Homebirth General Discussion #14

[HotI]

I didn't book into a hospital. My midwife brought the oxygen with her to the birth. She organised drugs and left them in my fridge a week or so before the birth. I borrowed the birth pool from my midwife and got it a couple of weeks pre-baby.

I got drop sheets, buckets, towels all in one place in 3rd tri sometime. My midwife suggested i get remedy rescue drops, which is a herbal anti-anxiety type thingy. I would probably also get manuka honey if i was doing it again, to aid any healing of sensitive bits.

Sounds like a good session, Meow.

[Jennifer13]

Oxygen tank had to come to the house, but my m/w has tubing, etc. Drugs are on prescription (syntocin in case of haemorrhage mostly), which my m/w will be able to do this time (hadn't completed the accreditation course last birth).

I booked in to the hospital so they would have my medical records on hand (I had never been there before since I went private with DD1). Because my birth was a VBAC, I thought it was important to get everything transferred to their system. I was pleasantly surprised how supportive the midwife, office staff and the ob I saw (optional, but I agreed because everyone had been so nice!) were of my homebirth plans. The ob told me she didn't expect to see me again and that it should all go very well. I am one of those rare women for whom every dr and nurse I spoke to during my pg about our homebirth were positive.

[Beatrix]

I had my home birth through a hospital program so the midwife booked me into that hospital.
They also organized the oxygen to be dropped off at 37 weeks, syntocin was dropped off and left in my fridge from 37 weeks too as well as a medical suitcase. The suitcase came with everything needed inc oxygen tubing, baby kit, suture kit etc.

Can't believe its been 10 weeks since my baby girl arrived. Since she is my last baby I'm trying to treasure this time and really saddened I won't get to give birth again. Pg I'm not so keen on but believe it or not I love giving birth. Specially the last one.

[Mum2twoBoys]

Thanks for the explanation Jennifer

[Cassius2]

WM: I think this is the nice time to begin to start to compile all the little things that you would like to have on hand for the birth. For example, maybe some lavender oil for a ice water bowl so your birth support can put cool washers on your shoulders, face etc when/if needed. Maybe putting together some birth affirmation cards that you might like to have up? Candles, oil burners etc. Now is the time to really rub that belly of yours and focus on your birth space and how you want it to be and getting about making it that way.
Are you planning to use a birth pool? Maybe think about the hoses, fittings, waterproof drop sheets (we used cheapy $2 plastic tablecloths ), a sieve to collect bits and pieces and placenta. a container for holding the placenta.
Are you thinking of encapsulating your placenta? Now is also a nice time to start contacting people that can do that for you.

Meow: oohhhh! the very fact that they have that info night just brims with gorgeous potential! you guys have certainly picked a perfect place to plan a birth over there.

Arimeh you are too funny! Is that you throwing down the challenge?? Might just take you up on it hahahaha! Argh! my ovaries are exploding!!

Jennifer: cannot believe how fast you are tracking along...just so blissful!

[meow]

Can't believe its been 10 weeks since my baby girl arrived. Since she is my last baby I'm trying to treasure this time and really saddened I won't get to give birth again. Pg I'm not so keen on but believe it or not I love giving birth. Specially the last one.

And that is after 4... I keep thinking I'll feel very much done if we have 3, given just how hard the decision has been to even decide to have that many. But I think I'll always be sad to hang up the uterus and stop making and birthing babies. Not sure I'll be giving Cricket a run for her money though! You are on your way Arimeh! Loving these bigger families.

Meow: oohhhh! the very fact that they have that info night just brims with gorgeous potential! you guys have certainly picked a perfect place to plan a birth over there.

I'm a little nervous it could go either way. I need to find out more about the local birthing climate before I feel like I could relax about having a baby here. Obviously the horror stories in the US are rife, but then Australia really isn't a lot better. Just need to find the right support and there does seem to be a lot of that here. I'm still concerned that some medical institutionalised things will seem normal even to the hippie homebirthers, you know. We are in a good area though, lots of expats who expect something a bit more european and lots of great alternative health providers.

[Arimeh]

Haha cricket is safe from me catching her. Dh will be getting the snip verrrrry soon.

[Cricket]

Haha cricket is safe from me catching her. Dh will be getting the snip verrrrry soon.

Oh sure - we've heard THAT story before....

The family size discussion is ongoing over here too - we're not quite sure what to do. After #6 was born, I thought I could maybe do one more. That was a hard long pregnancy, and the thought of doing that too many more times was not at all appealing. But this pregnancy has (so far, and aside from 6 weeks of horrible morning sickness at the beginning) been quite easy. I'm comfortable and have lots of energy right now, and I'm SO thankful for that! We have room in the van for more kids, and room in the house for one or two more, right now, so we're not going to make any permanent decisions - just take things as they come. DH is a wonderful husband and father - very helpful and great with the kids, and we have supportive friends and family, and we believe that God always gives the strength to handle with what he sends. I think no matter when our family is done, be that naturally or by our decision, I'll be kind of sad too. I love babies, and I love watching my little ones learn to talk, and seeing the hilarious things they say, and seeing them learn to read, and head off to school for the first time.... Maybe I'll just keep having babies until the grandbabies arrive.
Surprisingly, I don't hear negative remarks about our family size when we're out either - 99% of the comments are positive and encouraging, which is really nice. The only time I heard a really rude comment was from a nurse at the hospital when I brought DD5 in at 2 weeks old to have her hernia checked. (femoral hernia - quickly repaired, no big deal.) That nurse said "man, some people just breed like rabbits." and then she said "it's OK, I'm Dutch too, so I can say that." I didn't say anything at the time, but I thought that was SO rude and unprofessional and completely inappropriate! The rest of the nursing staff heard her, so I hope she was reprimanded later.

