Home Birthers & Hopefuls!

[Nola0841]

I just got my pool too. I'm so excited!

 

[CatStorey]

Hi ladies

I posted a thread in Toddler/Pre School but just found this thread. Sure you ladies will be able to help answer all my questions

I am 35 weeks with my second and have spent most of this pregnancy stressing about what to do with my 3 year old when I go into labour.

I've not lived here very long and have no one at all to take Chloe. My parents are in London and will come down as soon as I make the call to tell them, but that would be about 3 hours and my midwife said at my last appointment as this is my second baby things could progress much much faster this time!!

My last labour was a horrible experience. I went into it determined to take all pain relief available, had a failed epidural, had another one. labour slowed and I was pushing for hours and hours. In the end had a Forcep delivery with Epediotemy (sp!). Spent an awful night in hospital awake all night with all the other goings on, not able to move due to Catheter. Then had a rubbish recovery with infected stitches

This time I want it to be different so have been hoping I can manage on Gas and Air and would like a pool if available. I want the experience to be different so badly.......I don't want to look back and hate the whole thing like I do with the first one. Its part of the reason there is a 4 year gap, I never wanted to give birth again for a long time afterwards

But then last night I suddenly thought........why not a home birth?!?

It would mean not having to make my way to hospital alone whilst my husband stays with Chloe (we don't drive so I would take a minicab). Spending the first few hours of labour alone and risk him missing it if its a quick one. Or him having to leave part way through to collect Chloe from nursery if its a nursery day.

So.......for the questions!!

Did anyone labour at home with other children in the house? Did this work ok or were there any problems with them waking etc? My parents would be down within 3 hours and would take Chloe out if its during the day but at night I hope she may sleep through it??

Can I have Gas and Air during a Home Birth?

How did you find it? Do you wish you had gone to hospital or are you glad you birthed at home?

I'm thinking of possibly getting a pool. Did anyone use a pool at home? Any stories to share?

Also, I've left it a bit late I know. Do you think its too late? Would I need to do anything, a class or something? My midwife mentioned me having a home birth at my last appointment but I said I hadn't really thought about it at that point.

The more I think about it the more excited I get! I just keep thinking how lovely it will be at home and for the first time this whole pregnancy am not dreading the whole experience.

All the help and guidance is much appreciated xxx

 

[Creative]

Did anyone labour at home with other children in the house? Did this work ok or were there any problems with them waking etc? My parents would be down within 3 hours and would take Chloe out if its during the day but at night I hope she may sleep through it??

I laboured with my three children there and it was the most wonderful experience having them there. Really felt like we bonded as a family.

Can I have Gas and Air during a Home Birth?

Yes, the midwife leaves it with you before hand and brings the mouth piece / valve on the day.

How did you find it? Do you wish you had gone to hospital or are you glad you birthed at home?

No way! Home birth was such an empowering and wonderful experience, so much more so than my two previous home births.

I'm thinking of possibly getting a pool. Did anyone use a pool at home? Any stories to share?

I dry birthed and will do again, but I kow lots of ladies swear by waterbirthing at home

 

[caro103]

Did anyone labour at home with other children in the house? Did this work ok or were there any problems with them waking etc? My parents would be down within 3 hours and would take Chloe out if its during the day but at night I hope she may sleep through it??

I did latent labour with my son in the house, but tbh found him rather distracting, I think he slowed things significantly but once my FIL took him out things got going properly and my son was born 5 hrs later. But my son was only just over 2 so didn't get it at all and kept doing things like hitting me when I was mid contraction, lol

Can I have Gas and Air during a Home Birth?

Yes, the midwives round here bring it with them when you call them out.

How did you find it? Do you wish you had gone to hospital or are you glad you birthed at home?

OMG its AMAZING, I've had both at home and would never want to do it any other way

I'm thinking of possibly getting a pool. Did anyone use a pool at home? Any stories to share?

I used a pool for both births, got off ebay as a collection locally and just bought a new liner. If your quick you should still be able to have one delivered, but check your midwives don't loan them or anything first. Both my boys were born in the pool, if you find water soothing its prob worth trying to get one, I find I can relax and really let things happen in water, on land i'm subconsciously tensing I think.

