Homebirth General Discussion #17

I scoured the op shops early and I've been back regularly...but I think I cleaned them out of their maternity gear ;)
I have some jeans from last time, but only like one pair this time. My belt is making things difficult and I've been loving leggings and longer tops. I got some very cheap PP stuff from Brands Exclusive - floaty summer tops that can go over leggings or shorts.
I have a Mesop dress I plan to wear for Christmas and spesh occasions - maxi style. Otherwise, I love Vigorella clothes - not so much metallicus because of cost. I love Vigorella's new bamboo range!
I'm on the lookout for a sturdy pair of nice slip on summer shoes. I'm going to look up Birkenstock's seconds very shortly. The shoe situation is driving me nuts at the moment. I need good support for my pelvis and I need a slip on to minimise my bending down.
In other news, I saw a social worker lady today from UnitingCare and I have a plan to get in home help (again, pelvis!). I'll get a med cert from my GP about the pelvis and stating my case for the care and the council should pay attention to that. It won't pay for all of the service, but it will be most of it. I'll see how I go. Also, she is a homebirth supporter and knows of the sympathetic doctors of natural birth, but they can't attend homebirths either. She conceded that in the country birth choices are unfairly limited - medical politics is allowed to run rife out here, where in the cities they get too much pressure to resist completely.
Next week will be my first MW visit at my home.
I have my disabled parking permit and I'm so relieved to have that at last!

I scoured the op shops early and I've been back regularly...but I think I cleaned them out of their maternity gear ;)
I have some jeans from last time, but only like one pair this time. My belt is making things difficult and I've been loving leggings and longer tops. I got some very cheap PP stuff from Brands Exclusive - floaty summer tops that can go over leggings or shorts.
I have a Mesop dress I plan to wear for Christmas and spesh occasions - maxi style. Otherwise, I love Vigorella clothes - not so much metallicus because of cost. I love Vigorella's new bamboo range!
I'm on the lookout for a sturdy pair of nice slip on summer shoes. I'm going to look up Birkenstock's seconds very shortly. The shoe situation is driving me nuts at the moment. I need good support for my pelvis and I need a slip on to minimise my bending down.
In other news, I saw a social worker lady today from UnitingCare and I have a plan to get in home help (again, pelvis!). I'll get a med cert from my GP about the pelvis and stating my case for the care and the council should pay attention to that. It won't pay for all of the service, but it will be most of it. I'll see how I go. Also, she is a homebirth supporter and knows of the sympathetic doctors of natural birth, but they can't attend homebirths either. She conceded that in the country birth choices are unfairly limited - medical politics is allowed to run rife out here, where in the cities they get too much pressure to resist completely.
Next week will be my first MW visit at my home.
I have my disabled parking permit and I'm so relieved to have that at last!

Just wondering if anyone has any ideas for me to source some jic syntocinon. my birth support not able to source it this time.

is there anybody who may be birthing jan ish and may have it left over (if they don't use it). feel free to pm me.


i may delete this post later so pls don't quote me

Just wondering if anyone has any ideas for me to source some jic syntocinon. my birth support not able to source it this time.

is there anybody who may be birthing jan ish and may have it left over (if they don't use it). feel free to pm me.


i may delete this post later so pls don't quote me

Shop around for a GP? There is a sympathetic GP in Burwood/Bennettswood who I'm sure would sign a script for it. I'm in a similar situation and have some avenues to follow...

Oh that's crappy. I will get a script no problems. But Sunshine Coast is a bit of a ways to come.....

My midwife takes any unused vials with her. Are you near MAMA in kensington? They are a midwife service and have prescribing rights. You could see one of them and ask for a script?

HoI, I get women to get their gp to perscribe it.

My GP prescribes it, Hot1, but a couple of the m/ws in our group practice also have script pads now (they've completed the course). I'm birthing in Jan, so keep in touch. ;) I didn't need it last time. Only problem is I think it needs to be kept in the fridge, so not sure how I'd be able to transport it to you.

I'll ask the other m/ws what your options are. If you PM me whereabouts you are, they may be able to provide some local recommendations.

I got a script but didn't fill it last time cos we didn't use it.... My Mw already had heaps of them that other women had bought and not used so I just promised to get one to replace for her if necessary.

Can a normal GP prescribe it, or do they have to be Ob GP? My GP is fairly clueless, but also generally accommodating if i can provide details for him on what to write.

