Home Birthers & Hopefuls!

[deej23]

Huge congrats MM wonderful birth story

Just a quick note to say went to holland and barrats today for some rasperry leaf capsules, They are on offer at the mo £3.99 for 100 instead of £7 something. You can also open the capsules and add to boiling water to make tea it says on the bottle.

 

[Mervs Mum]

Oh something I meant to mention to any if you wanting to avoid vaginal exams during your HBs - in particular I remember talking to Nightkd about it. My lead MW is very expecrienced in HB as where she's based down the valley from us, is a really hippy quirky community where everyone HBs. She's attended lots of hypno, lotus and other 'natural' approach HBs. To gauge my progress she would check the small of my back for 2 things. A purple line sometimes appears which apparently correlates with dilation and also the bottom of my back next to my bum began to swell which she also said was a good indicator. OH said he could visibly see it change himself. Interesting eh?!

 

[carries]

Just read your birth story Lisa, huge congrats on your beautiful baby boy xxxx

 

[trumpetbum]

Beautiful. Welcome to the world Sid

I have my first m/w appt on Tuesday Hopefully this time round planning our homebirth will go smoothly from the beginning.

 

[lauzliddle]

Hi girls well i am ready plan my homebirth a little bit more in depth and would like to ask a few questions. I have got my birth pool and plan to put it all up in my dining room as that is the best place for it so:

If you had /plan to have a birth pool are you going to prepare any other rooms?

How many and which ones?

If you have the baby in the pool where did you do 3rd stage?

Was there alot of mess to clean up? Did your MW do it?

What was the best thing you had during labour?

Thanks in advance Laura X

 

[Mervs Mum]

If you had /plan to have a birth pool are you going to prepare any other rooms?

We dressed the bed with extra sheets and plastic sheets underneath. Then if I chose to go on the bed and there was any 'mess' we could lift the sheet and plastic sheets after and get straight into clean bedding. I did go on the bed and there wasnt even a mark - the mws bring loads of the incontinence pads they use in hospital.

How many and which ones?

I decided I wanted the birth stool in the dining room because the floor is laminate and easy to clean. There was zero mess - they put a pad under the stool and that was it. The pool was in the kitchen for ease of filling and room etc.

If you have the baby in the pool where did you do 3rd stage?

I had him on a stool and stayed there for the physiological 3rd stage which took 10 mins. Then I got back in the pool to bathe. They offered to put Sid in but I chose to wash in there while OH had skin to skin time with Sid.

Was there alot of mess to clean up? Did your MW do it?

The mws did everything - they were so good. OH took care of the pool but they did everything else. They were even putting Hebe's toys back in the dining room! There was practically no mess. I really didnt need all the plastic sheets/shower curtains and throws at all.
It was hard to believe so much had happened when we got up in the morning and the only evidence was the tea cups and toast plates we didnt wash up!

What was the best thing you had during labour?
Towels! We had tonnes from my MIL so we werent scratching around if I got in and out the pool. Hand towels for drying my face and big bath sheets for my body. Normal ones for the baby.

Straws for drinking in awkward positions.

We didnt have but should have had isotonic drinks like Lucozade for energy when I was flagging....we had full fat coke which made me feel sick!

 

[Pops]

Great tips there Lisa, we were talking in bed this morning and Boyo said we needed to put a list of questions together for you!

Oh, and he says to tell you from him huge Congratulations and Sid is gorgeous, he knows how fab you are to me and he really appreciates it too

xxx

 

[Mervs Mum]

Bless ya Tell him thank you and I'm only too happy to be able to support you just as you've supported me x

 

[Rachiebaby24]

Oh something I meant to mention to any if you wanting to avoid vaginal exams during your HBs - in particular I remember talking to Nightkd about it. My lead MW is very expecrienced in HB as where she's based down the valley from us, is a really hippy quirky community where everyone HBs. She's attended lots of hypno, lotus and other 'natural' approach HBs. To gauge my progress she would check the small of my back for 2 things. A purple line sometimes appears which apparently correlates with dilation and also the bottom of my back next to my bum began to swell which she also said was a good indicator. OH said he could visibly see it change himself. Interesting eh?!

Thank you for this. I remember on the day i gave birth to Maley i had gone to the hospital because she hadnt moved for ages and they wanted to give me an internal and i cried! I absolutely hate them! I had one when i got to the hospital but refused anymore. When i spoke to my mw the other day she said she would only check me if i wanted to be checked or unless its a prolonged labour or absolutely necessary!

 

[nikki-lou25]

Thanks MM, I have a loooong way to go but I will mention that to my MW when I'm sorting out homebirth.
I don't mind internals when needed but I'm hoping to waterbirth next time so don't want to be in and out all the time.

Hey ho - only 36 weeks to go! haha!!