And good luck!! enjoy your next birth xx

 

[moomin_troll]

I'm a single mum so luckily I went into labour when zane was asleep.
my labour was 4 hours start to finish, mw took her sweet time so no gas and air for me and she came as he was crowning anyway.
I loved my home birth, would definitely do it again if I have another baby x

 

[MadamRose]

Hi ladies

I posted a thread in Toddler/Pre School but just found this thread. Sure you ladies will be able to help answer all my questions

I am 35 weeks with my second and have spent most of this pregnancy stressing about what to do with my 3 year old when I go into labour.

I've not lived here very long and have no one at all to take Chloe. My parents are in London and will come down as soon as I make the call to tell them, but that would be about 3 hours and my midwife said at my last appointment as this is my second baby things could progress much much faster this time!!

My last labour was a horrible experience. I went into it determined to take all pain relief available, had a failed epidural, had another one. labour slowed and I was pushing for hours and hours. In the end had a Forcep delivery with Epediotemy (sp!). Spent an awful night in hospital awake all night with all the other goings on, not able to move due to Catheter. Then had a rubbish recovery with infected stitches

This time I want it to be different so have been hoping I can manage on Gas and Air and would like a pool if available. I want the experience to be different so badly.......I don't want to look back and hate the whole thing like I do with the first one. Its part of the reason there is a 4 year gap, I never wanted to give birth again for a long time afterwards

But then last night I suddenly thought........why not a home birth?!?

It would mean not having to make my way to hospital alone whilst my husband stays with Chloe (we don't drive so I would take a minicab). Spending the first few hours of labour alone and risk him missing it if its a quick one. Or him having to leave part way through to collect Chloe from nursery if its a nursery day.

So.......for the questions!!

Did anyone labour at home with other children in the house? Did this work ok or were there any problems with them waking etc? My parents would be down within 3 hours and would take Chloe out if its during the day but at night I hope she may sleep through it??

Can I have Gas and Air during a Home Birth?

How did you find it? Do you wish you had gone to hospital or are you glad you birthed at home?

I'm thinking of possibly getting a pool. Did anyone use a pool at home? Any stories to share?

Also, I've left it a bit late I know. Do you think its too late? Would I need to do anything, a class or something? My midwife mentioned me having a home birth at my last appointment but I said I hadn't really thought about it at that point.

The more I think about it the more excited I get! I just keep thinking how lovely it will be at home and for the first time this whole pregnancy am not dreading the whole experience.

All the help and guidance is much appreciated xxx

I haven't birthed yet, but could any time now. Hoping my daughter who is just off 3 can be here, and also having a pool birth. Loved my pool birth with my 1st daughter but that was at hospital this is first home birth

 

[CatStorey]

Thank you all so much! Its amazing to hear every single person who had a home birth say how amazing it was and they have no regrets. It really helps me feel positive and that it is the right thing to do for me and my family.

I really do want a pool, just hoping I can fit one in my living room! I'm going to measure up later today and see. Then once I have spoken to my midwife on Tuesday I can order one. Have had a look on ebay but there are none for sale local to me. But I have found a website that hires them out.

From all the reading I have been doing it seems most people used Hypnobirthing when birthing at home. Do you think I would need to learn this and have a maybe left it to late if I did?

xxx

 

[ljo1984]

Never too late for hypno birthing, you can buy cd's off amazon this is one I have for this time (I bought the hospital/birth centre one last time before switching to planning hb).Effective Home Birth Preparation: Self Hypnosis CD Programme for Home Birth
https://amazon.co.uk/dp/1905220510 cannot recommend it enough

 

[Creative]

I didn't do hypno birthing, but I had read Sheila Kitzengers description of what happens to a womans body in prepration for birthing and used that as a focus to imagine what was happening to my body. It was incedibly helpful, kept me very calm and quiet throughout labour.
There is a study by a lady called Elizabeth Kubler Ross. she investigated that "information is a prescription against pain". the more you understand about the process the better your own pain management!! (so get reading!)