Normal GP can prescribe it, but just may need prompting on dose etc as they aren't all familiar with it.

I assume a normal GP can. Maybe give them a call?

My regular GP did my script last time. He does do pre-natal care, but only attached to the hospital. He's just our usual family doctor.
I think my midwife brings it and takes it back if it isn't used. I feel like I should remember this, but obviously I was happy with the plan last time.

My issue was Anti-D, and even though my Doc was happy to write the script I ended up at emergency to get it.
Wasn't a big deal, since it is 3 minutes from home and I walked in and out, but wasn't what I planned.

My GP is just a usual one, no ob/prenatal connections. She just filled in the script as per my m/w's letter to her. ;)

M/w appt today. Baby def head down now and seems to be staying there. BP is low, everything good. I'm a very boring client. Lol Next appt in three weeks and then fortnightly.

Birth pool arrived and is packed up in my office. Just need to get a pump. Have kinda started getting excited about giving birth again. We have so much on in the next couple of months it's going to fly by.

Celebrating the birthday of my first homebirth baby today! Six years ago already... Can't believe it's been that long!
Here's her story: https://www.bellybelly.com.au/forums...r-birth-49801/

Had my m/w appt yesterday. She's in Springwood, luckily the other side of the highway from where the bad fires were yesterday, but kinda surreal that DD2 and I were out there just before the bushfire started. :( Thankfully, we left before the fires flared. I might not have stuck around for lunch had I known. Will be very smoky up there today. It's bad enough at my place, and the fires are not too close to me.

Jennifer: that is so amazing that your birth pool is there already! wahoo! i reckon that when that baby is in the house it is all getting real and to the exciting part!

I hope that your IM is ok and safe xx

Cricket: happy birthday to your Big Six Year old!! They suddenly seem so much more grown up and Big Kid at this age don't they? I cannot believe how much my DD1 has changed in the last few months since turning 6. i am so proud and yet, the nostalgic heartstrings are being to pull...

Happy birthday to your dd cricket!!

Jennifer, I hope the smoke isn't too bad. Dd was a newborn during the black Saturday fires down here and we couldn't leave the house the smoke was so bad (I'm in inner city Melbourne).

Cassius, yep I agree once the birth pool is in the house the baby isn't far behind!

Argh, so frustrating! The henna artist I'm TRYING to hire for my Mother Blessing isn't the most reliable person in the world :-/ I've asked her to email me a price list, but it's been a week, and three reminders later I still don't have anything. I know I should find someone else, but I can't find anyone else in the area who will come to me to do it :wall: Might just give the whole idea up :(

On a more positive note, I've seen both Kelly and Jan over the past two days. Jan for a regular appointment, and Kelly came to my house yesterday to steal more of my blood (path place lost my GCT tube o'blood :-/ ). I'm finding more and more differences in the care I get from them vs the last two times. I imagine it would have somehow been my fault that my blood went missing, had I been in hospital. And they're both SO passionate about birth! It's very obvious it's not just a job for them, they love talking about birth and the babies they've seen born :) I can't wait until December :heartbeat:

I'm so glad you're enjoying jan and Kelly. I love them too!

As for henna artist, I can try and trawl through my emails for you and see if I still have a contact.

Edit: I used henna body art dot com dot au and the price was 135 per hour plus 20 for travel costs. The lady was really nice BUT when my friend used her she brought her mum (wtf) who sat and watched the party...weird. So I would prob clarify you didn't want that lol

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As for henna artist, I can try and trawl through my emails for you and see if I still have a contact.

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I love you :lol:

Did you see my edit to previous post? I rang around at the time and it was a reasonable comparison. I will use them again this time too I think.

Honestly, just buy the henna from eBay and use the templates there - you'll be surprised at the inner artist in everyone when they add to it! No-one wants to make the mama's belly look awful, and most will err on the conservative side, unless they already have an artistic flair - and then it's win-win :)

SJ, that's what we did at my mother blessing. I just bought some henna, made it up the day before and got the girls who were there to put it on my belly. They did a great job! And they all giggled like little kids whilst they did it and they also did stuff on themselves as well. Fun for everyone!! But I do like the idea of an artist. That would be cool too.

That did cross my mind, and is a wonderful idea... But I'm too much of a control freak and would want it to be absolutely perfect - aka nothing within my family's artistic reach :redface: Agh, that sounds so awful, I feel like such a b*tch saying it! The guests will be decorating the birth flags at that point in any case. So they get to express their talents that way, and if I don't like them they're not painted on my body.

