Homebirth General Discussion #13

Teni anything is possible. Sell some things on gumtree that you no longer need. I've cut down our food bill each week and set a limit each fortnight on the amount I pay out in bills. Sometimes it means I have to extend a bill by two weeks but they always get paid eventually. I've done this for the last 2 and a bit months and I've got $1100 to go before I have all the money for the birth. I've been lucky though, my mum gave me the $200 needed for my scan on Friday so I could pay other bills and then slipped me some extra money - which went straight to my homebirth fund! Set it up and try to scale down current expenses if you can and save the extra.

If I could convince DH to drop the PHI we might be a bit better equipped, but he seems to think it's essential. The only thing it's ever been used for is one dental appointment for him, and Amelia's hearing test a few weeks ago - which could have gone on Medicare. Yeah, we need it sooo much :rolleyes:

I'm going to cap the food shop at a certain amount, rather than tell myself it's okay to go a little over. Might attempt to cut it down a lot more... Not letting DH but any more DVDs or Xbox games, even if it's a movie I really desperately want. I'll tell him not to get me birthday, anniversary, or Xmas presents, and I'll do the same. It's not much of a saving, but it's something.

Teni- i suggest for a week everytime you and DH spend any money even if its a couple of $$ to write it down.. keep a spending journal. You will be surprised how often you forget the tiny purchases here and there and how quickly they add up. Maybe shop online where it adds up your trolley for you, yes you have to pay delivery but you might save more in impulse buys, or take a calculator around with you when you shop and stick to your list.
Be open and honest with your potential midwife though about funds because I don't think it would be fair not to be. This is their income and they need it to be reliable and waiting on the BB is unfort unrealistic atm because it can take up to 3 months to process!!! Even the dad and partner pay which your partner/DH must take unpaid leave for can take up to 6 weeks to come through, so you need to be prepared also to not have any income for two weeks after birth if you plan on taking advantage of that.


AFM- well its now been two weeks since my homebirth and it still puts a smile on my face. I think its amazing the bond we all have because of it and even though it was quick and full on, minus the midwife to me it was perfect. LOL could have done with DH seeing slightly less of my bum, (he loves to stir me about it) but still absolutely amazing experience!! I love telling the story and people love to hear it. (unfort some people seem to think Im exaggerating and it couldn't have possibly happened the way I tell it but that's their issue not mine)
Am so glad that our hospital program enabled me to have the experience and it was a perfect way to complete my family. Zoe is doing so well, feeds like a champ and is pretty settled and content (mind you when she wants booby she wants it yesterday LOL). We are currently tryiing to get her to settle for DH as she does have a preference for mummy but that completely normal and understandable at 2 weeks. Frustrates for DH though cause he just wants to help and have his cuddles.

Midwife is coming to weigh missy tomorrow so interested to know how much she has gained!! Hoping my presents I have ordered arrive before the visit so I can give them to the midwives. I got them each a personalised pen with their names on it, the message 'thank you for all your care and dedication' and its got a picture of little girls clothes hung along a clothes line and a card each, which reminds me I need to write in.

I don't have to pay out of pocket for a homebirth, (it's covered by our provincial healthcare program) for which I am thankful, but we live on a single income, feed and clothe 6 children, and pay for private Christian school for our kids, along with supporting our church every month, and donating to other causes. More than 25% of our income goes out the door for those things. It's amazing what you can do when you need to. If the money is "gone" before you start spending on other things, it will work out. If you look for "left over" money at the end of the month, it won't be there. You'll find the money, Teni, don't worry. Just prioritize - is this more important than my homebirth? There are lots of good budgeting websites and programs out there too, if you have a look around.

I was just seeing some mums on another forum talking about retained placenta, and a few of them said that their midwives gave them angelica (also called dong quai?) which helped. Has anyone heard more about this? I've never heard of it.

Beatrix - a good home birth is always lovely to reflect on, isn't it? Such a great memory. :) That's a great idea for a midwife's gift. I always have a terrible time thinking of something. I've often just done a gift certificate somewhere, but that's not very personal. I'll have to keep the pen idea in mind.

i would so be dumping the PHI...we did and have not regretted it. in the end the money we saved by not having it was heaps and when I have had to go for surgery or have private consults we paid out of pocket (and we save heaps by not having to fork out thousands for PHI). for example my tonsillectomy was $1500 whereas with our PHI i would of only had a discount and paid almost $2000 that year for cover lol. for us the maths just didnt add up.

