Cricket- Eek! It sounds like things are preparing to happen!
I have a question concerning where we will sleep after birthing at home. We are having the birth pool downstairs as our upstairs is cramped. Will I have the energy to climb the stairs right afterwards? Or should I figure out a way to make up a bed downstairs next to the pool?
It's impossible to say exactly what you will feel like after baby is born, but if you're like me, you'll feel exhausted initially, and want to just rest for a little bit, and wherever you gave birth will probably do fine for that. Then you might feel the after birth "high" and feel like you could climb a mountain. The stairs won't be an issue if that's the case. And, if you find that they are, send your DH or a midwife or someone to just grab a pillow and a blanket or two, and rest right where you are.
Still sitting here, with DH home, kids shipped out, feeling like a watched pot.... Occasional contractions, but nothing major at all right now. I told DH that the kids should come home, but he says he wants them to sleep over at his parents, just in case things pick up tonight. Moving them at 2am wasn't super great, from his perspective (and theirs!), last time. If all is quiet in the morning still, they'll come home and we'll carry on.
Thinking of you Cricket. Actually, I'm stalking you! Whenever you don't post for an hour I keep thinking you're giving birth!
I was exhausted after giving birth. I needed to hop straight out the pool which suddenly seemed cold and then I wanted to lie straight down and then the after-birth contractions started and I was in so much pain. I was glad we had the sofa bed in the same room I birthed as I plopped straight onto that for the first 30-40mins. I would have been fine on the floor with a blanket and pillow under me though. After that I moved to the toilet and birthed the placenta then I went to my bed. It was all on the one level, though after birthing the placenta I had a little more pep and could have done the stairs after that. Baby was also attached to me still up until that point too so stairs would have been hard while being shaky tired and carrying the baby.
Meow reminded me. I actually spent a couple of hours just lying on the kitchen floor with a sheet over and under me waiting for my placenta. It was after this and i was helped to the toilet that i then collapsed back on to the mattress that was brought out. My house is all one level, but the hallway seemed too long for me to make it down to my bed. I wasn't sleepy though, despite being up all night and the student midwife bought me hot chocolate and vegemite toast to me on my mattress. It was nice just snuggling with DS, and knowing the midwives were right there if we needed them.
We had a fairly small house and I was at the opposite end of the house from the toilet so I pretty motivated to make the walk there to assist getting the placenta out. It took a while though, which lots of support. Once I was there I was about 2-3 metres from my bed so the final mile to the bed was easy. The MWs sat on the bed with me or else popped in and out but were very close still.
I think having a bed beside the pool is a good idea in case you can't move. Best to be prepared for that and be able to relax.
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The stairs won't be an issue if that's the case. And, if you find that they are, send your DH or a midwife or someone to just grab a pillow and a blanket or two, and rest right where you are.
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