Homebirth General Discussion #18

Oh Arcadia!!!

:happyforyou:

What bliss!! Welcome to your little new human! So incredibly thrilled for you! :heartbeat:

Oz: WAHOOO!!!! So awesomely stoked to see you in here!! :dance: I am also super looking forward to hearing all about your plans! yay!

Tegam: A baby! And all in the right spot xx Congratulations!

SJ: I hope that the scan shows that all is ok. Surely the measurements are impacted by the spd? I would have thought that it would mean that there was quite alot of room for bubs to wiggle down and about? still, pretty intense stuff to have niggling in the back of your mind.

HotI: I am sorry to hear that your headspace is cluttered ATM. and being a third birth i think it is quite common to find yourself in that space ITMS.

Meow: oh wow! your ticker is ticking along! double figures!

I think if I was questioning whether to have a student there, I'd probably err on the side of not having them.
I suppose you could meet her and see if you click. I make a lot of decisions based on my gut instinct.

Thanks :) I'll have a good chat on Monday about the SPD, the fact that this time I haven't had the DRAM I did with the last two, that I have been heaps more active between pregnancies (I took up surfing again after moving to the country) and I am hoping to have a response from the mw we used last time, to establish how I measured with DD. It's not great to have this niggle, and if it weren't this it would be something else ;) I know scans aren't accurate, hence not having any in this or the last pregnancy - I did say to myself and caregivers that there were to be no scans or 'routine' tests unless something came up outside of normal. At this stage, I don't recall measuring this far under with the other two, so it's sailing close to 'outside of normal'.
I'm willing to bet that it's the SPD that's behind it, though. After last night I'm probably measuring 22 weeks; I rolled my foot on the extension cord plug connection for the fan in the kids' room - I wouldn't have even been in there if it weren't after 9.30pm on a school night with one DS avoiding sleep!
Student mw - you're either ok with it or you're not, like Special says and I'd like to think they understand if you feel you need to close ranks. I had one tracking me for DS in the FBC and she missed the birth by about half an hour. It would have been a great experience for her, in hindsight (she would have been spectating, like the staff mw ended up doing!), and when I met her I knew she'd be cool in my space. I was too far along with DD by the time I got wind of any students wanting to tag along for HBs :( One contacted me, but just as I was about to pull the pin on her (I wasn't convinced over the phone) she pulled out, anyway, due to life circumstances, so it worked out well.

I would have to meet the student before deciding. I had one first pg, and decided not to invite her to the birth. my second student was awesome, I would love to have her again even though she has graduated. I decided not to have one this time.

I'm feeling way more positive after my mw appt. wrote up some affirmations, and have printed them out. planning to laminate them, and pin them to the curtain behind my birth pool. last time I had plans to set things up during early labour, and things moved quickly so they didn't get done. I am having them done early this time, so my kitchen will be very birthy for a few weeks.

Thank you guys, all your advice is very appreciated. That's why I love this thread. I think I'll hold off having any decision until after the nice long 12 week appointment. Whilst its definitely helped to see a little baby and its heart beating I'm still a bit numb. Only to the pregnancy tho... Weird I'm doing internal cartwheels of joy at the thought of getting to experience holding and sqwishy newborn again. Maybe it's just 7th pregnancy boredom? I'm also looking forward to watching it move.

Ahhhhh sorry for my rambling :)


Hoti: love that you are in a better place. I'd love to read some of your affirmations. I've never written or read any before.

How are things Arcadia??

SJ: thinking of you.

What a great idea, HotI! I'm gonna pinch it!
Oh, and I found someone to help me with baby clothes and equipment set up in the sun room...my DD! She's offered her services, and at the age of 4 I think she could be up for it ;)
Tegam- such early days, you so don't have to commit to a student at this stage. Let it all sink in, first :)

SO glad to hear baby is doing well Tegam! Yay! I feel like if you have any triggers from having a student MW then just don't do it. Bunker down with your MWs and make it your space. This is all about you and your baby so don't feel you owe anyone any favours.