I'm just going to go hide in this corner now :lol:

I had a blessing way with DD, nothing with DS and probably won't with this one. As I'd want close friends and family to come and well I have not enough close friends that would and my family wouldn't be able to make it so it would be just depressing. I brought my own henna and thought I might do my own belly haha picture me sitting in front of the mirror trying to do this, knowing my luck I'd go into labour while my dodgy artwork on my belly is still completely noticeable and the MW will wonder what happened! Hahaha!
And I also brought a belly casting kit, not sure what I'm going to do there as it's pretty hard to do myself especially with two toddlers running around!

I feel so wiped out lately. I stopped exercising because of it and I'm having the worst pressure. I still have 10 weeks :(

How are your iron levels The_Mrs? I find its normal to have periods of fatigue and then periods of more energy but if you're feeling really low it might be worth checking.

Pressure with the third is very normal from what I've heard. poor you. I hope you're getting enough rest.

The mrs I find the pressure will be worse some weeks and not others. Hang in there, maybe get your iron checked like Arcadia suggested. I'm 35+5weeks and have found pressure less than it was a few weeks ago but some days can be bad others not.

I'll mention iron to midwife. My body just feels so sore. It gets harder with every baby I've decided. Thanks for listening to me whine

Oh, The Mrs! Whine away! I've been whiny today - not a good pelvis day, I'm afraid, and it sent me into a sleepy spiral so I had a nap. I get tired on the bad days because no sitting position is comfy and I can't do anything.
First MW appt on Thursday, right after my next osteo appt. I already know her and saw her down at the beach last Friday morning, so it's just excitement that I've really taken on a private midwife for another HB :)

Hi guys, just sticking my butt in here to ask a few questions, hope everyone is well..
I'm currently exploring my options for baby 3, is it possible to get a midwife for under 4 grand? I'm after a no test, minimal check up type pregnancy. Had a traumatic 1st birth, and freebirth second time round. I booked into a hospital but told them at 20 weeks that I chose a different care provider, ended up having no more check ups and went to a different hospital to be stitched up and get forms signed, we made it out that we were still booked into the original hospital.. lots of lies... we were in there for a full day just so they could do every test in the world. They even gave me anti biotics because I gave birth in an 'unsterile' environment! -what a joke. Anyway, I am in eastern Victoria, husband is on minimal wage and we really cannot afford a $5 grand midwife but I am set on no hospital. Any ideas? Thank you

I really have no idea who would do it for less than that, but wondering if the Whitehorse Homebirth Support Group is still going? Otherwise, the Homebirth In The Hills group has just started having meetings again, after a few years' hiatus, and meeting in Upwey atm. They have a Facebook group or page, can't remember which. They may have some ideas.
Belinda Henkel has a website you could try - I can't remember how much, but she may be around that mark or just a bit over. She is quite likely my back up secondary midwife and is just so lovely to speak with!
Also, may I recommend a Hypnobirthing practitioner, if you haven't already done so? Esther Swoboda - Inner Woman (FB and website), and she is also a doula. She used to be in Healesville, but she may be in Ringwood or Lilydale now, I am not sure.
We couldn't afford a midwife, either, and took a couple of years to pay everyone off. This time I'm more realistic - we still can't really afford it - about our payment plan ability and the MW knows we'll be selling cattle to pay her! My DP was so, so hesitant to spend the money for our HB the first time (2nd child) but now he knows it's worth it and is sucking it up for how much worth a qualified MW brings to the scenario.

Belinda is lovely. She was my back up last time and did my postnatal care.

Her fees are on her page mobile midwife, and she is medicare registered. mobilemidwife.com.au/services/

There are birth workers who charge less than 4k, but may not be registered midwives. I don't know who is in your area, but good luck. In this climate, it is often word of mouth where you will find people. Some of the supports SJ listed may be your best option.

Mine is charging me $3k..... That is 1k more than last time, but I am her only client this year I think, and she needs $2k to cover her insurance.... I think she just loves me tho.

Mine is 3k, which is 1k less than last time. ;)

Maybe yours loved you too?? Everyone else is 5k plus around here.

gosh, mine were only $3k. i spent more in the end for extra postnatal checks and some massage etc during the pg.

What! 3k we could do, what are these midwives names!!?