Beatrix I second what Tanya said about the list... I really had practically NOTHING for birth. Just towels food & mirror etc (no herbs or anything like that) just made sure I had a cover on the bed which was good for dd but didn't go on the bed at all for ds. I was more concerned about having things ready for baby!
As for dh, how much does he know about hb? Oftentimes its just the unknown that causes caution. I'm nit sure what exactly to recommend for him though as I'm blessed to have a very hb oriented dh, he wouldve had be freebirth ALL our babies!! Lol but he comes from a large family where mil had hbs for the last 4 or 5 children so he knows how 'normal & beautiful' it can be... Either that or he just can't be stuffed taking me to hospital
Beatrix, it's either at home or on the side of the road for you I reckon. I was in a hospital HB program, it will definitely err on the side of extreme caution, so maybe tell DH that. They'll bring an oxygen tank for if you or the baby need it after birth, that will be in your home from 38 or 39 weeks, and drugs to deliver the placenta/stop bleeding etc , in case you need or want them. They stay in your fridge. They may also provide a birth pool. Your midwife will work out a plan of attack for making the birth, probably calling them the minute you have a contraction lol!
I am sure my sil knows EXACTLY how u feel... Her births got progressively quicker but her dh was insistent on going to hosp. She ended up getting to the hospital about 10min before delivering with her 3rd & gave birth in the hospital CAR PARK (on a matress in thier car which was meant to be for her dh to get some sleep if he couldn't find a hotel as they live out of town) anyway I don't know how she did it but I don't know what it'd be like attempting hb without a supportive partner either, I guess unfortunately u seem to be stuck in a really tricky spot. I hope ur dh comes around with some 'education' & talking to mw
We have our first meet and greet on Sat 1pm so will see what the midwife says, but yes even though I will be birthing this baby there is no way I will ever use the its my body line and go against hubbies wishes. I couldn't imagine making him feel uncomfortable with my decision. Its not just my baby its ours. We have plenty of time to make him feel good about a home birth
Pz- side of the road def scares me!!
Mrsbaj- he def doesnt know anything about Birth let alone HB so hoping lots of education from myself and the midwife will reassure him and hope he can learn to trust me and my body.
Beatrix: YAY for getting accepted! I reckon your DH will come around easily once he actually meets the midwives and sees that they are normal people I know that my DH was a bit frightened of having some militant man-despising person enter our house and chasing him away...so was really good to show him that HB midwives are just normal folk! And, their confidence on the normalcy of having a baby at home will have an effect on the both of you...it really will feel like the most normal (yet splendid!) way to bring a baby earthside I promise.
As for quick birth prep, they will provide squidloads of support for that too: that said, your home is generally all ready to go for a birth from 36-38 weeks onwards, so really, once you guys have discussed a birth action plan in case care providers are a bit behind you'll be set...and not freaking out about being left on the side of the road. the good thing as well, is IF it were to happen that baby arrives before the midwives, they (the midwives) won't be far behind.
Tanya: ahh a peaceful blessingway does sound nice! i am trying to get myself organised to have one...i am worried that i am getting so so tired that i won't bother, but it wont be fair on me or on our littlest member to miss out... that the vomiting is a once off!!
Your home will have less foreign (to you) bugs than a hospital has.
Quick births usually means that everything is going fine. I'd much rather just stay home, and have the hcp come to you! Knowing that your births are usually quick means you can prepare for this.
I had a list of thing gathered for the birth, but used few of them. towels, drop sheet (i used one), bucket for placenta. I had a birth pool, only just made it before baby arrived. It could be good to slow you down, but you would want to have it ready to go as soon as labour started.
i had sytocinon in the fridge (supplied by midwife) as a just in case. I believe my midwife had O2 but i didn't actually see it.
My DP asked a lot of questions last night about my safety and the baby's safety - these were his primary concerns and fears associated with a home birth. Questions he had included - what happens in the event of a PPH, what happens if the baby isn't breathing, what happens if I tear really badly etc. The answers were that drugs are kept in the fridge in the event of a PPH, which are administered while an ambulance is called, oxygen and resus equipment is set up next to the birth pool for baby if needed - and if this is required, baby's cord stays attached (which made me feel SO much better), tears are assessed and managed by the IM's unless it's bad in which case we transfer and baby stays on Dad's chest while I am stitched up by someone who does that EVERY DAY (only the best) and we go home shortly after, and hospital staff don't go near my healthy baby. All of these answers (plus so so many more) gave us both great comfort and reassurance that a home birth is the safest way to welcome this babe!
Last edited by Aimz; August 14th, 2012 at 04:39 PM.
Hi
I'm homebirthing again next year in march/April.
I had a fast labor with my second (2hours from waking) but used a warm birth pool with my 3rd and stretched it out to 6 hours which was perfect
I have had the same midwife at my first 3 births and will start seeing her again at 16 weeks
I can't wait... mostly... some days I think of the hard work and dread it lol but that slippery newborn gazing up at you with amazement makes it worth it!
Tanya your blessingway sounds lovely! It's almost time...
Aimz YAY for awesome midwife meeting! Sounds so perfect, I'm excited for you!
Beatrix, I second Aimz' suggestion for watching the Business of Being Born and Face of Birth with DH. And like you said, there's plenty of time to get him comfortable with the idea, I'm sure meeting with the midwife will help as well.