 

[gina8177]

Your birth story is amazing! Congratulations Lisa! He's beautiful!

 

[carries]

Hi girls well i am ready plan my homebirth a little bit more in depth and would like to ask a few questions. I have got my birth pool and plan to put it all up in my dining room as that is the best place for it so:

If you had /plan to have a birth pool are you going to prepare any other rooms?

I had a pool labour and delivery and didnt set up anywhere else. Had some old towels ready though so I could move if I wanted to

How many and which ones?

If you have the baby in the pool where did you do 3rd stage?

Had a physiological third stage so it took about 40 mins I think. I just stayed in the pool and then when I stood up to get out gave one little push and out came the placenta

Was there alot of mess to clean up? Did your MW do it?

None at all really. Obviously the water in the pool needed emptying and my OH did that the day after. If there was any anywhere else I didnt see it and the midwives tidied up downstairs when I was int he shower and in bed eating toast!

What was the best thing you had during labour?

Other than my OH who was wonderful I would say the pool. I also had some bottles of water that had been in the freezer and they helped keep me hydrated and cool

Thanks in advance Laura X

good luck!

 

[Bournefree]

Oh something I meant to mention to any if you wanting to avoid vaginal exams during your HBs - in particular I remember talking to Nightkd about it. My lead MW is very expecrienced in HB as where she's based down the valley from us, is a really hippy quirky community where everyone HBs. She's attended lots of hypno, lotus and other 'natural' approach HBs. To gauge my progress she would check the small of my back for 2 things. A purple line sometimes appears which apparently correlates with dilation and also the bottom of my back next to my bum began to swell which she also said was a good indicator. OH said he could visibly see it change himself. Interesting eh?!

You have just bought back a memory for me - I had this too! Aparently (sorry if it is too much info), but my anus swelled and opened slightly as the baby decended (no poo, don't worry everyone!); It was that way they knew it was not going to be long. I wasn't examined after 4cm.
Good info!
xxx

 

[Bournefree]

Hi girls well i am ready plan my homebirth a little bit more in depth and would like to ask a few questions. I have got my birth pool and plan to put it all up in my dining room as that is the best place for it so:

If you had /plan to have a birth pool are you going to prepare any other rooms?

How many and which ones?
I didn't prep anyother rooms other than the living room where the pool was

If you have the baby in the pool where did you do 3rd stage?
Although, I would have liked to do 3rd in the pool, I had horrible cramp and got out, and delivered the placenta on the bed - only a bed wetting pad under me. We did try it on the toilet, but it didn't happen for me till about an hour and 45 after.

Was there alot of mess to clean up? Did your MW do it?
They did bless them - even the washing up! But getting the water out of the pool was more difficult, and my OH finished it off the next day

What was the best thing you had during labour?
I totally agree with MM - straws (which i didn't have, and really wanted) second to that, my OH! He was just the best - and tbh, I didn't know if he would be (hates blood and gore, but it wasn't like that). Thrid thing, loads of squash to drink!

Thanks in advance Laura X

You are going to love planning your HB!!
xxx

 

[nightkd]

Oh something I meant to mention to any if you wanting to avoid vaginal exams during your HBs - in particular I remember talking to Nightkd about it. My lead MW is very expecrienced in HB as where she's based down the valley from us, is a really hippy quirky community where everyone HBs. She's attended lots of hypno, lotus and other 'natural' approach HBs. To gauge my progress she would check the small of my back for 2 things. A purple line sometimes appears which apparently correlates with dilation and also the bottom of my back next to my bum began to swell which she also said was a good indicator. OH said he could visibly see it change himself. Interesting eh?!

You have just bought back a memory for me - I had this too! Aparently (sorry if it is too much info), but my anus swelled and opened slightly as the baby decended (no poo, don't worry everyone!); It was that way they knew it was not going to be long. I wasn't examined after 4cm.
Good info!
xxx

The bolded part made me giggle

My MW is very pro 'letting things happen' without any unnecessary intervening, so I might ask what her view is on internals and stuff, and see if she does this sort of thing. I'm sure she'd be perfectly open to it, even if she doesn't normally use alternative methods.

BTW, I have a question...Strep B testing - quite a few ladies having homebirths (a few of them on their 2nd child mind...) have said there's no point having the test. I'm iffy about this, has anyone else decided not to have it??

Someone said that you can get an antiseptic wash to squirt 'up there' in the early stages of labour, which would do the job anyway and the only reason they'd have the actual Strep B test is incase they got transferred to hospital, because they'll give you antibiotics no matter what, because there are no results (most still just decided to avoid it altogether though)... I'm mighty confused. It's going to cost us $80, I've been told by the time the results come in I could have changed (eg if I came up negative, I could be positive by the time the results came back anyway...) and that the only bacteria that harms the baby is found in the urinary tract...