Can I ask what is probably going to be a really dumb question?
If the gbs swab thingy is so necessary and dangerous for the baby - how come not every healthcare provider does it? I've never been tested.

Double post

Because it can be so inaccurate. When they test you could be negative but when giving birth you could be positive or vice versa. I've always declined the test.

Yeah I know, that's why I've never been tested - my question was actually if that is true - why do health care providers still do the test?

I wish I could cancel my phi to help fund this hb but its worth too much to us :( our dentist doesn't charge a gap and dh has really weak teeth so the phi pays for itself in dental alone.

Why do they still do the test? Because that's what they were taught 10, 20, 30+ years ago to do. It's routine.

I am feeling conflict about this test. I totally feel safe in not having it due to it not being accurate, but a close friend actually lost her baby to strep and I have that little fear niggling away at me. I guess like all fears I really need to work through it and see what is best for our family, but for now I stand confused about what to do. My waters have never broken before labour and all of my labours have been under 2 hours, so even if I was 'positive' on the day they tested me, drip antibiotics wouldn't even have time to work with my labour history.

I didn;t have it last time, the first two times I did but they were neg... oh some clarity would be appreciated.. or maybe it is trust that i need to re-align with?!?!?!

According to my midwife, the push for GBS testing and treatment was actually initiated by a group of mothers who lost babies or had seriously ill babies after GBS infection. They wanted to do something to prevent that from ever happening unnecessarily. And, apparently the rate of GBS infection in infants has been cut in half with the current policies and practice. However, that doesn't mean it's the best method for going about dealing with GBS IMO.
Different practitioners have different policies on GBS swabbing and treatment. Some will swab every woman, and treat all those who are positive with antibiotics in labour. Some will not swab anyone, but give antibiotics to any woman who is in a "high risk" situation for transferring GBS to her baby - that is, if she's had a previous GBS bladder infection, has laboured for a long time with ruptured waters, or is pre-term. There might be one or two other risk factors as well, but I think that's most of them. I have a couple links my midwife sent me that I can go over and get back to you on. I think, personally, that looking at your own risk factors and making a decision from that is a better course.
I have opted not to test this time and last time. I have never had any of the risk factors, and generally deliver within about 30 min of water breaking. Water birth also reduces the risk of transmission, and I plan to have this baby in the bath. If you end up labouring longer than anticipated with broken water, you can have a chlorhexidine solution ready to use as an internal rinse (warm it first!) when you're labouring. Finally, the risk of GBS transmission in any case is very small, and the number of babies who have serious complications is also very small. Those complications can of course, be very serious, so like everything, it's about the risk/benefit ratio, and the level of risk you feel comfortable with. Antibiotics come with their own complications too, of course. I'm allergic to penicillin, so have to have stuff that takes longer to work, and must be in my system for 4 hr before delivering. (I don't labour that long anymore!) All my babies have had thrush, and I'm not interested in giving them something that will make that worse either! And, in our area, midwives can't give IV antibiotics at home, so that right away eliminates the homebirth for us.
Talk to your midwife about the risk factors for GBS transmission, and where you stand with that, and alternative methods of reducing your risks, and go from there!

Great words Cricket, I am thinking that because I labour so quickly I know that it will all be ok. I guess if my waters break and there is no action for 24hrs we could make a decision then. I am the same re giving babies anything else to deal with, plus the fact that the drip will not have time to work.

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I am feeling conflict about this test. I totally feel safe in not having it due to it not being accurate, but a close friend actually lost her baby to strep and I have that little fear niggling away at me. I guess like all fears I really need to work through it and see what is best for our family, but for now I stand confused about what to do. My waters have never broken before labour and all of my labours have been under 2 hours, so even if I was 'positive' on the day they tested me, drip antibiotics wouldn't even have time to work with my labour history.

I didn;t have it last time, the first two times I did but they were neg... oh some clarity would be appreciated.. or maybe it is trust that i need to re-align with?!?!?!

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My midwife pointed out that they treat every woman as though she may be GBS positive by keeping a very careful eye on the baby for 24-48 hrs, which is a lot easier when you have one-on-one care at home. I took the test with my GP, but only for info. It was negative, but that was three weeks before the birth.

