually kill me once he found out I wasn't in labour. I've been so good and patient and chilled but I'm starting to feel sorry for myself now, which isn't like me. Ho hum. Can't be much longer now. Paul keeps saying that too, like a scratched record. Bah.

Come on baby!! Have you started looking at natural induction methods? Well, I guess I mean natural laboring starting methods? You should google it. There is a tons of things you can do that may help. Your almost there one day at a time!

 

[Shiv]

With my first I was told to ring L&D if my waters broke and they asked me to go in, they checked that it was indeed my waters and put me on a trace for a while and sent me home until my contractions hotted up.

My midiwfe this time told me to only ring triage (who will send out the midwife to my home) when my contractions are 3 in 10 mins and regular. I asked her what to do if my waters broke and she said I would only need to ring if my waters were coloured, if they weren't coloured just to wait for contractions to start. If they didn't start up after 12 hours or so give them a bell.

 

[chuck]

I was HBAC and was never told to call or go to triage if my waters went, mind you I'm 30 mins from the closest hospital.

1MW said call asap once I know I'm in labour, the other said leave it as long as possible before calling so I'm not on anyones timeline!

 

[lynnikins]

well im booked in with a double lenght appointment to see the community MW who does HB's tomorrow and to talk it all through the boys wont be happy but i'll have to pack them their lunch and take it with me caus its right on lunchtime the appointment

 

[chuck]

Annoying when you can only get appts over a meal or nap time!

Hoping it all goes well hun!

 

[MandaAnda]

Personally, I wouldn't be ringing them just for SROM'ing at term. First of all, I wouldn't ring if it was just SROM and no labour because there's nothing they can do (I'm not allowing internals next time and certainly not after SROM'ing) unless I'm worried for some reason (with Jack, there was heavy meconium, so I did ring and went in at their request). Secondly, I wouldn't be letting them know about SROM in case it turned to PROM because I wouldn't want to be on their clock. I'll only ring when I think I'm definitely in labour, am refusing internals and will smudge the truth a bit on when my waters went if it had been a while.

 

[lynnikins]

Annoying when you can only get appts over a meal or nap time!

Hoping it all goes well hun!

thanks, well my other option was first thing right when im due to do the nursery drop off

 

[chuck]

ergh sods law isnt it?

 

[PeanutBean]

PB - OOH! I didn't know there was a list on the first page! Can you add me on November 28? Hoping for a HB with #2!

Added. Let me know if I've got anything wrong. My son was born on 28th November.

Can I be added to the list. Hoping for my 3rd HB in dec. Had my first ever scans with this pregnancy as I passed on them with the other 2 and was told I have a low lying placenta so another scan at 34 wks. Still as long as there's no danger to baby I'll be a stubborn one to talk into a hospital!! Thanks

Added. Ditto let me know if you want me to change anything.

Rebaby - I have strong feelings about this! My first labour starting with my waters going at 1.30am at 38+3. Not knowing any better I rang triage. My contractions started right away, triage wasn't fussed about anything. A couple of hours later I hadn't felt the baby move at all so I was worried and rang again. They asked me to come in, I did, got monitoring, baby fine, went home. (Ouch in the car though!) Then at 9am the communtiy MW came round and told me I would ahve to transfer at 18 hours if I hadn't delivered. Broken, defeated, funnily enough didn't deliver, was transferred and 34.5 hours of labour my sun was pulled out by ventouse. No-one knows why I was told that as it wasn't and still isn't policy even to induce until 96 hours never mind if labour is underway. I vowed that if it happened the same this time I wouldn't tell them my waters had gone unless I had other concerns like meconium, and that was having had a positive gbs swab this time. I agree there is nothing to be done. Internals are contraindicated with broken waters so what's to check? Unless you have other concerns I wouldn't involve them any sooner than you are otherwise planning to. Probably your student MW isn't up to speed with the hospital's protocols.

 

[Rebaby]

Thanks everyone

The reason i was a bit about it was because my labour with Toby started at 38+1 with srom at 1am. I rang triage and due to being GBS+ve they advised me to come straight in. My contractions started in the waiting room in triage but very mild and irregular (like period cramps) at around 2.30am. I had an admission CTG and Toby's heartrate was very low so i was examined and cervix found to be high and closed (his HR returned to normal by the end of the VE) My contractions continued to be irregular but got stronger, at 9.30am i was 1cm dilated, which i think they all thought i'd be very disappointed by, but the mw had barely been able to reach my cervix at 2.30am and i'd been strapped to a bed for most of the hours since then (i was 'allowed' an hour off the ctg to 'mobilise and get things going' ) so i thought i'd done quite well to get to 1cm under those circumstances?!

In any case, because of the way things started with Toby, i have of course been wondering if labour will start the same way this time (srom and then gentle contractions starting just after) I know it may be possibly be completely different but then again it might be just the same, and there's no way i want to be trekking in to triage in the rain and being subjected to whatever they want to do before being 'allowed' home again. I thought the whole point of a homebirth was to be in the comfort of my own home?!

Anyway i talked to OH this afternoon about it and we've agreed that if i srom before contractions begin again this time, i will call radio room to notify them that things may be starting, but if they invite me in to triage i will decline. I'm happy for someone to come out and listen in to baby if they want to, or check a pad to make sure it is my waters (although i feel confident enough in my own abilities to recognise when i've srom'd and when i've peed my pants ) but anything other than that i'd decline anyway (i.e. a VE at that point)

OH would be unhappy with me going in, since he feels it would get the ball rolling re: timing and induction and we just don't need that pressure and i completely agree. The infection risk is not immediate and would be increased by going in to hospital and having someone's paws up my foof, so i'd rather stay home and shall tell them so!

Thanks for all the support though ladies