Blah! Garble garble, what do you guys think?

x

 

[Mervs Mum]

I paid £20 for the Strep B test and then when my waters went they took a sample to test for it....I said but I'd been tested and she said well it can change.....I really dont know either. I dont think I'd bother next time.

 

[EternalRose]

Im so ready for my baby now, the pressure in my pelvis is immense. My due date cant come quick enough. Matthew wanted to take me into London to see a West End show next week to cheer me up, and I told him its probably not a good idea as A) my waters may go as I have been known to get over excited at a musical B) Trying to get back home on a London Underground with wet trousers is not only a mission but just too optimistic. ..Jeez ..and this on and off period pains every night for the past few days are just getting on my nerves...Oh arent I a ray of sunshine this evening

 

[Bournefree]

Im so ready for my baby now, the pressure in my pelvis is immense. My due date cant come quick enough. Matthew wanted to take me into London to see a West End show next week to cheer me up, and I told him its probably not a good idea as A) my waters may go as I have been known to get over excited at a musical B) Trying to get back home on a London Underground with wet trousers is not only a mission but just too optimistic. ..Jeez ..and this on and off period pains every night for the past few days are just getting on my nerves...Oh arent I a ray of sunshine this evening

It's all good; do what you feel right, but I was advised, and it was good advice, to carry on as usual.. go to the show! (Perhaps drive though, rather than tube, or bus) If you go into labour, you'll have enough time to get home. You'll have that plug coming away as an indication.

I know what parking nightmare London is; I used to live not far from you in Clapham (for about 5 years) - I've also been out in Kinston a few times - mostly to go shopping in John Lewis! You and your OH can (knowing London so well) find somewhere not miles away, to park in the west end.

I do totally understand, if you don't feel comfortable - my OH is Welsh (bless him - hahaha!) so I didn't, although I had lots of opportunity, to travel far after 36wks - I just didn't want to, and the in-laws were just going to have to wait.: 4 hours in a CAR - no way!! xxx

 

[EternalRose]

Im so ready for my baby now, the pressure in my pelvis is immense. My due date cant come quick enough. Matthew wanted to take me into London to see a West End show next week to cheer me up, and I told him its probably not a good idea as A) my waters may go as I have been known to get over excited at a musical B) Trying to get back home on a London Underground with wet trousers is not only a mission but just too optimistic. ..Jeez ..and this on and off period pains every night for the past few days are just getting on my nerves...Oh arent I a ray of sunshine this evening

It's all good; do what you feel right, but I was advised, and it was good advice, to carry on as usual.. go to the show! (Perhaps drive though, rather than tube, or bus) If you go into labour, you'll have enough time to get home. You'll have that plug coming away as an indication.

I know what parking nightmare London is; I used to live not far from you in Clapham (for about 5 years) - I've also been out in Kinston a few times - mostly to go shopping in John Lewis! You and your OH can (knowing London so well) find somewhere not miles away, to park in the west end.

I do totally understand, if you don't feel comfortable - my OH is Welsh (bless him - hahaha!) so I didn't, although I had lots of opportunity, to travel far after 36wks - I just didn't want to, and the in-laws were just going to have to wait.: 4 hours in a CAR - no way!! xxx

Thanks hun, both of us dont have a car at the moment. My fiance doesnt drive, yes I know! Madness. And I gave up my car, when I first moved to London as it was parked on the drive most of the time and parking fees are a joke here as you probably know, but I need to get a new car now that Im going to be a mummy. Public transport + pram = Not going to work. I feel really wierd about going far from the house now it could be a sign that things may be starting. Kingston is great for shopping, I have overspent many a time in the Bentalls Centre. Oh, and 4 hours in a CAR no chance!! Thats just period pain and cramp central! x

 

[urbanbumpkin]

I went to see Kick-Ass last night and that got pretty uncomfortable, as the film is about 2 hours long. The baby kept wiggling at the exciting bits, so I was obviously sending lots of adrenaline to it! I highly recommend the film, so long as you don't mind comic book style violence and some serious swearing. And I can see how the thought of tube and sitting in show for that long might not be attractive! Could you get a taxi back if you needed to?

We are off to do a visit of the hospital birthing suite tonight which I am feeling a bit weird about. I want to see the hospital facilities in case I end up there, so that I can still try and feel calm and in control and keep doing the hypnobirthing techniques no matter what. Our hypno-instructor said that her labour stalled when she found she couldn't use the birth pool as planned at her birthing centre. She hadn't thought that would happen and having to re-adjust her view of how the birth would happen really threw her for a short while, her contractions practically stopped, until she got herself back in the zone. So I want to be prepared.

But equally I feel a bit weird about going in there, having chosen not to use it. I'm sure it will be fine, but I feel a little apprehensive.