HotI it's so great to hear you in such a good space. I hope baby comes along soon xx

You sound positive SJ and I'm sure there is nothing amiss with this baby. I hope you ride through the medical experience well.

HotI I had some great affirmations:

My baby knows how to birth I trust my baby
I am safe in labour, I have a wonderful team and the body of every birthing woman.
I choose to say yes to the power of my body and accept myself completely.
Don't expect only accept.

A big one for me was also knowing and visualizing circles of love: my friends my sisters and mum and my kids and DH. I clued into that idea in mid labour and it was excellent. I also had the image of a flower opening stuck in my mind which was a great visual.

All great here with baby. He is seriously divine!!! My nipples are a bit tender because I just let him feed all last night without any thought to attachment (post-birth high anyone?). So now I'm sitting for each feed and it's much better. I have to remember not to assume anything, and that I've had a break from breastfeeding this time so nipples are more sensitive.

The afterbirth pains are annoying me this time and I took panadol on that first day. Urgh I'm so sweaty too. Gross otherwise I feel excellent! The best recovery so far. He was my biggest baby too:
Weight: 3.84
Length: 58cm (the kid is going to be a giant)
Head: 37cm

I just love the fact I caught him myself. It's what I envied about water births! Now I know you can land birth and do the catching etc yourself too.

Birth story is bring drafted in my mind. Hopefully I get some time soon.

Sorry I haven't replied to everyone. I will come back soon. I want to contribute to everyone else but I'm a bit obsessed with my new squishy.

And so you should be Arcadia! Enjoy that squishy goodness!

Arcadia, I am so happy you got to catch him, it just sounds like it was so special.
I forgot about the sweatiness that comes after birth. The weather is really hot here right now... I guess I'll be wearing not much for a while.


My little 2 started Kinder and grade 2 today. I'm happy I got to take them. My year 8 boy is not doing well with school at all (emotionally,) but I think I have finally found someone that seems like they want to help us. Fingers crossed.

I'm 40+5 today. Finally did the baby clothes, but I still haven't tested out the birth pool. I did watch a YouTube video.... does that count?


Oh, I saw something on Facebook but then lost it. It was alternatives to the plastic bellybutton clips - Any one use anything different? Have an opinion or experience? I can't remember how long the clip even stayed on, I just remember my 3rd took a while longer - and he has a half innie/half outtie. :lol:

I used embroidery thread and plaited a cord tie last time. in pretty colours of course.
this time considering doing cord burning, so no tie needed. think I will make one just in case.

Hope you're doing okay, Special and Hot1. Never considered an alternative to plastic clamps, DD3's dropped off after three days.

I like the idea of a pretty tie-off!
I'm still waiting for my former mw to get back to me about my fundal height measurements with DD :/
Meanwhile, I'm booked in for the scan for tomorrow, and back with the GP next Monday, unless something is flagged and she wants to see me before then. Essentially, I knew that she'd want to be ruling out by looking at a scan would be fluid levels and blood flow through the umbilical cord. If that all comes up normal then we'll just sit back on the theory of no DRAM, SPD and extra core from the surfing and increased horse riding between pregnancies - which we're both hoping this is down to. It's one thing to know that fundal height measurements are not the be all and end all, and I really do have to bear in mind that two weeks later my measurements are still 28 weeks, at 33 weeks. That's a slippage of 5 weeks, at this stage. So, it's time to call in the technology.

Wow, steamed/half-dehydrated placenta is pungent :o The smell has taken over my house - I'm glad I waited until DH was at work before I started, I should have time to air it out :lol:

SH, hope all comes back clear. Do you feel bubba is growing? While I always measured behind in the third tri, I generally had growth week to week, so as you say, there is a place for technology.

My little piggy put on a kilo in three weeks. She won't be a newborn much longer!

SJ - I hope the scan brings reassuring news tomorrow.

I did the same as hotl and had a cotton cord tie for ds2, it was much nicer than the plastic clamp IMO. Although I forgot to make a pretty one but my midwife had a plain white one for me that she brought in case I had forgotten to make one.

Hope your scan shows all is well, SJ :)