 

[moomin_troll]

I wanted to do hypno birthing, came to the day and I didn't lol
I mainly walked around and when I couldn't do that I would lean on my ball and rock my hips or sit and bounce.
I did use a tens machine, felt nice but didn't do much for the pain. Make sure u get that pool filled fast! I thought I'd have ages, then the next thing he was coming no matter what.
Didn't even need to push and he was crowning so jumped in a not even half filled pool lol

 

[MadamRose]

How good are pools at keeping temperature? I know people say get them filled quick but I don't want DH to be having to change water constantly

 

[MrsSmartie]

Our held quite well. The midwife keeps an eye on the temp hourly anyway, they usually lose 1 degree an hour. Take one bucket out and stick a kettle full of hot in. It's no trouble. I found that DH really liked being in charge of drinks, pool temp etc. He felt like he had a role and job to do and less of a spare wheel. I never felt like he wasn't with me though.

 

[moomin_troll]

I'd say take out a bucket of water n fill with hot if u think its getting cool, but yeah keep an eye on temp or cover the pool to keep the heat

 

[CatStorey]

How did everyone find filling the pool and having enough hot water?

Also, any recommendations on a smaller pool. My living room is quite small so I think its going to be a bit of a squash. I really really want a pool though!

Finally for the first time in 8 months I am not dreading going into labour

I am going to call the midwife first thing tomorrow. Will let you know what she says. Fingers crossed! xxxx

 

[Guppy051708]

The pool my MWs bring w them stay heated really well with a cover. In fact, it steamed up the entire room even w the cover on it and the water was still hot when i got in a few hours later. So a cover will help things. Some pools come w a cover that puzzles over it and fits really well (so it maintains the heat much better). Other pools have no covers but you could probably put a plastic bed sheet over it or something. At any rate, my pool stayed hot for a long time

With DS1 i had a hospital water birth and the tub was a real tub/jacuzzi type thing (no jets though). They did not have a cover. I was in there for a REALLY long time (many many hours) and they had to readd hot water every couple of hours. But it was designed so that the water came out of the ceiling and directly into the tub so it wasnt a big deal.

as far as refilling the tub if you need more water (or a different temp), im pretty sure the tub my MWs brought had a thing where you can attach a hose to the plug. So in the even it did chill off too much, they had the hose out the window (the other end attached to near the plug) and then they pulled the plug and emptied the water out the window. Then they have a hose hooked up to my sink and they can put new clean water into the pool to fill it. They did that for me bc i got too hot at one point.

I think the more filled the pool is the longer it can maintain it's heat. I also think if you have it in a smaller, enclosed room, the longer it can hold heat longer. I def think the cover is the best way at keeping it warm, but def being in a small, closed off room will help too.

 

[caro103]

have a look at birth pool in a box mini, not sure on sizes but its smaller than others out there. Def get a cover, then you can fill it as soon as your in early labour and like the others have said 1 bucket on, more hot in. We filled ours to the minimum height in early labour, just incase things got going quick, then just added hot as it cooled down, wasn't a big deal at all.

I didn't hypnobirth, but did use the CD with the plain music/sounds for my first labour, 2nd labour I think we just had something playing on the tv in the background, then I asked for the CD right at the end but it didn't even play though once before he was born.

My DH reckoned he heard dolphin sounds for wks after my first labour as it played on repeat so often , I didn't even realise it was still playing! So he was very pleased not to have to listen to it for hours this time

 

[lynnikins]

didnt manage to use mine last time this time im going to fill to min depth as soon as im sure its labour then top it up with hot water as required

 

[ljo1984]

Eeeeek not long now Lynn x

 

[lynnikins]

i know its getting to the point my pelvis is feeling the weight of baby being really low so i just want baby here, got my HB kit and my pool fill/empty kit being delivered tomorrow morning

 

[Guppy051708]

I wish my LO would arrive already! getting anxious keeping up w the house!Think this is the only downfall to HB, is keeping my house presentable