Anyways, Meow - sounds like you've got a promising group of people to work with over there! (I know you've said before, but you're in the US, right?) There can be quite a wide range of thought and practice on childbirth all over there. It seems like things are not nearly as "uniform" as they are in Canada. The horror stories show one extreme, but there is a lot more out there!

Hope everyone else is doing well. I guess we're kind of in the lull before the rush of September babies, eh? Summer holidays start for my kids in a couple of days and we booked a cottage for the first time. We're all pretty excited about that!

[Jennifer13]

Scan went well today, one happy, healthy and wriggly bub on board! Nice anterior placenta well out of the way. All systems go for a homebirth by the look of it.

Hopefully not too long until I can feel movement with this bub too. We got some great 3D pics... which we left behind chasing DD2 down the corridor. Luckily they gave them to us on a USB too, but I will go back tomorrow and retrieve them.

Such a third child story!

[TeniBear]

Hoping against hope the testing place has sent my combined screen results to Jan & Kelly... The GP's office didn't have them, and I'm slightly anxious to see the results! They should be receiving my notes from Ianto and Amelia's births too, be nice to go over them even though I don't expect much...

How's everyone else travelling? Do we have anyone new I haven't noticed? I love not being bottom of the list anymore

[HotI]

C'mon September!

Babies Arrived
- 2012 -
Jennifer13- Baby GIRL born at home 4th January 2012
Bella29- Baby GIRL born at home 10th January
HotI - Baby BOY born at home 21st January
*Ash*- Baby BOY born at home 14th February
loulabelle - Baby BOY born at home 24th February
Cricket - Baby GIRL born at home 15th May
chocorama - May
...Em - Baby BOY born at home 7th June
BellyBelly - Baby GIRL born 11th August
Tanya - Baby BOY born at home 16th August
phynna - Baby GIRL born at home 8th September
lady_neon - Baby BOY born 27th September
Ambersky - Baby BOY born at home 3rd October
Cassius - Baby GIRL born at home 4th November
Ice cream - September
mirriumu - November
Pumpkinzulu - Baby GIRL born at home 12th December
- 2013 -
Sara - Baby BOY born 18th January 2013
turtlejane - Baby GIRL born at home 31st January 2013
Bellany - Baby BOYS born 14th March 2013
Ree*Ree - Baby BOY born 18th March 2013
Aimz - Baby BOY born at home 21st March 2013
Beatrix - Baby GIRL born at home 7th April 2013
Rubyshoes - Baby BOY born at home April 2013
Dollyroux - Baby BOY and GIRL born 29th April 2013
HomeStyleMumma - Baby GIRL born 8th May 2013
ladybirdflies - Baby GIRL born at home 23rd May 2013




Babies On Their Way

Shells79 - March
sepata - September
WilliamsMummy - September
Arimeh - September
Cricket - September
Loulabelle - September
Dot Face - October
Eenee - November
Sunnylove - November
TeniBear - December
Jennifer13 - January

[sepata]

Lol don't wish it here too quickly, I'm still preparing!

[Jennifer13]

I didn't realise Sept was so busy in here! Bring on the Spring hbs!

And I'm all lonely in January this time. Should've worked on my 2012 buddies harder.

Teni, hospitals will often send to m/ws and other drs, so I'm sure they'll get them. From memory, mine went to my m/w. I may be misremembering, but they may have wanted to charge a small fee ($15?) to send to me, but nothing if I got it sent to her.

[Mum2twoBoys]

It's coming pretty fast as it is so far lol

[Arcadia]

Shhhhh...*looks around*....

I'm jumping in at bottom of the list for Feb 14. I'm 8 weeks 1 day. I'm not ready to announce yet because I haven't told my mum (she is overseas and coming home tonight hooray!).

I'm seriously struggling with ms this time...blergh. Managing two kids while gagging over everything is the pits.

Very excited about expanding our family though, and another Homebirth!!

And in case you missed the intro...shhhhhh!

[Arimeh]

*quietly cheers*

*whispers Congrats*

*sneaks out*

[Cricket]

CONGRATULATIONS ARCADIA!!!

Don't worry - no one heard me. I'm on the other side of the world.

Hope that m/s eases up soon for you. I know very well how miserable it can be to try to keep your family going and not let anyone guess that you're pregnant yet while feeling like crap.

Wow - September suddenly seems like it's coming up fast! Saw my midwife yesterday, and all is well with me and the bean. He's one active little guy! Kicking and rolling all over the place. Probably more noticeable for me this time because I have a posterior placenta, whereas with a number of my other kids I've had an anterior placenta. Booked all the rest of my appointments, which also made it seem like the end is in sight.

Hope everyone else is well!

[meow]

Congratulations Arcadia!!!! How wonderful!!!

I'm sorry you're feeling so bad at the moment though, the beginning nit is tough going and I bet it is hard with the other two xx