My sister tested GBS positive at 28 wks with a private ob, was not retested later on and received IV antibiotics in labour. That meant she was told to come in in early labour, then stuck in a room, limited movement, longer labour, epi, eventual c/s. Plus she ended up with thrush, which turned severe and has impacted her bfing for 12 mths.

Needless to say, she thinks the IV abs were a mistake.

That's terrible that your sisters ob didn't test again Jen! All in the medical profession particularly in obstetrics should know the test is only accurate up to 5wks after at most.

I've never been overly passionate about it either way and have only tested twice from my 5 pregnancies. The first was with dd2 and I did the swab myself so wasn't terribly uncomfortable. And I had it done a few weeks ago, I wouldnt have bothered but my Dr asked and seeing as it didn't really bother me either way I allowed it so as not to offend him. It came back neg but I doubt I'd have iv abs even if it had been pos, similarly to LBF my waters have always broken fairly late and I have fast labours so they probably wouldn't have time to get the iv line in let alone ab taking affect lol

I have heard of a woman who waved the swab in the air (rather than on her body), and then tested positive. Put doubt on the whole thing for me.

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I have heard of a woman who waved the swab in the air (rather than on her body), and then tested positive. Put doubt on the whole thing for me.

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That's funny. :)

About the length of infection - with my 4th baby, I tested positive at 36 weeks, and my midwife gave me a bunch of natural things to try to eliminate the infection, and said we'd test again at 38 weeks. I did test positive again, and ended up having a hospital birth that time (which went just fine.)
Fast forward to my next baby, and I was discussing that birth with my new midwife. (who drove me crazy!).
She said "why did they let you test again? The infection lasts about 6 weeks."
And I said "Yes, but you don't know where you are in that 6 week stretch when you test."
And she said "It's 6 weeks from when you do the test."

I guess someone tells the GBS bacteria that a test is happening, and they've got to hang around for 6 more weeks..... :rolleyes:

I didn't have a whole lot of confidence in her advice or teaching after that. She did do a good job of delivering my son when he got stuck though.

Cricket what your midwife said is hilarious I cracked up! :rofl: I'm sure it wasn't funny for you at the time and it is a little concerning that she could be so ignorant when clearly she's not uneducated. Dear me.

I've just noticed that, if I end up going over, it's entirely possible I could have this baby in the new year. 42w is January 2nd... Just my luck, I'll go into labour on either Xmas Eve or New Years Eve. It'd be pretty cool to give birth as the world celebrates. But it wouldn't be so cool for bub as s/he grows older. I have a hard enough time with my own birthday being near a minor public holiday, I couldn't imagine being born near the big worldwide ones.

My DH is a New Year's Eve baby. He says the nice thing is no one forgets his birthday, and he always has the day off work. :)

Saw this survey on FB, and it is quite open if you are would like to contribute to student research. The results could be interesting.

http://mothersexperiencesandopinions...limequery.com/

THanks for the replies re the Strep test. I am fairly certain that I will not do it next week. THe IV takes four hours to work, my longest labour from start to finish has been two hours, so it's no use even worrying about it unless my waters break and no action happens by 24 hours.

Teni, that baby is going to keep you guessing right to the very end.... I spent NYE a couple of years ago with a friend in labour, it was an awesome night watching the clock and watching the birth. Also, I know of someone that has a daughter born on XMAS day, they do XMas in the morning. THen in the afternoon someone takes the little girl out for a walk and the whole has gets transformed into birthday, all XMAS decs away! Not sure if they continued that. They also did a birthday in JUly for her.


I have a question about birthpool. We had a trial run last night, the girls loved it. My last midwife had us put salt in the tub, can't recall why, but our new midwife says that is not needed..... so my question to you all (who have had a waterbirth) Did you salt or not salt the water??

we didn't use salt in the pool, but I didn't labour in it for long before bub was born. I remember reading about it, and I think one of the reasons was to reduce pruny skin. You need a fair bit of salt to get the effect.

while talking about birthpools, one thing that I am really thankful that we did was to have the pool blown up and sitting on a blanket in the shed. When labour started, all DH had to do was carry it up to the house and fill it up. If he had to blow it up as well, we wouldn't have made it. ANd it is never too early (In labour) to start filling the pool! You can always drain water and add hot water if needed.

My cousin was born on nye, he loves it as people are always around to party with him!

I can't believe how fast this pregnancy is going, I'm almost at the top of the list!!

New thread time :)

You can find it HERE