Welcome Bellany, how exciting!
AFM still waiting to hear if I've been accepted into the Community Midwifery Program. I spoke to a lady at the Australian Doulas stand at the baby expo on Sunday, she also works with CMWA and is due in March, and has heard that they aren't very booked up for March yet so we should have a good chance
I have decided to go ahead with the NT scan and bloods, but only because I am irrationally scared of having a 'missed miscarriage' I got the referral from my GP instead of the fertility clinic though, so at least I don't have to see the laughing FS again...
Also, is there such a thing as a GP that isn't afraid of homebirths? Again when asked if I had booked an Ob yet, I said no, we are hoping to have a homebirth through the CMP. She didn't react too negatively, saying that of course it is ultimately my decision (yes, I know, duh) but I should talk to a professional about the risks involved (um, wouldn't this be her? Or do they have 'professionals' that talk silly, thinking mums out of homebirths?). Then she excused herself from the room for 15 minutes while she consulted with her boss, and came back with a list of websites for me to check out for reliable statistics, and a printout of a study from the Medical Journal re: differences in outcomes of planned hospital and homebirths in South Australia in 2006 - which I took home and read, and it actually supports homebirth in all of it's findings - from what I can tell since half the words have been cut off - so don't know what she was trying to prove with that one! She went on to say that she worked in the SCN and saw 'heaps' of babies admitted from homebirths gone wrong, with severe brain damage etc so I should consider things like that. And even though nothing went 'wrong' the first time, and I am low risk, it doesn't mean everything will be fine the next time, and I could still bleed to death or have a brain damaged or worse baby. Wow, doctors really know how to make you feel good, huh?
Sometimes I think why do I even bother trying to do things 'differently', it's obviously far easier to keep everyone else happy and go along with what society expects, without having to prove myself..
But then I think NO! I am as stubborn as they come I've made my decision and I'm sticking to it, and I'll show them all how it's done! :P
Pfffft ReeRee, you're right - the stats from HB are much better than hospital stats so I think her anecdotal point about SCN babies might be off kilter. More babies in ICU and SCN for c/s than any other method of birth.
It's probably no help to you, but my GP was very supportive of HB, even though I was her first patient to have one. She's pro-midwives (anti-obs), so I guess not a stretch. She followed my m/w's letter exactly for referrals, bloods, drug prescriptions. Although my m/w did take her name down in delight for future reference so I don't think she's the norm. Lol Also quite bfing savvy, needless to say we won't be changing from her.
Bellany - welcome and congrats!
Beatrix - my DP was very nervous until after he'd met with our m/ws and even the ob we had for DD1 (back up in case of issues with the pg). He was happy to go ahead after those discussions. He's a homebirth evangelist now we've had one! Basically, he says that hospitals are more likely to cause problems in birth, so it's better to stay at home unless an unexpected problem arises (unlikely). The stats really do speak for themselves. You and the baby are much safer at home in a normal pg and birth than in hospital.
Tanya - sending beautiful birth blessings your way. I can't wait to hear all about it!
I had a HB meet up today and a dad came along (fireman on shift work) because his wife wants a HB next time. So good to see partners educating themselves so they can be supportive.
Ree: what a weirdo GP lol. I just wonder where she worked that transferred babies with severe hypoxia are only brought to a SCN?? I have a feeling she was telling some Big Phat Ones. And seriously, rather than say you are stubborn, I reckon you are smart! I would not for the life of me or my baby entrust myself in the care of someone (like that GP for example) that shows such evident lack of knowledge...like i say to many since i had a HB...it's much braver to have a baby in hospital than it is at home lol!
We are lucky where we live that it is a big HB suburb, so our local GP practice is pro HB and easy to organise collaborative agreements etc so we can claim on medicare etc. But i know that we are very very lucky.
For example, i once had to see a GP out of area when i was pg with DD2 and when she found out that i was planning a HB asked about pain relief ('cause that's the most important part of childbirth...) and i mentioned water injections and she began laughing and goes: "oh yeah, a jab in the leg (i was like WTF?!) and it's all placebo"...ahhhhhh, no sweetheart, that's not how it works hahaha.
Just popping in quickly to say I know of a pro(ish) hb gp in Perth ree ree... I dunno if I'm allowed to put the name in here so u and anyone else can look up... Someone let me know coz if I can't put it here ill just pm
that the vomiting is a once off!!
I got the referral from my GP instead of the fertility clinic though, so at least I don't have to see the laughing FS again...
I've made my decision and I'm sticking to it, and I'll show them all how it's done! :P
what a weirdo GP lol. I just wonder where she worked that transferred babies with severe hypoxia are only brought to a SCN?? I have a feeling she was telling some Big Phat Ones. And seriously, rather than say you are stubborn, I reckon you are smart! I would not for the life of me or my baby entrust myself in the care of someone (like that GP for example) that shows such evident lack of knowledge...like i say to many since i had a HB...it's much braver to have a baby in hospital than it is at home lol!
) and i mentioned water injections and she began laughing and goes: "oh yeah, a jab in the leg (i was like WTF?!) and it's all placebo"...ahhhhhh, no sweetheart, that's not how it works hahaha.
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